I've talked about my conversations with them here or there in both Diaries and comments so much, I thought I should just start writing a Diary series. My conversations with them never cease to surprise me. For most of my life I always tried to get away from my parents. When I graduated high school I actually choose the college the most miles away. I didn't like them so much. And for 15+ years of my adult life I didn't talk to them for months at a time. Did not see them for years at a time.
Note: During that almost 20 year period I got a letter, 2-3 pages, handwritten, from my dad weekly like clockwork. Never judgmental. Never asking me to call or write. There is much I love about them, but as I have reflected (and I have) on how shitty of a son I was, this was about the "coolest" single thing he did.
Now I see them weekly. Talk to them daily. I've found, well they are kind of "cool." And although Republicans and we often don't agree, they never cease to surprise me by how often they can totally amaze me.
For this first installment, a conversation with my dad about Bachmann and immigration.
Background: I mention here 24/7 my parents are "sane" Republicans. They don't watch Fox Noise or listen to Rush. You couldn't pay them to do either. My father has a PhD in military history. Taught at the Army War College (like the grad school for West Point) before working 25 years for the Air Force. It could be said he "wrote" the textbook on the use of air power during war. My mother is the smartest person in the family. Got her MA then stopped going to school to work to help my father finish his PhD.
I was born around that time and she stopped working to raise me, then my brother. We call her the "little general" cause we're all scared of her :). At 4'11, if she sets her mind to do something, you get out of the way. Her sheer force of will, coupled with her energy, well not something to mess with.
My folks are retired. My father sits on the board of directors of a rural bank and the local community college. He also runs the local historical society and museum. My mother is an election judge and volunteers weekly at the local hospital and a women's rape crisis center.
INTRODUCTION:
My father was in town earlier this week. I still have some serious mold problems in my house. I keep hiring people to deal with it .... and well they don't. So I had this super high-tech environmental firm in. My dad was here, cause when people talk about ripping out walls and the foundation of my house, I got no clue what they are talking about. He is my unpaid consultant.
Afterwords he wants to run to Wal-mart. We are standing in line. There is this Hispanic women with maybe a 3 year old child in front of us checking out. I pay attention to shit. If I am introduced to you for just a few seconds, I'll most likely notice if you have pierced ears or stud earrings in.
I noticed that everything the women has, and it appears most of the food is for her child, almost nothing is processed food. All fresh.
The cashier is asking her questions, like does she want her skim milk in a bag. Each time she says something the Hispanic women lowers her head or makes herself look busy. She pays with her LINK card, which is the name of the food stamp program in IL. People who use food stamps can, IMHO buy whatever they want, but buying healthy food, I made a mental note of "good for you lady!"
After we check out my father says to me what I already was thinking, the women didn't speak English. Now most times my father and mom surprise me in good ways. But I was ready to hear there is a person using our tax dollars to buy food and she doesn't speak English. It didn't happen.
SEAWAY/MY OPENING:
This, of course, gave me a seaway to talk about the Republicans debates and immigration. My father and I have a lot we can talk about outside of politics, so I don't even remotely attempt to just only engage him on these type of topics. But when they come up in conversation, well we both seem to enjoy the banter.
IMMIGRATION:
Now I have never taken a debate class, but pretty sure I'd do well. I think I come at stuff from a point-of-view, or angle that would throw a lot of people off. I said to me dad as we walked to the car:
I was surprised Michele Bachmann said that for an immigrant to become a US citizen they ought to have to study the Constitution, American history, and learn to speak English. I saw this HBO movie by Nancy Pelosi's daughter (Alexandra Pelosi) about immigration the other day. She went to all 50 states and attended immigration ceremonies. I kind of thought it was already law you had to pass a citizen test and speak English. Bachmann is suggesting something that is already the law of the land. Does she think we are stupid?
My father said (keeping in mind his has a PhD in history):
Yeah, I saw something recently that said almost 60% of Americans can't pass our own Citizenship test. Almost half of high school seniors don't know we gained our Independence from the British. I got the citizenship test emailed to me and I didn't know all the answers.
I expected push-back. I didn't get it. When we got home we watched Pelosi's Citizen USA.
CONCLUSION:
If you think I had some profound way I changed my father's world view I don't. As we drove home I mentioned that in the interviews first and foremost the people in the documentary were just so happy to be here. But if pushed, they openly said Americans are spoiled. We got it so good and we don't even realize it.
That was the conversation I had with my father for the next day. We're a bunch of spoiled brats in this nation. We agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now my father plays his cards close to his vest. Heck I didn't even, I am serious, didn't even know my father was a Republican until a few years ago. Keep in mind he worked almost his entire life for the DoD. He openly used the phrase, and was proud of it, he served at the pleasure of the President.
My gut is they really like Mitt (my mom fills me in). But they are worried about his new focus on policies that are "anti-science." Really worried.