I’ve been a liberal all my life. I have not been encouraged to be a liberal all my life. I was raised in a conservative family. My father was a Baptist preacher. Everyone around me was conservative. They hated gays. They hated government assistance, even when half of them were on it. They hated pregnant teens, single mothers, and divorced parents. I don’t keep in contact with much of any of them anymore, but I’d bet my last dollar that 99.9% of them voted for Donald Trump. I was a black sheep. I didn’t care. Even as a child, I knew I was different, and I knew I was right.
Even when I wasn’t allowed to have a voice, and even when my views and beliefs were always being compared to those around me, I stuck to my guns. I never faltered. I was never encouraged either. I was hushed. I was frowned upon and preached at in the hopes that I wouldn’t turn into the dirty liberal that I became. I was told how wrong I was. I was lectured. I was pointed at. I was shunned. As I got older, people wouldn’t let their kids hang out with me because of the “way I was.” I needed Jesus, so therefore I didn’t need any friends. I was a disappointment to my father and his congregation. I was an embarrassment. I gave zero fucks.
I knew that I would be different than my parents when it came to raising any children I might have. I would never put them in a position where they had to wonder which side was the right side. I would never make them feel like they were wrong or shameful for showing compassion and understanding. I would never let them feel like an embarrassment to the family. Instead, I would encourage their fire and passion. I wanted to give them the platform that I never had, so they could be loud, proud, and open with what they believed.
I now have a four year old daughter. I’ve strived to raise her as a free-thinking, compassionate individual. We have frequent discussions about loving one another, about treating every human being equally. I encourage her at every opportunity to think for herself; to form her own thoughts and opinions on the things around her. I’ve raised her to be strong-willed and stubborn, and to never back down from something that she believes in, even if that’s caused me to pull my own hair out once or twice.
“There’s never a good time to tell your child that the world is brimming with hate.”
These have always been the normal lessons in my household. It’s simply the path which we chose to raise her on. But on inauguration day, I was forced to stop and really consider what all of this meant. I was left with no choice but to sit down and really decide how I was going to raise this child. What beliefs would I instill in her?
You’re taught that the president deserves the utmost of respect, yet how could I encourage her to respect and revere someone that stood for the exact opposite of what I’ve been trying to teach her these last four years? How could I possibly tell her that while SHE should ALWAYS love and respect all of her fellow humans, our president was somehow exempt from this rule?
Now, more than ever, it was crucial that I pushed that strong will; that I encouraged that hardheadedness and unwillingness to back down. It was now that I had to teach her that sometimes, power does not always equate respect. That even when the world is stacked against you, you stand for what is right, and you stand against anyone that is trying to take that from you—even if that person is the president of the United States.
That’s a hard pill to swallow. That’s a difficult lesson to teach your child. You want your kids to play in the dirt. You want them to learn their ABC’s and their shapes and colors. You want their biggest worry to be keeping their bedroom clean so they can have a friend over Friday night. But the world doesn’t allow that.
There’s never a good time to tell your child that the world is brimming with hate. There’s never a good time to explain to them that people are being shot because of the color of their skin, to tell them that grown ass adults are holding Nazi rallies, or even what a fucking Nazi is. There’s never a good time, but now is the right time. Now is the right time more than ever before. Now— right now, while everything is in a complete and utter shitstorm. Now is when we teach them.
So I teach her. Even when it breaks my heart, and my words leave a bad taste in my mouth, I teach her. I tell her what’s happening in the news. I tell her that hateful people are rallying against those that are different than them and we don’t know why. I tell her that people of color are facing violence everyday of their lives, because people think that a different skin tone means a lesser quality of human being. I tell her that our friends are facing oppression because of who they love.
I tell her that hurricanes and natural disasters are wracking our country and our world, because people don’t care enough to take care of the Earth. I tell her about the effects of global warming and I tell her about all of the people that are suffering tremendous loss because the human race is too lazy to take care of its own fucking trash.
