Politics causing problems with family?
By lilwonders
@lilwonders456 (8214)
United States
April 1, 2009 9:44am CST
Well they are at my house and not what you would exspect. As most of you know I am very poltically active. Most of my family is. But lately my parents have really been on my case about it. Ever sence the report came out about homeland security monitoring people (third party candidate supporters, ron paul supporters, C4L members, militia members, etc....) my parents have gotten worried. They no longer want me to go to rallies, protests or be as active. They are worried that Homeland Security will come one night and take me away. Or that something bad will happen to me at one of the rallies or protests. (like the national guard getting called out or I get arrested for protesting). Or I get black listed.They have really started giving me the third degree. Saying I am not thinking about my children. That I am putting them in danger and myself. ANd I should think about the effect that my actions will have on them. This is shocking coming from the parents who where always supportive of my actions up til now politically. I am not an extremist or anything. I write letters to my elected officials, I go to my local GOP and C4L monthly meetings, some rallies and yep even a few protests. But all of it is non violent and perfectly within my rights as a citizen of this country. But my parents who raised me to stand up for what I believe in are now telling me "don't make waves".
Anyone else having this problem? I think it really says a lot about the state of this country when it's citizens are scared to speak out against it.
What do you think?
6 people like this
13 responses
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
1 Apr 09
When my parents heard about the Missouri profiling situation, they jokingly informed me about it. They cared, I'm sure, but not like your parents. The whole situation was a joke, anyway. I didn't know Homeland Security was adopting the policy, too. That's a new one.
I'll speak out regardless of what the government does. Our government has become a sick joke - a parody of what it was meant to be, and far too many people are either scared to recognize that, or their just too plain brainwashed to care. I think the people that run our government are scared, really - like they know they're doing things wrong and they fear we all finally muster the cajones to put the fear of it's citizens back in them.
4 people like this
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
1 Apr 09
They certainly have a point. The monitoring, profiling, and yes, even blacklisting, seems to have gone out of hand. In a way now it looks like most of us fit one or more red flags. And the way things have been going, it would not surprise me, if eventually people will be taken away in the dark of the night. I sure hope it won't come that far. But there seems to be a lot of pressure to suppress opposition.
But if we all live in fear of that, can we really look our kids or grandkids in the eyes and explain to them why we said and did nothing when we didn't approve of the legislation coming out of Washington, why we idly sat by... Aren't those the questions people have been asking of those people in countries where genocide took place and dictators took over... where the government tramples on what we think is basic rights?
How else should people know they are not alone in their opinion? How else should the government know that we don't like/approve of what is going on? It's our right to put the heat under the legislators to do the right thing and not just vote along party lines. They are the ones who really have to fear the revenge come next election. This is a country where it's still allowed and people should not fear repercussions by the government. It indeed shows a lot when people live in fear of stating their true political opinion. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH AMERICA?
3 people like this
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
13 Apr 09
Making waves IS thinking about your children. It's your responsibility as an adult to shape the world they get to grow up in...therefore, to cease all political activity...especially protests, rallies, and general activism is to not take what you owe your children's futures seriously.
I understand their thinking, but all the same. "Those who trade their freedom for a little safety deserve neither freedom nor safety" applies in our lives as well as to the actions of our government.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
2 Apr 09
I'm not an activist like your describing but I do speak my opinion and when something comes out like the homeland security monitoring I tell ppl about it b/c I think they need to know. My oldest brother supports 0bama, my Mom and stepdad don't and my youngest brother doesn't support 0bama but doesn't see anything wrong with him either. I'm not sure about my third brothers views. My oldest brother swears anything negative about 0bama is a lie and my youngest brother is always claiming nothing bad is going to happen. It's caused some conflicts in our family but nothing too terrible.
As to your situation, I can see why your parents are concerned at the same time you have to do what you think is right. The best I can suggest is to reassure them and let them know that you know your limits.
[b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
**STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
1 person likes this
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
6 Apr 09
Since it seems that Congress wants to take so many of our Constitutional guaranteed rights from us, I think you need to with your protest as long as you're able. If you follow the rules, what can they legally do to you?
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
6 Apr 09
I meant to say I think you need to continue with your protest as long as possible.
@sysdexlicwriter (1619)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I would be interested to know what era your parents grew up in. Was it the McCarthy era of black listing. Was it in the era when students were killed for protesting and we saw a lot of hatred toward people who did not fit "the norm." These were all real events and we lived under a great amount of suspicion and hatred. I agree that you should be an active citizen, but there is something that is bothering them from either a past experience or correlating what is going on with a familiar trend from the past. It is not that hard to picture freedoms being eroded in this country, but once again I say we should all be active citizens.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
2 Apr 09
Sadly, it is politics and religion that are both causing a problem in my family. I am to the far left, and my family is leaning to the right. They believe in religion, and I do not believe in religion.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I think your parents are simply overreacting a bit and I don't think you or they have anything to worry about. I did a search about the Homeland Security monitoring plan and I think it's all in the wording of some of it that may make it seem more far-reaching than it is. We have our rights in this country and I don't think we have to be too worried about having them taken away just yet. Although Representative Michelle Bachmann did say there should be an investigation into members of Congress who she thinks are anti-American.
Annie
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
5 Apr 09
http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/henry-liberty.html
Remind your parents of this.
@AngryKittyMSV (4317)
• United States
1 Apr 09
Somebody also warned me, that the FBI would be keeping track of everyone who attends Tea Parties. And yes, that scares me, but doing nothing while our Nation falls into a fascist communist country scares me more.
You need to do what you feel is right, regardless of what anyone else says. Try to make your parents understand that you are doing what you do FOR your children, to ensure that they can have futures as free citizens of a free nation.
We don't want to look back on this time in our history WISHING we'd done something, even if we fail it will be better to look back and know that we tried and fought to save our freedom and that of our children. As another poster said, think about all the people who did nothing despite perhaps having a sense of how bad things could become under a socialist regime in Germany 3/4 of a century ago. I bet those who survived wished they'd done something when they had the chance...
@tamasmagyarhunor (16)
• Hungary
2 Apr 09
nope,
me and my family aren't interrested in politics.
they do same , lie lie , steal steal.
@cbakin20 (149)
• United States
2 Apr 09
I think that there is very little danger of being taken away. Due to how our government is SUPPOSED to be set up, it should be illegal for Homeland Security to do anything. I do realize that illegal things happen, but it is very unlikely. I think you should keep on doing exactly what you're doing, especially if you like to do it. It is very important to the government that they hear what you want, because even if they pretend to ignore it, they still hear what you're saying and it may, at some point in the future, influence them.
The only way to have change is to make waves! If you wait for someone else to make waves, it may never come.
