In this national nightmare, in this meltdown, how many of you have

[Diamond Dave]

lost friends and family? I am asking if you have had close relationships suffer- are there rifts. I am not asking if you have had someone die? Though sometimes when we argue and fight it can feel like a death. I'm just curious. We've lost too many. Is it the same for you?

I'm not doing a poll. I just have a feeling, this is serious. We all are being driven apart in ways we never ever thought of. Divide and conquer is the motto. How many of us all have suffered the consequences? How many of us have been divided? Separated from friends and family?

Oh and by the way, this is Ms. DD asking, Diamond D is recharging his batteries for the early am. I'm tag teaming it.

[Diamond Dave]

1. 30 views - zero response - scary if I might say............. n/t

[Breeze54]

3. Now who's not responding?

:P

[Breeze54]

2. What are you talking about?

:shrug: Could you clarify?

It's still very early in the morning, so I don't think that many people are logged in yet.

[Diamond Dave]

4. Breeze - how can I clarify it more? It was just a question.

We've lost many friends and family members over the state of the nation.

I'm sure you are right, we night owls are a lonely crowd.

For example, I have 2 brothers, a daughter, a mom, and a dad we had to put away in a secured facility. My youngest brother used to be a fundie pastor in a very large (mega) church, my other eldest brother's wife was as high up as one could possibly get at "Halliburton/Dresser:". Number 2 in Corp International HQ Human Resources right after Unca Dick took charge. Needless to say - the rift runs deep. My daughter - well I've lost her to the dark side. Texas A&M and "mom, why should I care what's happening over there?".

The question was and still is, are there others like us?

DD's bro is a eye doc in CO and our sis-in-law is a poly sci PHD - teaching somewhere in CO. Enough said.

[Breeze54]

6. I thought you lost someone in the wars....

Your Op topic is not clear nor is it specific.

You're talking about religion?

Um.. there is a religion forum for that.

Here's the link.

Religion & Theology
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=214

[Diamond Dave]

8. Breeze - I went and edited my OP.

Breeze, I was asking if DU'ers are suffering losing friends and family in disagreements. Divide and Conquer. Religion, wars, finances, Dem or Repub........... Clear enough yet for you? And yes I know there is a religion forum, there is a Vet forum, there is a foreign policy forum, there is a GD politic forum and best of all there is an economic forum and a 9/11 forum and and Israel/Palestine forum. Oh yes, and an activist forum.

My question was simple - Need more?

Oh and by the way, I was on the phone just the other day talking with the pres of VFP about Skylar and her t-shirt coalition in Florida. Have you ever heard of an organization called Fellowship of Reconciliation? www.forusa.org ?

Peace, once again.

[Breeze54]

9. I don't appreciate your snippiness... It's you're Op, your job to make it clear.

Not mine.

[Diamond Dave]

11. Not trying to be "snippie" Breeze. Chill - I think we are on the same team.

Peace, and if I appeared to be snippy, please forgive.

[readmoreoften]

5. One acquaintance. No friends, because I'd never go near a Republican.

No family either, lucky there.

[Diamond Dave]

7. It is the family part that is most painful. DD's M&D retired to the oldest golf

resort in the nation. DD's dad had an MRI yesterday - first time ever - our health system sucks.

Just a little ole "pinched nerve" - thousands of dollars later and no relief in sight......

We are encouraging them to seek alternatives = acupuncture.

Peace........

[MadHound]

10. No, I haven't sacrificed any friends or family on the alter of politics

It is mainly family who are conservatives, though I also have a few friends and neighbors that are also. It isn't that we don't know stances each other have, it is just that there is more to life and our relationship than politics. Yes, we discuss politics, sometimes even get into heated arguments about politics. But we don't employ scorched earth policies while doing so, it just isn't worth it.

[Diamond Dave]

12. You are one of the lucky ones. Too many we run into ask us how to deal

with friends and family they can not communicate with any more. I guess maybe that is why I posed the question.

How can we help?

Thanks.

[OzarkDem]

13. None, but things are tense

We don't enjoy family get-togethers with hubby's family as much as we used to. They have become very right wing, Rush & O'Leilly indoctrinated over the last several years. We're all still family and care about each other, but there is this undercurrent of tension that comes from them, lately one of desperate unhappiness and bitterness. It just suddenly pops up in innocuous conversation - a sudden remark smearing Hillary or someone.


My bil and sil have both been to Iraq and now my nephew has signed up and is preparing to go next year. When he told me at Thanksgiving, it really bothered me, though I tried not to show it. I just told him that I was really worried for his safety, but his parents acted like I wasn't supporting him. It was very awkward. I'm sick of it.

We care about each other and will survive it, but I resent the years of tension that Bush/Cheney has caused in our family.

[Diamond Dave]

15. Dear Ozark, this is the response I was looking for. Our families are being

torn asunder. "they" have taken divide and conquer to a new level the like of which this nation saw last in the Civil War between the North and the South.

Thank you for sharing. And yes, I do still believe we will survive with and in communities we create and DU is one.

[cali]

14. not a one.

and most people are nothing near as political as posters on DU are.

[Diamond Dave]

16. 200 + views, a few responses and zero recs - I'm confused, but hey.

Part of why we have loved DU for so very long. You never know...........

