ML, Ohio
I have become the black sheep in my family. In many ways it has been gradual but in many ways it has been accelerated like gas on a fire over the past six years. I grew up in an all white rural area, no minorities in the whole county.
I was also raised in the church where my parents were very involved. I married an immigrant from a Buddhist culture.
My parents are now older and more isolated due to the pandemic and health issues.
They have lost many friends and family members through death and illness. My mother has always thought of herself as sitting at God's right hand, meaning more so than anyone else. She knows it all when it comes to God's will for everyone. No discussion. Period.
She started listening to Billy Graham in the sixties and then Moody Bible Radio. After a cross country trip with a pastor friend who listened to right wing AM radio, I noticed a slight switch in combining religion and right wing propaganda.
This included Build the Wall and anti-immigrant rants. It truly never occurred to her that this was offensive to the immigrant in her own family. Now it is full blown since Trump to the point where she has told me on several occasions that I am going to hell and are raised my children on the same path.
She has the right wing propaganda so intertwined with her religious beliefs that i don't think that is possible to separate. Her Facebook posts have all become either right wing talking points or aborted fetuses with some Franklin Graham thrown in.
My dad is a Korean War vet.. This has become more of his identity than it used to be. After listening and watching right wing programs he sees patriotism and nationalism as one and the same. He is devoted to his wife and would not make waves, even to the point of loosing me from their lives.
My sister has always been a Rush Limbaugh fan. The further down he went, the more anger I could see in her. I just ignored her anger at the libs. even though we both knew it was often a dig at me.
My brother is an evangelical lay pastor. He has no formal training in this field. He bought into the anti-gay, anti-immigrant fox platforms. And anti-vac and anti-masks too.
My cousin believes almost every conspiracy theory out there. He has a travel job and spends hours in the car being indoctrinated. It is so extreme that he claimed Asian hate crimes were created the left to sow division. When I pointed out personal examples of Asian hate crimes in my life, he rebuffed them as not being valid and that I bought into the left's lies.
I am receiving therapy to know how to proceed with these relationships. I know I want to be there for my parents especially as they need more help but I cannot be abused any further. I just can't.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this platform to share my story. I want to thank you for the film. It gave me so much hope. I also am finding your book very helpful on ways to combat this growing problem of brainwashed Americans. Mostly I am so grateful to not feel alone. Thank you Jen.