Every year we are treated to a raft of articles on surviving Thanksgiving (Christmas ones will come later) due to politics. Many of them attempt to explain how to ruin T-giving with talking points aimed at Explaining Things to your Republican Uncle. Others are about not ruining T-giving. This one from NBC News is the latter, where, apparently, Liberals need someone to explain this whole Acting Like An Adult And Being Civil thing
How to survive Thanksgiving when politics loom large
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a family member with politics you find appalling will say something infuriating at the Thanksgiving table.
We’ve been here before. The first Thanksgiving after the 2016 election was so tense that politically-divided families shortened their turkey dinners by 20-30 minutes last year, one study found.
Pretty much because people could not take the hardcore Progressives/Socialists/Marxists at the gathering anymore. They did not want to listing to Victimhood, Social Justice Warrioring, or Special Snowflaking. Remember, this are people who yelled at the sky on the 1 year date of Trump being elected.
This Thanksgiving — the first after the inauguration of President Trump — people are as dug in as ever, experts say, but instead of pondering just the election results, they now have policies argue about — everything from health care and taxes to immigration.
Perhaps so, but leftists always have their own Talking Points ready in any year, ramping up the discussion to uncomfortable levels on ‘climate change’, bathroom policy, the gender confused, etc. Even on how Evil it is to have all the food on T-giving (though they’ll still eat it).
The No. 1 rule is to avoid talking about politics at the family Thanksgiving gathering — it’s not worth it and you’re not going to change anyone’s mind.
The hosts should set down ground rules, particularly if they know there are family members who are going to spar, Farley said. You can say on the invitation: “Host’s prerogative: I would like to request no political conversation at the party whatsoever — let’s focus on what we’re thankful for.â€
It’s needed because Progressives have no self control to keep it civil. And just shut up when people want to watch football.
DO ALLOW A CONVERSATION ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Oh, that’ll go well
A family member may share a #MeToo story, revealing for the first time she was assaulted. Teenagers may ask tough questions about what it means to grope, fondle or expose. The topic is too important to avoid, Klapow said. If it comes up, a calm discussion about respect, and what’s right and wrong, is fine — just be aware there may be children listening. Some conversations should be more private, he advised.
No. Just no.
The article offers other ideas, such as having a designated politics zone, not taking the bait and getting into an argument, having a wingman, using humor to deflect (unfortunately, humor for Liberals is mostly non-existent, except for jokes about assassinating Bush Trump), and taking a breather. Easier yet, do not invited the hardcore Leftists.
If you value family over “winning” just stay away from religion and politics. You will not change anyone’s mind.
Telling your evangelical aunt that there is no evidence of god won’t help.
Telling your teenage nephew that their gluten “allergy” is likely not real, won’t help. (If the teen insists that no one eat anything with gluten, that’s different. If the vegan insists that no one eat turkey that’s different.)
Please just keep your person political and religious opinions personal.
On the other hand if Uncle Theo proclaims to the table that global warming is a hoax, one should gently push back with facts (or what cons call “talking points”).
It’s been my experience that conservatives like to “troll” their relatives at these sorts of get togethers.
Yesterday, back at the deer camp farmhouse, a friend made a racist comment concerning an NFL player, and it was pointed out gently that the player’s behavior may have been related more to the entitlement prominent athletes expect rather than to his race. He later proclaimed that he thought it was unAmerican for an athlete not to stand during the national anthem – that this was not the proper venue for protest. A computer engineer nephew asked, “When is the proper time to protest what is widely perceived as the unfair killing of Black people by police”? It was all civil, all polite, and we all left still friends. And there were guns everywhere (but no AR-15s).
Pro tip:
Nobody gives a shit about you, little guy.
You’re welcome.
Your actions belie your words, little perv. You comment every time. Sometimes twice.
I agree with dp, jeff, you are crap. Not only that but you are mentally ill and need help.
Your actions belie your words, big perv. You comment every time. You boyz just can’t help yourselves.
Another pro tip:
No one gives a shit what your dumbass nephews think either.
You’re welcome. Again.