I take her to Wal-Mart and have her pick out things to send to Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas. I tell her why. I tell her that they’re without a home, and their clothes and toys are gone now. I make her understand, and I instill a desire to help. I take her to marches and fundraisers. I let her see a bit of the ugliness, and I teach her.
I teach her because she is our future. I teach her because it is up to her to try to make this world a better place to be, to stand against the oppression and the bigotry, and use her privilege for the betterment of human kind. It’s up to her to accept nothing less than equality and basic human rights for everyone. It’s up to her to march and fight, and kick and scream, and never back down. I teach her because my child, her generation, will be the ones tearing down the fucking walls.
Support Andrea’s writing on our site by subscribing to our newsletter on this link, Subscribe here!
Andrea is a freelance writer based out of Kentucky. She is the mother to a 3 year old little girl and step-mother to a 6 year old boy. She’s been married to her husband and best friend for 5 years. She enjoys fishing, camping, hiking and the occasional glass of wine by a bonfire.
Poor child….
Thank you for your courage to stand for compassion. Talking with our children about difficult topics is not easy but necessary to prepare them for the challenges they will face.
Wow, you are a terrible parent… You’re not supposed to “instill” beliefs in your children, you’re supposed to teach them HOW to think and let them form their own beliefs.
“But what if they don’t believe what I want them to believe?” Oh, you mean like you did with your parents? You have two options. 1. You can let them go their own way or 2. You can debate them, if your beliefs are on solid footing you shouldn’t have any trouble handily winning a debate with a child.
But of course, liberals don’t want free thinking children, they want them nice and indoctrinated to continue the work of turning the United States into Venezuela.
You start out fine Chris, but unfortunately conservatives are the ones who are opposed to higher education. Exposure to new ideas, more education, and more travel is more likely to make someone open minded and more liberal. However, I will address one of your points in a comment.
It’s cute that you think higher education exposes kids to new ideas, colleges are echo chambers where anybody who dares have an opinion to the right of Jerry Brown’s positions is beaten.
You people only want to turn everybody against conservatism… Wonder what you will do when nobody is left to actually produce all your food.
I guess you didn’t read my direct comment to Andrea. Sounds like you’re a lost cause anyway. I accept your apology.
Oh I read it, I just realize that you people do not practice what you preach. You say you’re tolerant, but beat people for disagreeing with you.
Talk is cheap, and completely worthless when it comes from a liberal.
The tolerant don’t have to tolerate the intolerant.
“I hate black people.”
“Well, I hate you for hating black people!”
“You intolerant liberal!”
Being in favor of free speech is enough to get people like you to dawn pitchforks and Molotov cocktails, your example is outside the wrelm of reality.
You want people to look different and sound different, you don’t want them to think different. Against Marxism? Beat him. Supports low taxes? Beat him. Pro life? Beat him. Supports gun rights? Beat him. Is a white Christian male? Beat him.
You guys literally show up to rallies of people who support free speech and get violent to shut them down.
You’re the very definition of bigot and now that you’re violent about it, fascist.
Just keep talking; you just help prove my point 🙂 Rallies like the one in Charlottesville?
Yes, rallies like the one in Charlottesville. Supporting free speech means supporting people saying things you don’t like. Literally the only reason that rally was happening in the first place was because of people like you who are so weak you go into convulsions over a statue.
No, the reason that rally was happening was because those statues were falsely represented as reminders of history, when it fact most of them were erected in the 20s as a figurative slap in the face to African Americans. I agree: supporting free speech means supporting people saying things you don’t like. It doesn’t mean supporting people saying everyone else but them deserves to die. A white supremacist mowed down people in his car because he was so weak he got into convulsions over someone daring to question his white privilege. I take it you support him?
So white supremacists held a protest against removing a statue because in the 20s it was erected as a figurative slap in the face to blacks? Do ever listen to yourself talk?
