My DM is an extremist

227 replies

Summersunshine112 · 04/08/2024 22:34

My parents have always had strong political views, strong racist views, strong fattest views. From a young age I always knew I didn't agree with them and I tried my best to argue back. But I was shouted down and punished for voicing my own opinions. I am ashamed that I have parents who have these views.

However my DM as she's gotten older has begun to have more extreme views. She now follows a far right extreme political party (you probably can guess which one). She has begun watching so much stuff online and since all this unrest recently she's been further sucked into it all. She even told me that she was considering going to a protest in London. She's never said anything like this before.

I have a young DC and I am also worried about them being around my mum. I don't want her extreme views put onto them.

I love my DM because she's my mum but I don't like her as a person and what she believes in and stands for. I feel sad for me. I feel embarrassed and ashamed by her too.

Has anyone else got parents like this? If so what did you do?

OP posts:

Perplexed20 · 06/08/2024 11:15

@Summersunshine112 my sister is like this. She's a retired teacher.

user556453 · 06/08/2024 13:08

KeirSpoutsTwaddle · 06/08/2024 07:09

@User135644 I can’t be bothered to trace back and reference where this started. I was talking about my 4 foot 10 mum feeling intimidated when she’s in the supermarket and effectively trapped in the middle of a group of non English speaking people. I defended her right to dislike that experience and speak in a way others might interpret as racism.

I’m sorry your feelings have been hurt- I imagine you wouldn’t be spouting off in an inflammatory way about how this country should be run, as I’ve seen expats in Spain doing. And indeed I questioned some of what I saw in Singapore, but had no right to raise it with locals so didn’t.

The issue on this thread is whether OP is right to dismiss her mum as an extremist for having different political opinions to her.

It’s not about rioting, racism or whatever. It’s not a set of opinions I even share but I share people’s right to have them and favour discussing their concerns not berating them for wrongthink under the assumption is far right extremism and racism when it may be perfectly valid.

My feelings aren't hurt. Why would they be?

I just find it weird that you seem to think being a taxpaying naturalised citizen of a country you weren't born in doesn't have the right to 'spout off in an inflammatory way about how this country should be run'. What does that mean? I'm not a guest here. I'm not passing through as a visitor. I have plenty of opinions and convictions. Do I have less right to express them than people who set fires to hotels, smash up business and hurl things at law enforcement simply due to the fact I wasn't born here?

As far as your mum goes, she sounds fearful. Would she not feel intimidated by being effectively trapped in the midst of the EDL lot swarming into the supermarket to buy their beer or cider or whatever? Presumably they're English speaking. So maybe it's about having a conversation about the experience of being an older 4'10" woman surrounded by men she doesn't know, rather than about the colour of their skin or the language they're speaking?

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