“cons call “talking pointsâ€, now we are changing the word truth to ” talking points”.
Another pro tip:
That patriotic guy who proclaimed that it was unAmerican for an athlete not to stand for the national anthem is NOT really your friend.
You’re welcome.
It is never time to “protest what is widely perceived as the unfair killing of Black people by police,” but for sensible people to note that the vast majority of “what is widely perceived as the unfair killing of Black people by police” is in fact completely justified by the actions of criminal perpetrators. Michael Brown got what he deserved! Freddie Grey could have been handled better, but this world is still better off without him than with him. Tamir Rice’s death was unfortunate, but the police were completely justified in taking down someone who pointed a gun at them, even though it later turned out to have been a toy gun.
There are a few instances of really bad behavior by the police, but most of what the Black Lives Matter crowd protests are justifiable, and in many cases, improves the neighborhood.
dana,
While we appreciate your position as judge, jury and executioner, we’re not certain we agree with your decisions about who should live or who should die in America. We do understand that it’s a common position of authoritarians like yourself to deign to make those decisions for others.
We can think of several conservatives this world would be better without but would not celebrate their deaths quite as openly as you celebrate the killings of Black men.
Jeffrey wrote:
Actually, those with some actual sense would pretty much agree with most of my decisions. Do you deny that Baltimore is better off without a career criminal like Freddie Grey in it? Do you think that Ferguson would be better served if Michael Brown was still there, knocking over convenience stores?
It’s interesting that you think we’d be better off without law-abiding conservatives, while I think we’d be better off without law-breaking criminals.
Who are you to decide who should live or who should die?
Do you really think Roy Moore is “law abiding”? tRump? tRump Jr?
Besides shoplifting, what other crimes do you think deserve the death penalty? How about bilking students out of millions of dollars? How about sexual assault of a 14 year old? Certainly did more damage than stealing a few cigars from a corner grocery.
Wouldn’t America be better of if D. tRump would die? Of course.
Mike Pence too.
Rush Limbaugh, sure.
And Sean Hannity.
If Ronald Reagan had died during one of his fake war movies, America’s middle class would almost certainly be better off today.
Jeffrey laughably wrote:
Given that
global warmingclimate change is both political and religious for the left, why wouldn’t the first paragraph quoted apply to the second?dana,
It is always acceptable to correct another adult when they are lying to an impressionable audience. Even Uncle Theo.
We apologize if that distinction wasn’t clear. On the other hand, we suspect you were just trying to let fly at global warming rather than discuss something reasonably.
If “It is always acceptable to correct another adult when they are lying to an impressionable audience,” then it is always acceptable to correct another adult when he makes a silly statement in support of liberalism or Democrats. And this we are back to arguing politics over Thanksgiving.
…and remember to tell your children that if they get caught groping a sleeping women, to say that it is a joke, so they are not held liable. Also remind them that female TV spokesholes especially liked to be groped while sleeping, as long as a democracker does it.
And tell your victims when you’re caught groping them, that you may almost be elected president one day. They will be soooo impressed. And women like having their pussy grabbed as long as a celebrity Repuglican does it.
BTW, Did the photo actually show Franken groping Ms. Tweeden, a Sean Hannity protege, or were his hands hovering over her bullet proof vest?
“What is the proper time to protest the widely known fact of blacks killing other blacks….? The police aren’t the problem, their fellow blacks are the problem
Somehow, I have managed to stay married to a liberal Democrat for 38 years, six months and two days. Every year, she dutifully cancels out my vote. It’s simple: I don’t argue politics with her!
Thanksgiving dinner will be at my sister Lisa’s house. She is, Alas! the liberal sheep of the family, and political discussions will be avoided. Christmas dinner will be at my sister Stacey’s house, and she and her husband are avid Trumpelstiltskins, who even have a Trump bobble-head doll in the den. Lisa keeps her mouth shut about that, because we’ll all still be family after Mr Trump leaves office on January 20, 2025.
What’s the difference between tRump and a tRump bobblehead doll? The doll doesn’t assault women.
You can use that during the holiday season. No charge.