Turkey with a side of politics

Politics and family gatherings don't mix. Just in case you needed a reminder.

My brother in law loves to talk politics around me because we are from two very opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm pretty far left, and you might as well call him "Mrs. Palin." Every chance he gets, he'll bring up how he thinks Obama will bring the end of the world as we know it. I like to remind him that his guy lost, so suck it up and deal with it.

Well, I'm totally used to this from him, and it doesn't really bother me because it's really all in good fun. But today my brother started in on it too. My brother! This is the brother that I totally idealized growing up. He's 12 years older than me, so of course he was just the coolest thing since sliced bread to me when we were growing up. I don't know why, but I always assumed we would have pretty much the same view on things. Boy was I wrong!

Now, I can completely appreciate people with differing points of view from me. Why would I want everyone to agree with me, where's the fun in that? What I have no patience for is just utter ignorance and stupidity. Of course I recognize that my idea of stupidity is another person's complete belief system. So that being said... I guess I was just shocked to hear what came out of his mouth today!

First my brother in law starts in with his Obama talk, how we're going to turn into a Socialist nation with Obama and he wants his stimulus check and something about windfall profits... whatever, I tune him out. But then my brother starts dropping the middle name "Barack Hussein Obama" and how he's a Muslim an all Muslims want to kill Americans.

Excuse me, what? Wait, you're joking right? No, no. He's serious. His wife confirms it, my brother honestly believes Obama is a Muslim. The brother in law then chimes in "Yeah and he wasn't even born in this country! He's a foreigner! He has no birth certificate!"

Oh man. I turn to my brother and shoot him a look. I said to him, "First of all, he's not Muslim. But even if he is, who cares?" He says, "I do. Muslims are terrorists." Now, his 7 year old daughter is sitting right there, listening to every word we are saying. I shot him another look and said, "do NOT teach your daughter that." His wife chimed in that their daughter indeed has Muslim friends at school, so he better watch what he says.

I am just floored at this. I can not believe that my brother, an educated, professional person, and member of my family, would actually believe this crap! I don't care if he's a Republican and voted for McCain, but I do care if all that super right wing crap has seeped into his head and he truly believes this racist bull!

Even my mom, who never ever talks politics, and refuses to tell anyone who she voted for, piped up in this conversation. Mom said "He just got elected and hasn't even started yet, give him a chance." Go, mom! That small nugget of a political opinion coming from her is huge!

I just have to say that I am utterly disappointed in my brother. Not for having a different political viewpoint than me, but for falling prey to the fear tactics that come from the far right, and for sharing those beliefs around his daughter. Where do you think racist people learn to be racist? Their parents. Hatred is not innate, it is learned. I hope, man to I hope... that he doesn't talk like that around her all the time. Kids are impressionable, and I would hate to see her go to school and treat her Muslim schoolmates any differently. You just have to be SO careful what you say around children. Be a bigot if you want, but don't force bigotry on your kids!