What do you say to family/friends who are right wing?

[ChocolateRaisin09]

It gets me down. I don't feel like I can discuss with my parents, in laws etc because I get too emotional, and they get defensive, but when I hear them say things like "Trump is what we need", and some frankly racist comments, I feel so helpless. They're not going to change. But I want to challenge them. It's no excuse that they're from another generation, there ARE older people who are not racist!

I wish I could stop them reading the Daily Fail (have wondered about gifting a subscription to a different paper) and broaden their minds somehow.

I am still so bitter that my parents, my in laws and people I work closely with all voted for Brexit. How do I stop hating them all?!

Sorry, bit of a rant. Wish I could let it wash over me, but honestly I don't want to be around these people sometimes and would consider limiting my daughter's time with them.

OP I think people are just defending the right to be allowed to have a political opinion without being labelled as a racist....?

Meh, I could be like you and assume that all the left wing people I know are just a bit thick but I am not that arrogant. I may not agree with most left wing policies (I am a hardcore Liberal socially and more Liberal than not economically). You can either not talk about politics of you incapable of having rational arguments without getting emotional or you can actually listen to them rather than making assumptions about brexiteers being racists (as opposed to being pro devolution or just simply wanting to distance themselves from the shits show that the EU has turned into over the past ten years).

I love the Daily Mail. The app is great.

The sensationalism is quite amusing.
I also love the Best and Worst comments at the end of each "story".

I am staunch Conservative, my best friend is dyed in the wool Labour. We never discuss politics as we respect each other's views.

I really don't want her to grow up thinking immigrants are bad, and black people take drugs and steal, and people on benefits are scum, and refugees deserve to die.

Your family members really say this? OK then...

People are entitled to their own opinions, you just have to agree to disagree sometimes.

You cant stop someone reading a newspaper, how would you like it if someone tried to control your reading choices?

Calling your relatives thick isnt the best way to change their mindset really is it.

Engage with them as adults respectfully & you may get somewhere. When trying to persuade its often better to show rather than tell.

For example, a friend of mine made some comments about a local mosque, saying 'our tax payers money built that'. Instead of freaking out & calling her a racist bigot etc & getting into an argument, I showed her that actually, the mosque was built by a white convert over 100 years ago with his own money.

Look, read the whole thread. I admit that I mean hard right, and I'm talking specifically about my family who are not very bright, and read the DM and voted Brexit for racist reasons. So they are definitely racist, definitely read the DM and voted Brexit. I'm not talking about any of you. Don't take it so personally.

What do I say to challenge these specific people, how do you cope with your parents who are also like this? If this does not apply to you, why respond?

I struggle discussing politics with my parents as they read the Guardian and think Corbyn is great but seriously ... buying a subscription to a different paper because you disagree with their views? This is awful. I wouldn’t buy The Times or something I feel is a bit more sensible for mine in order to move their views more to the centre or centre-right just because this is where I sit politically. How rude!
Politics and racism are different. Racism you can call out on.

I thought you were leaving the thread.

I don't call them thick to their faces! Even though they call me "soft" to my face because I don't like seeing refugees die!

How fucking rude and nasty to call your own family THICK.

Jesus wept!

Pretty much the people I knew of who voted to leave (some close friends who surprised me and no longer have anything to do with) was to do with immigration not the NHS! We got rid of quite a few friendships and certain family members because of this! Me and DH have nothing to do with them because of their disgusting racism and right wing backwards attitudes!

Like someone said up thread say "and what is the evidence for that assertion?" They usually go well erm erm and have no answer and squirm and say "well the Daily Mail said...so it's true"

refugees deserve to die

If your relatives are saying this then they are not right wing Tory voters, they are extremely unpleasant racists, this is not a normal thing to say.

penny why are you still here? It seems you just go on threads to goad.

Oh THAT is Ok if you don't call them thick to their FACE!

O yel to stop sounding like she’s eaten the daily fail ☺️.
I don’t have any right wing friends.

I have has to pull my mother aside at tell her that I didn’t like her talking like that, particularly around the kids, and if she continued to do so I would limit contact. My kids have friends of many nationalities, and I’m terrified they’ll repeat some of the bile my mother spouts.

Thank you @Sparklyshoes!

PMSL at the irony of you calling me a goader.

@pennylulu
Are you feeling ok?!

You don't have anything helpful to add, so go away

Why are YOU still here OP you said you were leaving. I never did.

Yes ta I am feeling fine. Are you?

I am right wing, I voted Remain, I don’t read the Daily Mail and I genuinely hope I’m not a racist.

Your relatives sound unpleasant, and if you’re such a person of principle you should challenge racist comment, but an arsehole can be an arsehole regardless of how they vote, what paper they read and what flavour pizza they prefer.

In a democracy, not everyone will agree with YOU. In life do you genuinely only like people that vote like you? Don’t you enjoy the debate and exchange if views that a democracy and open mindedness produces? I think you’d enjoy the opposite a whole lot less.