TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
My 87-year-old grandpa went off on players kneeling for the anthem and how "there is no such thing as racism in 2017."

I just let it go. My grandma is basically dying and he won't change his mind.

Oh God. In the same situation I probably would have ended my grandpa through stress right there.
He's been gone for 20 years but he was listening to AM talk radio at the end. I shudder to think of how far gone he would be now if he'd lived.
 

Rhomega

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,811
Arizona
No discussion of politics. Dad then later went on Facebook and talked about how evil socialism was, pointing out Venezuela and Brazil. He also supports Prager University.
 

Zeshakag

Member
Oct 28, 2017
466
It was actually the best thanksgiving I've had in years. I know half of the family are super pro-Trump traditional conservatives and half of us are liberal. But everyone shut the hell up about politics and we had a blast together.
 

The Real Abed

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,784
Pennsylvania
It was fine for us. My two conservative parents weren't dumb enough to vote for Trump anyway. I knew this when I went to vote with my mom. And my dad just said "If I wake up tomorrow and he's no longer president, I won't even care." Which is the best I can hope for.

They're still republicans but at least they were the smarter ones.

He did spend the day making MAGA jokes just to try and set me off though which was all in fun.

And my grandmothers, whom I'm not sure about, are too hard of hearing to know what we were talking about.
 

Citizencope

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,322
My brother did tell me a story that he was at a red light a few days ago and the girl driving behind him kept giving him the finger. He looked up at the light and it was still red. Looked back and more fingers. My idiot brother gets out of his car and approaches her drivers side window and asks what the heck he did. She points to his Make America Great Again bumper sticker. Lmao. I told him good for her.
 

BossAttack

Member
Oct 27, 2017
43,527
There are 3 things you don't talk about when in a family gathering: Religion, politics and football (be it American or the actual fooball).
Sadly, sometimes it's hard to avoid all of them lol.

I don't know about White people Thanksgiving, but those are the only things my black family talks about every Thanksgiving.
 

ScatheZombie

Member
Oct 26, 2017
399
My in-laws are very conservative but neither of them like Trump and are both hoping he gets impeached (or, at least doesn't get a second term).

And everyone is smart enough to not bring up political bullshit during the holidays. We've also learned the best way to avoid that happening in the first place is to keep everyone active. My wife and her mother are running around the kitchen while her dad and I do some home improvement project to keep busy so we aren't bullshitting in front the TV or something. Put up a bunch of new shelves in the garage on Thursday.

And then after dinner we go out and do something - usually shopping. I think most people run into trouble when the whole family is sitting around, getting bored, and trying to make unnecessary small talk.
 

Nothing Loud

Literally Cinderella
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,060
There are 3 things you don't talk about when in a family gathering: Religion, politics and football (be it American or the actual fooball).
Sadly, sometimes it's hard to avoid all of them lol.

Those are even harder to separate when you're gay and you come to TG with your boyfriend and your family doesn't approve.
 

Ajax35

Alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
120
I think it's kind of sad that people need coping mechanisms to have a meal with their extended family. I'm a lot more liberal on most issues than my parents, for example, but that doesn't mean I have to turn Thanksgiving into a debate contest. It's not that hard to smile, nod, and let things go.
 

Cream

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,316
All the people talking about how they ignore politics just to have a good time are part of the reason we're in this mess
 

Transistor

The Walnut King
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
37,567
Washington, D.C.
My wife, my mother, and myself are liberal. My father is Uber conservative. Since Thanksgiving was at my house, I forbade any political conversation during the whole thing.
 

Philia

Member
Oct 25, 2017
439
Most of my family are staunch conservatives but I don't know if they've voted for Trump or not. I did see a few "give him a chance" posts early on but nothing after a few months of that. I guess they just cannot defend him anymore.

Thankfully most of my husband's mother's family are liberal. But they're all in SoCal, so we didn't have dinner there or anything.
 

Holundrian

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,771
What I learned here it's fucking sad that people can't talk politics with their own family. It's as if one side is probably not willing to have a fact based discussion dependent on coherent logical thought, gotta wonder why that is?
 

Dancey Dave

Member
Nov 4, 2017
113
Nah we're all adults for the most part so we know that politics are not a thanksgiving conversation and everyone is entitled to their opinions so we don't have to "tolerate" each other because some people have different views.

So went pretty well. Most heated argument was that I hate cranberry sauce.
 

Amory

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,161
I just try to avoid talking about it. I'm not gonna let politics get in the way of quality time with my family. Barely get to see them as it is
 

Shrubchicken

User Requested Ban
Banned
Nov 20, 2017
162
Western Michigan
There are 3 things you don't talk about when in a family gathering: Religion, politics and football (be it American or the actual fooball).
Sadly, sometimes it's hard to avoid all of them lol.

