5.5 hours to go

[radfringe]

and then I will be on the plane heading home. with the exception of a blow-up on Friday at dinner, the visit went well.

Just my mom and I went out to dinner last night. Dad opted to stay home. While waiting for my mom to get ready, my dad and I were talking about my job. Started out as a safe conversation, but soon got real close to the edge.

backing up a bit - earlier in the day he was listening to his reich-wing radio show, this was some local blather-head show. The blather head was going on about religion, christians and how the left is trying to squash God. I had quickly exited the room so I didn't have to listen to the crap.

ennywhoo - during the conversation about my job, Dad bring up my artwork and says I should design Christian greeting cards, because there aren't any out on the market. I tell him there are plenty out there, plus there's always the internet with brazzillions of christian websites which have greeting cards and other stuff.

for all of my life, my dad has little use for religion, in the past he's proudly proclaimed that he's an atheist. I was on the verge of asking him if he's still an atheist - why the sudden concern for christian consumer goods - then I remembered the blather-head on the radio.

My mom was then ready to leave for dinner so we scooted out the door. I asked her why did dad suddenly have an interest in christian consumer goods. She sighed and rolled her eyes "he's interested in anything that rush limbaugh tells him to be interested in"

she went on to say she thought rush limbaugh was full of crap, full of contradictions and a total asshole - but my dad couldn't see it. she again reiterated her desire to take back her vote - she voted for bush twice and profoundly regrets it.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. No Christian greeting cards?

He hasn't been in a Wellspring or other Christian-interest store lately, has he?

It's a huge market. If you want a greeting card market to market to, design them for gay and lesbian folks.

--p!

[radfringe]

3. it's just my dad's latest horse to ride

if the blather-head was wailing about a lack of glass vials filled with beachsand in tourist shops and linking that to an environmental protest group then my dad would be push me to fill glass vials with beachsand and putting some sort of graphic on it.

he just doesn't see his own inconsistencies

I grew up with him telling us that we need to think for ourselves, we shouldn't depend on one source for information, read/listen/watch opposing views and see how that meshes up with our own views. We need to be individuals and not blindly follow the leader. Although he never used the phrase - his advice was essentially to question authority

He would also tell us that we need to look at all the angles to solve problems.

and now I watch him drink the kool-aid, following a blather-head, questioning nothing, and refusing to even peek at different points of views. yet he still maintains he's an independent thinker.

[Nickster]

7. You know that's actually a pretty powerful statement you made there, have you actually said that to

him?

"I grew up with him telling us that we need to think for ourselves, we shouldn't depend on one source for information, read/listen/watch opposing views and see how that meshes up with our own views. We need to be individuals and not blindly follow the leader. Although he never used the phrase - his advice was essentially to question authority

He would also tell us that we need to look at all the angles to solve problems."

Tell him that is why you are who you are now, he essentially made you a liberal because of the values he instilled in you. He taught you to look at all angles, be a problem solver, not jump over a cliff because of a leader with blinders on taking you there. Tell him that you could now offer him the same advice that he gave you while growing up....he should look at all angles and not just believe it because Rush said so. That'd make me step back and think at least for a second if I were him.

[radfringe]

9. yes I've mentioned it to him

he still insists he thinks for himself and doesn't drink the kool-aid

In the past when he's presented certain arguments that are verbatim what rush or o'reilly has said, I ask him what he thinks and not what rush/o'reilly says he should think...

at that point the discussion devolves into the "stupid libruls are ruining the country" line

it's like asking a lightbulb to change itself - it won't change until it's ready to change

[B Calm]

2. Limbaugh knows the Christian's desire to feel persecuted

[BlueCollar]

4. Good idea Dad

I need 475K to get the business started...with no guarantee of success...How about you and flush front me the money...I'll pay you back out of the profits....

[wakeme2008]

5. have a drink for me on you plane

:)

have a good trip home... will be checking the photo forum for your pixs... you did do pixs.. :)

[kstewart33]

6. Well, at least your Mom is a thinking woman.

Imagine if she were like your Dad. It's great to have one parent to talk with about politics and the state of the nation.

[mwb970]

8. I was just thinking, what's wrong with your dad?

Is he unable to think for himself? What a sad thing to have to say about one's own parent.

[radfringe]

10. he's 1st generation american

his parents came from germany in the late 1920's.

there's a bumper sticker stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet "You can always tell a german - you just can't tell him much"

that pretty much sums up my dad