Are your Friends and Family Burying Their Heads?

[Stevendsmith]

It seems that a good number of people in my life are not sufficiently alarmed or activated by the current national crisis. Many of my friends and family members who I would expect to share my values and sense of morality just won't engage in any substantive political discussion.

I just get that look that says, "Boy, he's really passionate about politics."

And I'm not browbeating them at all. I'm attempting to have productive discussions or to just commiserate. But I'm getting resistance from unexpected quarters. These people are not conservative or right wing.

Apathy is hitting way too close to home these days. I'm really bewildered by this. Of all times!

[Indiana_Dem]

1. I know. I'm running into people all over like this.

It's either that or they are REALLY passionate one way or the other.

[juslikagrzly]

2. Had a colleague who

seemed to respond like this until one day she explained that it's just too damn depressing to talk about it. I think some are withdrawing rather than exploding.

[janx]

4. Exactly. We should expect more of this as the election nears.

A lot of people are just really scared.

[camby]

3. I've had that too. Complacency is the word.

Not sure what it might take to wake people up. Do you ever feel like you walked into a remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

[henslee]

5. Me too. They think if you are informed and you care, then you're weird

or quirky. Or they are so disillusioned -- they feel they cannot effect any change -- and think that its all fixed and that the little guy always loses. How did the electorate get whipped into such submission. BIG MEDIA. I'll tell you this much.. Things are a changing for sure. You're ahead of the curve S Smith. Stay there. And they will catch on soon.

[Stevendsmith]

10. Yes, "quirky" describes how I am perceived

It's a very lonely and surreal feeling.

[Cats Against Frist]

27. "the little guy always loses"

My father was a union coal miner for 20 years -- so he knows about "the company store," right? He feels that "fat cats" control everything, and YET, he also feels it's right to pay his taxes, his bills on time, keep his nose clean -- he quite seriously looks at the government as some kind of "father figure," thing -- and he always says, "I'm 53 years old -- why do I want to change anything?"

He simultaneously feels down-trodden by "the man," yet indebted to the "system," -- no matter WHO's in charge -- Democrat or Republican.

I think he's voting for John Kerry, but he's very pessimistic and keeps saying that Bush will win.

The "little guy," needs to grow some fucking marbles.

[kwyjibo]

6. yes, absolutely

Every time I bring up politics with my mom, she tries to change the subject. She's going to vote for Kerry but the news upsets her so she just ignores it. I want her to be more aware, even if she is on the right side, because I just can't imagine living in the world and not knowing what's going on.

Most of my family is like that. I have one great aunt (she's about 88), and she's the only person who will talk seriously about politics and get passionate about it. She hates Bush. She's worried about the economy, and she said she remembers once when she was young, her father sat down and started crying because he didn't have enough money to feed his children.. She's worried that that's going to happen to our generation.

[UnityDem]

7. Send them something like this

Dear Friend,

Please excuse the fact that you are receiving this as a mass form letter. Since I would like to express the same sentiments to many people (family members, friends, business acquaintances), I decided to just send you all the same letter.
You know that it has always kind of been my “rule” not to discuss politics. However, I have decided that I need to break that rule on this one occasion. I firmly believe that our nation is at a crossroads right now. There are two very distinct directions that we can take. I know that some of you don’t follow politics very much. Some of you don’t vote or don’t vote very often. Some of you that do vote have told me that you generally just vote for the party that your family has always been aligned with. I don’t criticize you for this. However, I am asking a big favor of you this time around. Please find out for yourself what the two campaigns are offering (and, yes, I do say two campaigns because we all know that one of the two major candidates will be elected). The two main web sites are:
www.georgewbush.com & www.johnkerry.com
I ask you to do your own research on these web sites and any others that you choose to go to. Please do not take only the word of the talking heads on television and radio that have their own agendas on who they want to see win the election. See what the issues that most affect your life, your state and nation, and the rest of the world. Both campaigns have claimed that this is the most important election of our lifetime. I strongly agree. On almost every subject: job creation, the national deficit, education, the environment, civil liberties, judicial appointments, and the war on terror, there is a vast difference on the direction that will be taken over the next four years.
Many of you know that I have been volunteering in the John Kerry campaign for the past few months. In fact, I have had to turn down a lot of social invitations that I would normally accept because of the fact that I am devoting all of my spare time working in this campaign until November 2nd.
What I am asking of you, if you respect me and my opinion on other subjects, is to give this campaign some serious thought. I have done so and I truly believe that John Kerry is the right man at the right time for this job.
Even if you come to a different conclusion than I have, I do hope that you will take the time to consider all of the issues and then vote your conscience.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter on a subject that I haven’t wanted to raise with you in person. Your friend, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Stevendsmith]

8. Good letter

Thanks.

[PSU84]

9. There are millions of people

who would watch, say, "Schindler's List" and wonder "How could people let that happen?" and they have no idea that they are letting it happen here. The fucking "PATRIOT Act" alone ought to have people marching in the streets to have Bush exiled to a barren atoll in the Pacific. People are basically lazy, myopic, and selfish. They have their day-to-day comforts. They have cable TV and Starbuck's coffee and go to the beach for a couple of weeks every summer. Do they really care if a few people get locked up because the FBI thinks they're "UnAmerican"? No. Do they care if the poor get poorer and the rich get tax cuts? No. Do they care if the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are gutted by the agencies that are supposed to enforce them? No. Do they care THAT ARE NO WMD IN IRAQ? No. I don't know who will win on Nov. 2, but I do know this: The USA is going to get the government it deserves either way.

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - EDMUND BURKE

[Stevendsmith]

11. Precisely

We get the government we deserve. How very existential an observation. I've been saying the same thing for years.

[Burma Jones]

12. I just tell them that it's ALWAYS better if the Pres and Congress

are of different political parties, tell them that things run better that way because both branches have to behave better if the other is watching, and leave it at that. I don't particularly believe that, but it takes the partanship out of it for a lot of people and lets them think they're making a rational decision.

[LastDemStanding]

14. You don't particularly believe that but you espouse it?

Is being honest too much to ask? I honestly don't want to win if we can't do it honestly.

[Burma Jones]

15. Then you WILL be the LastDemStanding

Welcome to DU.

I just want them to vote for Kerry, why they do it is of no consequence to me. Whether you find it hypocritical is of no matter to me since I assume you are voting for Kerry. It's politics and the party in power has made the rules.

I want to win and I don't care how we do it, well, short of disenfranchising voters and other forms of legal election fraud.

I have to couch the argument in the terms most favorable to the person I am trying to persuade. You can also treat this as though you were walking in someone else's shoes.

[Cats Against Frist]

28. Honesty?

Yeah, I'd prefer that, but when you're dealing with the fucking slime machine that is the "GOP Civil Church of Mammon and the Fake Jesus," and their idiot lap dogs, "honesty" in public discourse is nothing but a fond memory. Remember, right-wing hate radio has drug our national discourse through the mud, made politics "sensational," made every dumb ass a "political expert," and made everything mean.

That's why I'm mean. The right made me mean. And yes, "honesty would be nice," says the fly to the black widow.

[LastDemStanding]

13. Why not unload it here for a sanity check?

Can you itemize the top issues you claim are a "current national crisis"?

Post them here and let some independent voices take a shot at them.

[Stevendsmith]

16. Here's my top three items

1. Bush

2. is

3. the President

[Bridget Burke]

30. Here's an independant voice to take a shot at you

1. I

2. totally

3. agree.

[genius]

17. Sister- in - law has become a Nazi. Rest of family is fine.

[TahitiNut]

18. It's the Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome

"I'll think about that tomorrow."

Escapism. Denial. Delusions.

Life is more fun in Disneyland where Uncle Sam (our guardian ad litem) tells us not to worry, do as we're told, and do our chores.

[UNIXcock]

19. Yes, it pisses me off. My boy now says ...

... he isn't voting. He's sure Kerry will lose anyway :grr: :mad:

[Character Assassin]

20. Yes. They are all either voting for Kerry or Bush. Talk about nuts.

Was it Einstein who quipped about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?

[Hello_Kitty]

21. My experience as well

Admittedly, my own interest in politics is fairly recent due to the events that have unfolded in the past 3 years. I used to be as apathetic and uniformed as the people you described, although I have considered myself to be liberal for a long time. I cannot understand why others have not been jolted into reality as I have. What's it going to take for people to wake the hell up and realize that our precious democracy is imperiled?

I now realize that the whole social taboo of 'not discussing politics' is a bunch of bullshit. People should talk about it all the time! I talk about it to people every chance I get now and damned if people get offended, this is important!

[Beam Me Up]

22. Three simple things that will get their attention ---

Show them three documentaries (not all at once):

1: Outfoxed

2: Hijacking Catastrophe

4: The End of Suburbia

I've done this with my friends, some of them even Republican. By the time they finish the third one, they can no longer hold their attitude that what is happening around us is 'politics as usual' (best ignored).

Trust me.

If you do not have access to these documentaries, private me.

Edit: That goes for anyone reading this message, not just the original poster

[fortyfeetunder]

23. My family is pissed beyond recognition

Every conversation I have where the Chimp's name is brought up, there is consistent disdain of rhe POS. They are all registered to vote and ready to take it on.

[DeepModem Mom]

24. This is a direct result of the media --

not only do they not tell the people the truth, and its significance, they shill for Bush, and give the impression that everything is A-OK.

[ursacorwin]

25. actually, i'm pretty sure it's always been like this.

my folks are old civil rights activists, and they tell some (not) funny stories about how hard it was to get people to do really simple things like vote or show up for a rally now and again, even when their own interests were at stake. look back closely at the history of american politics, and one thing is clear: most americans have always distrusted their gov't and not like any politician or party enough to get active or even be well informed.

i admit, it's really bad these days, and i too blame the media. people are mostly lazy and self concerned as can be imagined, and unless they are forced by economic or very personal reasons to care, TV and suburban comfort are all they really care about.

however: bush has hurt a LOT of people. all the real numbers show record GOTV numbers, in some cases 10:1 in favor of dems. recall in the primaries, when state after state (when it still mattered) reported record numbers of people coming out to vote for dean or kerry or clarke and the rest. there are even more people planning of voting in the fall today.

americans have been voting less and less over the decades, but this time is different. and if about half of america can't be bothered to vote this time for whatever reasons, then it's just up to us to make sure the motivated half gets to the polls and has their votes counted.

it's just too late to be concerned with those who won't help themselves. but if you still feel like trying, DU is filled with threads that should scare the living daylights out of anyone who isn't a billionaire. print 'em out and pass 'em on.

[area51]

26. "own personal ox"

It seems to me that a lot of times it's the "own personal ox" argument. Many people who've been lucky enough to keep their job in this dying economy don't understand how hard it is to get a job now. And they don't care about offshoring unless it affects them directly; like one of my retired relatives — he's pro-offshoring because his own personal ox isn't getting gored. People like this really have a hatred of other people.

[DebJ]

29. My 77 year old mother is engaged in an email battle with an

old right wing conservative fart who has been attacking the Democrats on every issue he can make up. Her blood boils and she keeps coming right back at him!
Hey, I AM her daughter and proud of it!
by the way, she lives in WVA and is surrounded by the Bush Cult of no-brainers.