[uppityperson]

26. That happens. Sometimes I am a thread killer. Post and it's done

Often people read but don't post, don't rec, nothing personal. To answer your OP, I haven't lost anyone due to arguing about how things are. Actually I've gained a lot of friends, helping and supporting each other.

[Diamond Dave]

17. Just for the fun of it on a Friday night - a gentle kick up - anyone out there?

:kick:

[Blue_In_AK]

19. DD, I'm sorry this is happening to you.

I am fortunate that my family and friends are all Democrats or at least progressive Republicans. We all get along great now, although I can remember back in my hippie, anti-Vietnam War days, my older brother and I had a terrible rift. We couldn't even be around each other without getting into screaming matches. It was probably a good thing that he lived in Florida and I was up here in Alaska. We only had to interact periodically.

But we grew out of it. These days I don't know exactly how he feels about things, but we just don't talk about politics. I guess we've both mellowed out in our old age.

[Diamond Dave]

22. This is not just happening to "us" - lots of folks we know of every stripe.

It is the divide and conquer we are witness to. Disturbing to say the very least.

This time of year is "supposed" to be about peace. Enough said. We can do it, I just believe we can.

Why don't we talk about "politics" any more? Why is it not PC to do so? My most fond remembrances are the evening meal with family. Politics, current events, school, work, all were fun, exciting topics of conversation. Mom and Dad, grandmas and grandpas, uncles and aunts, cousins, family friends.

We need to take our communities back. We need to make corporations responsible, remove the "personhood".

www.reclaimdemocracy.org

[Diamond Dave]

23. Kick for tonight, I hope we all can keep this conversation going.

Stay warm, stay safe.

Peace.

[Blue_In_AK]

24. I agree with you...

It really is very sad how divided we've become.

[frogmarch]

18. I haven't lost any friends or

alienated very many of my in-laws because of political differences so far. I have only two republican friends and I don't see them much and we don't email each other. My republican in-laws know better than to mess with me after their side suffered a couple of debate casualties a few years ago when they popped in for a visit.

I really want nothing to do with republicanz. I can be civil around them up to a point, but they'd better not push it.

[some guy]

20. None. Maybe one.

A person I know started emailing me pro-Iraq invasion stuff just before the invasion. We debated back and forth for a while, then he withdrew. He was a might-become-a-friend at the time.

I mostly don't discuss politics with friends or family. A little bit on issues we can come close to agreement, but I try to avoid getting into potentially heated discussions. It mostly never changes anyone's mind, and only causes hard feelings, so why?

[magellan]

21. Not lost anyone, but have purposely left behind a relative

She pushed me too far with her RW smears after election '04, but we weren't that close anyway.

I did have a long and unexpectedly upsetting conversation with my father over Thanksgiving about politics and religion. Things came out that we never knew about each other...and I'm in my forties. I'm still in shock over his views as I'm sure he is over mine. It was like I'd finally met a freeper face to face. Bad. But we kept it civil and I don't have any plans to disown him. :)

I just hope he feels the same.

[Diamond Dave]

25. magellan, thank you for sharing. This is the conversation I was hoping to

have happen. It's late for me, I have an early morning and a long weekend ahead.

I have to say good night to all, but I hope this conversation continues in a really civil way. I'll check in tomorrow.

Peace to all. We all have lots to share and in sharing I believe a great deal of good could come of in the sharing.

[Bongo Prophet]

27. All og the GOP side of the family - I wouldn't consider it a loss, really. Tired of their shit.

As my dad was dying, we pulled together to see him off well. But the passive-aggressive statements from my brother's side of family - "We're really SURPRISED y'all (partner and I) are so good at this caretaking." and "It must have been hard growing up a hippie liberal with your dad fighting in WW2 and all." type remarks really let us know that they have this FALSE impression of godless liberals. We noted it and let it pass, to focus on the task at hand. Afterwards, they clamored for the loot, and teapot collection promised me from grandmothers, and got more aggressive - my mom is still living, but they acted as if she was gone too. Wanted that oldest sibling inheritance. After defending my sister and mom from their aggression, sis and I just said "enough" and let it go. No contact if we can help it. Repubs will keep pushing you around if you try to take the high road.

Rush Limbaugh had his victory, I guess.

Of note - my dad called preachers "carnies", was a lifelong Eugene McCarthy liberal, and we watched the conventions every cycle together for years. He raised me to be aware and to care about ALL people, to not be racist, etc. Of course, I was PROUD of his and my uncle's service - and my stupid Alan Keyes loving nephew who made the ww2 statement didn't know it was LIBERALS who were the first anti-nazis. Typical, ahistorical arrogance.

Don't get me started on the Mormon wife of my younger nephew "Bush is a hottie in that flightsuit. Good thing GORE isn't President - he would NEVER go into Iraq like Bush did!" I agreed with her, and said "No, he doesn't have enough Roman Emperor in him to do that." All while dad was in ICU. Both nephews of prime recruitment age, but no takers there, naturally.

As I said, no loss really. I could go on, but that is enough I think..
They will always be convinced that they are holy and we are godless.

So it goes.
Hope this is a useful anecdote, Ms DD. You should get your own name and join in more often - DU needs good people!
:hi: