DH explanation of referendum result to 12 year old?

[margewiththebluehair]

DS was completely distraught this morning watching the news of the result. Mortified and inconsolable. He just kept saying why? over and over. He has been keenly following the referendum and insisting to DH and I that we vote remain for a myriad reasons.

DH tried to reassure him that UK is still a global power and that while things will be difficult, it is nothing to worry too much about (of course both DH and I were equally mortified - and we ARE worried - but didn't want DS to know that).

But DS went on and on about why would people be so dumb - So DH just explained that a lot of uneducated people voted and since the uneducated outnumber the educated - they won. DS accepted this as a reasonable explanation. I am not convinced it is true.

DH and I have 5 degrees between us - so I think it is fair to say we are highly educated.

So what?

DH has 2 first class hons degrees and a doctorate from a Russell group uni.

I have one first class hons degree and doctorate from a Russell Group Uni.

We both voted leave.

Your DH has handled it appallingly and with a level of, ironically, ignorance.

We've always had a balanced view in the house, but children are affected by outside influences. I hadn't realised DD2 had watched a Richard Branson video yesterday with her friends - she greeted the news today with an exclamation that we are all going to die. I obviously reassured her that we are not.

I did find it quite hard to explain why the Leave campaign won though, as I find it hard to comprehend myself.

So 5 degrees between your'll and you still couldn't explain it in an educated way to your son?

Well, we are, Raskin

Hopefully not imminently, though

OP I can't believe your DH told your DS that and that you seem to have backed him up?? We too voted remain and are upset this morning, but I still managed to have a less arrogant (and massively overly simplistic) discussion with my 5 year old this morning. What a terrible thing to have taught him....what's that DS? Someone disagrees with you? Don't worry they're just think

Oh and DH and I have more qualifications than you and DH, so by your reasoning you are stupider than us, if that helps you feel better??

marge good news, you are married to a twat, there are plenty of us who feel sorry for you,

Mine woke up this am and listened to it on the radio. 'god people are stupid' this from an 8yo on the result.

Do you seriously expect people to believe that your eight year old has looked carefully at all the pros and cons and formed an independent opinion on the matter? Or do you think there is just the teensiest chance that they have just parroted what they've heard being said by you?

What the fuck is Lexit?

Bollocks to your sour grapes and tortuously argued account. People voted leave because it is common sense that if you have free movement, any EU country that is doing better than its neighbours will be overwhelmed by migration.

That is NOT an ideological problem. It is a practical one.... houses, schools, health services etc.

It is very plain to most people with common sense that the EU would not confront the problems they'd created, and the EU could not be held to account.

This referendum has been a huge demonstration of the people's commitment to democracy.

"A lot of older people voted leave because they remember what it was like before we joined the EU and know that we can function perfectly well and still retain our sovereignty and have a sensible immigration policy."

I did see someone claim that because we had had a large industrial sector, car manufacturing, mining etc in 1973 we would, with a vote to leave, magically get them all back again in 2016.....

I do think that there might be some nasty shocks when they realise that it is a vote to leave the EU, not travel back in time....

And you just proved my point exactly Heart . The reliance on notions of 'common sense' over peer-reviewed evidence is exactly what I'm talking about.

*thick

Was too outraged to type slowly

I have also yet to see someone explain how we will have full control of our immigration without punitive trade tariffs, as the EU will not want to negotiate any trade deal that does not include an element of free movement of people...

We told ours "it isn't what we wanted to happen but we have to trust that the leaders of our country will do whatever they can to make sure we are all fine." We are very fortunate in that our jobs and house will be minimally affected.

WaspsandBeesSting do you work in a very niche area? How do you explain all your peers vote differently? Not a goady question, I'm genuinely interested in how you reconcile that.
Not on this issue, but I have a different life view from practically everyone I know and I live in a state of massive cognitive dissonance.

Oh dear, the chattering classes who voted Remain are horrified that the masses have woken up and smelled the coffee.

OP, you need to explain democracy to your DS and your DH.

Supremely ironic that all Leavers are stereotyped as thickos and racists. Is there a word for "someone who discriminates against people because of the way they voted?" I wouldn't know, because I'm a thicko Leaver, so I'll make up a word - Votist.

Remainers are all over-educated votists.

Hearts of oak.

You can't speak for everyone, It was an ideological position for some. The leave and remain campaigns were umbrella groups with all sorts of members.

Lexit is the left wing case for exiting the EU. Labour party used to be the one split on europe, Tony Benn was long term anti EEC.

It's very sad that the hate and fear propaganda has affected and frightened your son so much. I don't think telling him that 52% of the electorate are uneducated and that's why they chose to vote a different way to you is a way to help him understand anything though.

The UK was already the bad guy - constantly grumbling about EU membership and causing problems. And now it will cause havoc for the rest of the EU, and beyond.
Not popular for having helped Bush cause on-going chaos in the Middle East, either.
For its size, this country causes a lot of trouble.
I'm really not sure what there is to be so proud of?
And the Brexit result wasn't exactly the result of a civilised, intelligent discussion, was it?

Myself and DH highly educated academics and voted to leave. We haven't thrown mud at remainers. Can't stand the vitriol and ignorance coming from the remain side. You are doing your son a disservice by the way. Don't raise him to be a bigot who won't listen to the views of others.

DH voted out, he has not a single qualification to his name, so I guess he is uneducated. He also earns in excess of 115k a year had very intelligent and well thought out reasons for leaving and believes despite the short term pain there will be a longer term gain.

I voted remain, I earn 1/3 of my DH, I have 3 O'Levels

DS has a First Class degree, he voted out.

DD is at a RG uni, she voted in.

How would you and your DH describe us as voters to your DS to justify your opinions?

WaspsandBeesSting do you work in a very niche area?

I don't my DH does.

How do you explain all your peers vote differently?

All my peers? They aren't a homogenous mass.

Amongst my peers there were a mixture of Leave and Remain.

I hope this OP was making a joke, because that is what it is to me!

Of course there is more to it. Age has played a major part in this vote as have many, many factors. Yes education has probably played a part but it cannot be singled out.

It is a very divisive situation, and teaching our children that those who don't agree with us are uneducated does not bode well for their future.
Surely he needs to understand that everyone has a right to an opinion and although we do not always agree we should respect the opinions of others.

Me and DH voted remain and and both have degrees, although I don't think DHs is worth the paper it's written on to be honest...

My dad has worked in the steel industry all his life, left school at 16 and is still one of the most intelligent people I know. He voted remain. He does still have a towel with his 25m swimming badge sewn on, does that count for anything? He did it himself so maybe that's why they let him put a cross in that box.