FDR personally oversaw the unveiling of at least one Robert E Lee monument, having nothing but praise for him.
You people need to learn your history, but then again history is not politically correct, hence why you have so much trouble comprehending it. Go back to telling four year olds they’re the wrong gender.
I see you can only resort to unfounded attacks based on your stereotypes and ignorance, so I accept your apology 🙂 Speaking of history, you might benefit from learning some yourself, so go ahead and read this. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you if you’re too stupid to understand any of it. The world doesn’t think much of Trump supporters 🙂
http://www.history.com/news/how-the-u-s-got-so-many-confederate-monuments
Did you even read your own link? It contradicts your points, but then again it’s citing the SPLC so it has no credibility anyway.
If what you said was true, ignoring for a moment that it didn’t make any sense, then why were white supremacists not rallying around the statue regurally? Why was it they were only there that one day? In order for your claim to make even a little bit of sense they would have had to have regular rallies at these monuments.
I suggest you avoid using the SPLC as a source in the future, they’re a hate group.
My mistake; I’m sorry for not being aware you’re incapable of accepting basic truths when they come sources with which you simply don’t agree.
White supremacists have been rallying for decades. If you’ve chosen to just ignore that because it doesn’t fit your worldview, I can’t help you.
In any case, it sounds like you’re beyond hope, so I accept your apology. Thanks for the entertainment! Trump supporters are the perfect example of why the world would be better off without certain people.
It’s not a simple matter of me disagreeing with the SPLC, it’s a matter of them declaring anybody they disagree with as a hate group, to the point where SPLC supporters go and shoot at them.
I did not deny that white supremacists have been rallying for decades, I denied they’ve been holding regular rallies at the statue in Charlottesville and the only reason they were holding a rally last month was because people like you demanded that statue be removed. Nice try deflecting though.
And it’s such a shame that you give up on people so easily, I would never give up on you… It might take resorting to actually implementing the policies you support, but you would eventually see the light… If you survived the famine.
It’s not a simple matter of declaring anybody they disagree with as a hate group, it’s the fact you’re blind to certain realities in the US when it comes to African Americans.
Thanks for the compliment, but nobody is better at deflecting and denying than Trump supporters! I can only hope to achieve the level of ignorance you have with a lifetime of unlearning and hate.
Trump supporters don’t want people to “see the light”… they just want to remake the world in their image and exterminate anyone who dares stand in their way. Trump alone is proof of that, as are the people who prop him up; if you support Trump, you’re explicitly condoning white supremacists. People who can’t accept basic tenets of reality are beyond hope.
Thanks for reading! The world truly would be better off without Trump supporters 🙂
Dude, without Trump supporters, there would be no food to eat.
Remember all those people with fishing boats rushing to Houston to help people in need? Who do you think they were? I can promise you they weren’t college professors.
I’m not blind to anything, you and others like you simply create crises where there aren’t any. No, racism isn’t dead, but it is on life support, kept alive by people who make a living off pitting people against one another over BS (read: politicians). And Trump supporters arent the ones out there violently shutting down free speech rallies and beating people who dare utter an opinion different from their own.
And one last thing, those white supremacists are left wing whackjobs, not right wing. Yes they agree with use on immigration (at least on basic principal) but they’re otherwise easily mistaken for Bernie Sanders supporters what with their support for socialism and universal healthcare.
Without Trump supporters, the country would be less ignorant, less hateful, and just overall a better place. I appreciate the proof, and accept your apology.
Keep thinking that guy, just remember to include “less food” in your delusional fantasies.
No need 🙂 Sane people will thrive on the knowledge that you’re part of a dying mentality, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Thanks for your support in showing people just how better off they’d be without hateful people like you!
It was a dying mentality in Venezuela too… Until the food started running out.
You have no need to worry though, people like me have most of the guns and make up most of the Military and Police nationwide. Once everything collapses (and it will all collapse) we will do what we have always done throughout history, remove the evil from the system and start from square one.
