Letters to the Editor
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Conservative talk radio has abducted my parents!
After retiring several years ago, my parents threw themselves into a life of volunteering and indulging in their hobbies full-time. My Dad would be in his workshop with the radio on for hours...listening to talk radio. Then the radio was played during meal times, during family gatherings, etc.
Rush Limbaugh became a God, my formally mild-mannered, Jesus quoting Mother turned into a "liberal" bashing zealot who views the baby-boomers of the 60's as the root of all evil in the world and George Bush reigns supreme.
As far as my Dad is concerned, if only he hadn't allowed me to attend that liberal college he'd sent me to, I wouldn't be so screwed up. Now, if you define "screwed-up" as having a successful career, raising a truly wonderful son on my own and being blessed with wonderful friends and family, then I'm a MESS!! My parents define it as one who votes for a democrat.
The past few years have found my sisters and me continually asking, “Who are you and what have you done with our parents?” Conservative talk radio has abducted them, and we want them back!
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You're not the only one
Boy, you really nailed this one . . .
I, too, can no longer have any meaningful conversations
with my ultra-conservative father these days. I don't know
what is worse - the simplistic black and white philosophy
(Business - good, Government - bad), or the accusation that
any critism, not matter how small, of current Republican
political or economic policy is some kind of giant leap toward
Communism. I've got the solution - I don't even go home for
Christmas any more. We can talk about the weather over the
phone or via e-mail. Thank God for the internet!
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Thank you, Wil!
I could have written this article about my Dad. Each year, I dread the annual Christmas visits from him more and more. I miss the liberal father I had growing up in the 1960s, before a divorce and years of being a police officer soured his outlook on the world.
Articles like this are why I recently sent a check to Salon to become a member. In a few days, after you receive my check, I'll be participating more in this web site - I can't wait!
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These are my parents too!
"While he screamed at me, I wanted to ask, "Who are you, and what have you done with the man who raised me to be tolerant, patient, peaceful and charitable?" "
I think the same thing sometimes when I'm arguing with my parents over the latest news item, like the so-called "War on Christmas." My parents always raised me to be kind to other people, to help those less fortunate, that kind of thing... and then my mother says something like (and this is majorly simplified), "Poor people are lazy." Of course, she listens to Bill O'Reilly when she's driving around (and living in the suburbs, she does a lot of driving) and parrots his talking points back to me.
And my mom is defintitely NOT dumb - she's a very skilled RN, and she's extremely kind and compassionate to her fellow woman. But sometimes the stuff that comes out of her mouth, that is exactly whatever the Republican party line is, makes me want to shake her and yell, "Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?!"
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The real war on Christmas
Mine was not a War on Christmas, but it was a war on values. Like the author, I'm a liberal and in my mid 30s. I was raised Catholic and was taught that the way to heaven was through forgiving transgressions and attoning for our own sins. I was taught "Thou Shall Not Kill". At the time, I didn't know there were exceptions to this rule.
Then came the Iraq War. When Bush was up for reelection I found out that my mother and two sisters were going to support Bush. They supported the war. I drummed up all the quotes and facts from various people (Powell, Rice, etc.) prior to the war that indicated Iraq was not an imminent threat. After going through all the material with them I would ask, "is the Iraq War justified?". They would answer "yes". I was blown away. I had known my family to be a forgiving, nonviolent group of people and in the span of one conversation I realized how disillusioned I was.
I read your article, and I felt your pain. It bothers me that anyone supports the Iraq War, but it destroys me to learn that the folks who taught me about peace and forgiveness only believe in that stuff on Sunday mornings at mass.
I love my family, but I am so disappointed with them that just writing this letter hurts. So, I'm going to go play with my two boys and my New Year's Resolution is if I'm ever able to teach them anything, I will make sure to be consistent and practice what I preach.
Merry Christmas.
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The so-called UCLA study
-- fed up writes:
(Finally, why don't you do a story on the recent UCLA study that concluded there is a clear bias in the media towards the left -- if you're so concerned about the influence of television on your household?)
First, of all there was no UCLA study -- there was a study done by two people -- one of whom is a prof. at UCLA (that's not the same thing).
Second, have you read about this study? It wouldn't pass a sophomore level methods class. It is grandly biased and, well, stupid.
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so strange
My Mom turns on the O'Reilly Factor, but not because she agrees with anything he says. I think she enjoys her hour of moral outrage at the RNC talking head and we sit down with a drink and yell at the TV together. I wouldn't say my Mom was necessarily a conservative when growing up, but we didn't do peace marches or any of that. Today we sit together and talk about the death penalty and the war in the gulf and I look in wonder at my Mother who was so angry at me at one time for my "Swords into Ploughshares" bumper sticker--we are actually on the same side. How did this happen? I guess we all change as we get older.