Really? Just about the only thing anyone in my family looks forward to on Thanksgiving is the Lions game and a giant meal.

I do not think politics or religion came up, but they were not avoided.
 

Infamous Hawk

Member
Oct 30, 2017
364
We have a "No Politics" rule but my dad loves to poke and prod at it. He learned his lesson in the summer though, when at a cookout at my house, everyone just obliterated him and he got huffy and left. He hasn't brought up politics since. Thankfully, he was pretty quiet and restrained this Thanksgiving.
 

ShaggsMagoo

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,698
Politics was strangely averted except for my racist cousin throwing a shit fit when the NFL was on the TV for three seconds. I didn't care to watch the game anyway, Jerry Jones, Roger Goodell, and especially Stan Kroneke can all rot in hell.
 

Mdeezy

Member
Oct 30, 2017
19
My entire family feels the same way so it was fine. We discussed how nice itll be when the orange man leaves the whitehouse.
 

Messofanego

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,737
UK
Me and my family, we're always talking politics. Don't need an occasion to spend time with each other. Really been just one instance where one part of my extended family was super conservative and I duked it out with them. They've become more tolerant since then. I'm in the UK, so this doesn't apply to me anyway.
What I learned here it's fucking sad that people can't talk politics with their own family. It's as if one side is probably not willing to have a fact based discussion dependent on coherent logical thought, gotta wonder why that is?
Since Thanksgiving is exclusively an American tradition, I believe it's down to how people consume news media in the States. It's very biased now after the fairness doctrine was eliminated in 1987. Radio and TV got super partisan thanks to this abolishment so that reactionary radio jockeys and think tanks could effectively spread their propaganda with little pushback. There was a documentary about this big transition in American politics called The Brainwashing Of My Dad.

Older people will spend nearly their entire day watching the news or listening to the radio. The 24/7 news cycle will keep them on edge, scared about the entire world, and so when Thanksgiving comes, they might let it rip.
 

Servbot24

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
43,539
I don't have anyone in town for Thanksgiving, but when I go home for Christmas I just avoid political talk by any means necessary. I don't even know which way my family leans, but given our religious background i'm scared to find out.
 

mernst23

Member
Oct 27, 2017
491
Chicago
Let's see: my dad dropped the n word while talking about Obama stating that no black people would ever be qualified to be president. This was a counterpoint to my "at least Hilary is qualified, even if she wasn't ideal" comment.

Then at my sister in laws, my wife's uncle said that hillary was going to go to jail for the uranium one deal, to which my only cmoment back was, well what about the 8 other department heads who signed off on the deal, should they go to prison too? He didn't understand my point so it was dropped.

Oh yea, my dad also made a comment about the players kneeling, to which I responded, you don't even watch sports anyways. And then he brought up the fact that he stood for the anthem when he went to his last sporting event. That event was a Germany USA soccer friendly in like 1992 or 3.
 
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Bakercat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,164
'merica
I posted earlier in this thread, but things got worse for me. I got into a fight with my fiance's parents last night at a restaurant. The mother got mad at me on my phone and took it away. I'm not a fucking child so I went to the bathroom to calm down before I said something I'd regret. During that time my fiancé got a ear full from her father about how he hates my Facebook cause I post news on politics daily. He's being very pro trump and close to the alt right shit from what I've heard and seen. My fiancé was about to cry and everything about the bad mouthing. What's worse is when I came back they were all apologetic and super nice to me and shit. Fucking two face assholes. Apparently my Facebook is so toxic that it's bothering her as well. All I do is post news updates and make a sentence or two on my opionion, I can't fucking help it when idiotic politicians do stupid shit. I should of known something was up when the father has been cutting deep with jokes about me lately since I came. So now all I can think about is how I try to spread what's going on in the world and I'm hated by everyone for it. I just wanna disappear.
 

ProtomanNeo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,190
We're all liberal, and even the ones that might be conservative by our standards are liberal by society's. We talk about religion and politics like it's going out of style.
 
Oct 25, 2017
3,078
I posted earlier in this thread, but things got worse for me. I got into a fight with my fiance's parents last night at a restaurant. The mother got mad at me on my phone and took it away. I'm not a fucking child so I went to the bathroom to calm down before I said something I'd regret. During that time my fiancé got a ear full from her father about how he hates my Facebook cause I post news on politics daily. He's being very pro trump and close to the alt right shit from what I've heard and seen. My fiancé was about to cry and everything about the bad mouthing. What's worse is when I came back they were all apologetic and super nice to me and shit. Fucking two face assholes. Apparently my Facebook is so toxic that it's bothering her as well. All I do is post news updates and make a sentence or two on my opionion, I can't fucking help it when idiotic politicians do stupid shit. I should of known something was up when the father has been cutting deep with jokes about me lately since I came. So now all I can think about is how I try to spread what's going on in the world and I'm hated by everyone for it. I just wanna disappear.

You should honestly just call them out directly. Don't just complain here. Force a confrontation and call out your fiancé's father on his shitty views. Start it out on Facebook if you have to by calling out his name as someone who is too much of a coward to actually have the discussion and "appears to be demanding a safe space from non-conservative views".

Otherwise that asshole is going to continue his tactics to treat you and your fiancé like shit. Don't let that asshole do that. And don't hold back. Just fucking call him out until HE'S the one that does something he regrets so that you end up suddenly as the person with leverage.
 

Trained Rage

Banned
Nov 12, 2017
819
My family on one side is all bleeding hearts. I tend to avoid at all cost. Other side can have a fun time with ought being all self righteous and patting themselves on the back every two seconds.
 

Bakercat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,164
'merica
You should honestly just call them out directly. Don't just complain here. Force a confrontation and call out your fiancé's father on his shitty views. Start it out on Facebook if you have to by calling out his name as someone who is too much of a coward to actually have the discussion and "appears to be demanding a safe space from non-conservative views".

Otherwise that asshole is going to continue his tactics to treat you and your fiancé like shit. Don't let that asshole do that. And don't hold back. Just fucking call him out until HE'S the one that does something he regrets so that you end up suddenly as the person with leverage.

I blocked his and their family from seeing my posts, so the issue is resolved. I don't see the need for my fiancé to be destroyed from the inside out by causing conflict. I deal and move on.
 

VAL0R

Banned
Nov 8, 2017
49
New York
I had about 25 people at my house, all Trump supporters and Republicans, I think. The only political comment I remember was my brother in law joking that he was thankful Clinton wasn't president. It wasn't that funny, but I agreed. Also, the food was great.
 

DrForester

Mod of the Year 2006
Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,063
We had a no politics rule and it lasted.

My gun loving side of the family compromised and concealed carried instead of open carried at dinner.
 

TinfoilHatsROn

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
3,119
I'm very surprised to see a conservative with a loli avatar tbh
Are you really? Outside of here, it's so damn common.

My family would vote Trump if the benefits for them/my family outweighed the negatives. It didn't, obviously, but they'll follow the tax cuts.

They hate Trump the person though. So Thanksgiving was good.
 

TheeFanatic

Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,786
Great. I brought up the highs and lows of this year's L.A. Dodgers season and had great discussions about it. Even though the season ended bad
 

Zebei

Member
Oct 25, 2017
767
"I owned that liberal by telling her 'give it a rest, it's Thanksgiving!'"
-my Aunt, not giving it a rest, during Thanksgiving dinner

"These women are just asking to be raped"
-a different family member


Yeah, it gets a bit worse every year, but is rarely surprising
 

GraphicViolets

Resettlement Advisor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
985
It was one of the best thanksgivings ive had with my conservative valley. they managed to fit in a bit of minor racism but it was pretty brief
 

138

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
416
He almost ruined my dad's story about shitting in a basement one time because my dad was talking about making a White Russian (that was part of the reason he ended up shitting in the basement), and my bro attempted to sneak a Russia/Trump joke into it.

The goddamn worst.

How did we go 3 more pages without anyone demanding more information about the basement shitting?
 

daveo42

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,251
Ohio
I only spent a day with grandparents this Thanksgiving. Nice to avoid talking politics or hearing more than an hour of Fox News. Most discussion was around food, so that was welcome.
 

brinstar

User requested ban
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,546
My entire family is pretty much on the same page so it didn't come up much outside of some general bewilderment and ranting about Trump.
 

Mortemis

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,488
Nothing political came up during ours, just fun with everyone.

Thankfully I'm sure everyone there leans liberal and for sure hates Trump so I never even have to think about the things you guys mention.
 

Deleted member 3812

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,821
My entire family is very liberal thankfully. Thanksgiving had us talking about how fucked our country is with Trump as President, one of my brothers who work for the U.S. Postal Service is worried about if he will have his job under Trump. Then a discussion about the actual history that caused the creation of Thanksgiving which was a genocide of Native Americans by the English settlers of the time and questioning of why the actual dark history of what lead to the creation of Thanksgiving isn't widely taught in school and why falsified history is taught about Thanksgiving. Then a discussion about government-funded heath care for all and free tuition for college/university students.
 

Speevy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,562
It went fine because I didn't go.

I just had to imagine them saying "God bless Trump." while I groaned from afar.