So… you’re all planning to commit suicide? Whatever works for you, I guess.
I do have to admit you have a cute sense of humor, shame the rest of you is such a drag.
Anyway, enjoy the life I and others like me provide for you, because you and others like you definitely will not like the life you’re trying to impose on us all.
I cannot promise zero possibility of “I told you so” comments on the other end.
Wish I could say the same, but there’s nothing funny about Trump supporters. Your ignorance is highly entertaining though, and I thank you for it.
You provide nothing for me, and I’m not trying to impose anything on you. Just stating the facts: the world would be a better place without your ignorance, backwards ideas, spitefulness, racism, and sexism.
The world is already screaming “we told you so” about Trump for months. You’re just too stupid to see it 🙂
“You provide nothing for me”
You keep forgetting about food…
Nope! You just weren’t listening. I accept your apology.
I like you, you’re funny lol.
Just to make sure you realize, it’s all Trump supporters out in middle America growing your fruits and vegetables and raising your meat, so no Trump supporters, no food for you.
But then, you already knew that, you’re just joking around right? … Right?
Of course I am, but I certainly haven’t shown that here. You must be some kind of sadist. No surprise.
I thought it was all the illegal immigrants growing fruits and vegetables and raising meat in middle America? Or is that just a ignorant assumption? So Trump supporters are racist, or ignorant? Which one would you prefer be true? Both?
Oh dear… I thought you were joking around, I didn’t consider you could be that dumb…
But since you are, I will just leave you with this: no matter how bad you think I am, when it comes to the things that matter to me, you cannot begin to fathom even in your wildest fantasies how deep that well of resolve I have goes… Stew on that as you try to fall asleep tonight.
And by the way, that’s Democrats making the assumption of illegals working the fields, a throwback to when it was blacks working their fields.
No, you didn’t. You can stop pandering to people who aren’t listening and passing off your own insecurities.
Your resolve isn’t exactly a revelation, and won’t keep me up at night. In fact, that’s why Trump supporters are beyond hope and the world would be better off without them. If he shot someone on live TV, you’d still support him. If he outright admitted he lied to everyone and preyed on your hate and ignorance, you’d still support him. If he walked up to your house, slapped you, and spit on you, you’d defend him.
So yes, you are a sorry individual, a racist, a sexist, a Nazi sympathizer, a hypocrite, and overall just disgusting.
“It won’t make any difference. We [will] all gather to stop you… No one will mourn your death. No one will shed a tear. No one.”
Stew on that as you think of a response in the middle of the night.
You’re still talking? Sorry, had to get the eggs from my chicken coop that you’re going to give me money for.
If you’re trying not to sound ignorant, it would help not to focus your entire rebuttal on false talking points. You’re welcome, and I don’t eat eggs 🙂
You’re definitely not an authority on how not to sound ignorant.
And that’s okay, since you’re most likely more than three weeks old you must eat something, which means you’ve given money to a Trump supporter. And unlike you folks, I’m happy to see others enriched.
Everyone who is not a Trump supporter is more of an authority on how not to sound arrogant than you, and that includes children 🙂
Words are one thing, but Trump supporters aren’t happy to see others enriched. If given the choice, wouldn’t you just magically make everyone who disagrees with you – the majority of the country – disappear?
Oh now we’re talking about arrogence… You’re the authority on that, no question.
And no, no I do not want everybody who disagrees with me to “disappear”, as you do, I simply want them to see the light so we can all live full, productive and enjoyable lives.
One of the many differences between the left and right, the left has a long history of attempting to eradicate those oppose to them (Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Hitler, Castro, etc) while the right has a long history of trying to lift everybody into prosperity (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ron Paul, Ronald Reagan, Trump, etc). The choice is pretty clear on which side is the more altruistic.
Yeah, I was wondering how long it would take you to invoke Hitler. Good to know he still has the support of conservatives in the US today. I accept your apology.
Oh you’re still around? A glutton for punishment apparently.
Hitler was a Socialist, you could have Bernie Sanders give a speech Hitler made and nobody would know the difference. Dont know why you guys are so adverse to owning up to Hitler, yet proudly fly the flag of Stalin, who killed far more.
This is exactly right. I tell liberals to go on YouTube and watch Hitler’s subtitled speeches. Indistinguishable from Occupy Wall Street.
As is Trump’s rhetoric.
Not really. I just come back when I want to be entertained. Listening to Trump’s ignorant supporters will never cease to be that.
I guess you just don’t get it. Those were Trump supporters adorned with the swastika in Charlottesville. Racists support Trump. All you have to do is invoke Hitler, which you’ve already done. I accept your apology, but feel free to keep the comments coming! You just keep embarrassing yourself and proving the world would be better off without you 🙂
I love how you think you’re coming across as the more sensible of the two of us, that’s first class comedy gold.
No comment about Stalin? Killed twice as many people as Hitler and not even a hint of denial that you support his vision for the world.
Screw Hitler, he was a saint compared to you.
Like I said, endless source of entertainment 🙂 Interesting logic too. Since you haven’t randomly denounced Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, or the Vegas shooter, I can only assume you support their vision for the world… see how ridiculous that sounds? I accept your apology.
Maybe you should scroll up a few comments where I clearly said that Hitler, Stalin and other evil men have all been left-wing tyrants, being a right-wing minded guy I have no reason to denounce them as I never supported their ideology.
You on the other hand have repeatedly called for the eradication of all Trump supporters, just like your leaders from yesterday.
As for the Vegas shooter, we don’t know what ideology he had, can’t denounce or support something if we don’t know what it is.
You can’t denounce someone for shooting people…?
Your ideology is all too clear, just like all Trump supporters. And no, I didn’t call for eradication. Simply made the obvious point that the world would be better off without you. No disputing that. I accept your apology.
Once again, until we know why he did it there is no way to tell who he represents, therefore we don’t know who to look to for denouncing or support.
Yes, my ideology is horrible, a world where taxes are low, government influence is nearly nonexistent, business thrives, people get richer by the day and evil gets stomped wherever it hides… So so horrible.
An ideology where you can’t even denounce a murderer because you’re afraid he’s a conservative and you’ll have to eat your words. I accept your apology.
I’m starting to think you’re delusional, or at least can’t read. I would not have to “eat my words” if he turns out to be a conservative because I have not accused him of being something else, I’ve said let’s wait and see what he was before we see who has some explaining to do.
Taking a look at the larger comments section you hab e a comment on literally every single other comment, wow you’re a loser, got nothing better to do in life than type out comments all day.
At least I’m getting paid $60/hour when I come here.
Good to know you’re just as insecure and ignorant as Trump, if not more so, and you’re commenting just the same. You really have no concept of hypocrisy, do you?
Wait and see whether the person who murdered others deserves condemnation… the world truly would be better off without you.
No need to respond, as you’ve proven you’re the delusional person who can’t read or understand basic logic 🙂
Again, I’m getting paid $60/hour whenever I’m here because I only come here during down time at work, never in my free time.
And I didn’t hear any denouncing from you either, got anything to say about James Hodgskinson? And you say I’m a hypocrite.
Please, do enlighten me as to what makes me “insecure”, I’m oh so curious.
Insecure is stating your salary unprompted and stating that anyone deserving enough to speak to you is being given an honor because such conversation is reserved for your time spent slacking off at work, not your precious free time. I accept your apology 🙂
Oh you misunderstand, that was simply to emphasize a stark difference between you and I, namely that I’m not stupid enough to come to a rag like this and argue with idiots like you for free, I actually have a life, unlike you apparently.
Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s quittin’ time and I got to go shoot my scope-equipped AR-15 with a bump stock and 100-round drum.
Yup, nothing says more about you being secure with yourself than dropping your salary, stating you have a big gun, and then implying none of this is worth your time even though you keep replying.
Gotta kill downtime somehow, I just kill time I’m being paid for and not my free time, unlike you, likely because you don’t have a job.
Fight smarter, not harder.
I’m honestly cracking up laughing right now. It’s absolutely hilarious you feel compelled to portray yourself as this informed observer with better things to do with his time… you’re no better than Trump constantly making excuses to bring up his electoral college victory and the size of his hands. Really funny, and incredibly pathetic.
No denial of not having a job… And you think I’m the pathetic one?
There’s another one of the problems you liberals have, you think your opinion is the only one that matters. I wonder how many spectacular election cycles losses you have to experience before you realize that people like you are much smaller in number than you realize.
Anywho, almost quittin’ time and you’ve become stale, I would say enjoy the rest of your life but people like you aren’t happy unless you’re miserable.
I didn’t hear you explicitly deny the fact you enjoy beating up kittens, either… just as ridiculous a claim.
The problem Trump supporters have isn’t so much the fact that they’re wrong insomuch as they refuse to acknowledge someone else can possibly be right, i.e. they must be ignorant or misinformed by “fake news”.
In any case, I accept your many apologies for your pathetic behavior and sorry state of being. I’d say goodbye, but your ego, just like Trump’s, won’t let you stop until you have the final word. Talk to you soon 🙂
Liberals are opposed to higher education conservatives are opposed to brainwashing children into complete idiots which is basically what higher education is doing right now. The best part is will higher education is doing is creating dumb unemployable minimum wage workers.
I think you got those mixed up. Conservatives are opposed to higher education and support brainwashing children (they just prefer shielding them from any viewpoints that differ from their own). Higher education doesn’t create minimum wage workers; getting a degree makes you more likely to be employed in a professional job despite the state of the economy.
I tend to agree with your politics Andrea, and it’s possible the point isn’t just coming out in the piece, but it sounds like you’re in favor of doing exactly what your parents did. I don’t agree with conservatives, but with the exception of Trump supporters (the world would be a better place without them, naturally), there are no “right” beliefs. We can easily make the argument that conservatives who happen to be Trump supporters are disgusting human beings and there’s no question that they are morally in the wrong, but this doesn’t extend to conservatism. Isn’t your job to let your child decide on her own? Of course you can tell her what you think is right and she will inevitably pick up on your beliefs, but presenting the other side as wrong is no different than your upbringing.
It sounds like you’re just not distinguishing between conservatives and Trump supporters… maybe there’s an article in the making for that?
You are a sick woman. You are abusing that poor child. I really hope that family services steps in and takes that child from you. You have likely already caused so much damage that she will need years of tharapy. Hopefully somebody saves her from you quickly so there is some hope of undoing the damage you have done. You sick deranged woman. Abusing a child because you didn’t get your way in an election. Shame on you.
So your own child will turn out better seeing you support someone who condones sexual assault, racism, and overall disgusting behavior even someone who isn’t a parent would recognize as a bad example for children?
Considering everything you just claimed about him is demonstrably the rest of your statement falls flat.
Not at all. I accept your apology.
I didn’t say it did, nor did I say higher education was a sound investment. Simply being exposed to different viewpoints makes someone more of a social liberal, unless they’re incredibly close minded.
Correct. They don’t have anything to do with conservatism, but everything to do with Trump supporters. If you are a Trump supporter, you are by definition a racist or too ignorant to see you’re working against your own beliefs.
How so?
She already has a kid.
Why did you post a picture of your mother?
No, that’s the title of Fred Trump’s autobiography.
“A fanatic is someone who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject”… like someone who repeats “get over it” and “Hillary lost” unprompted?
An “unknown” website that still attracted your attention.
How can your child be free thinking when you are filling her head with your beliefs at every turn?
I hope you are holding off on teaching her to say “fuck” with such eloquence, mom-of-the-year!