Yesterday morning, I got a text from my dad asking how to join Twitter. I replied, answering his question and followed up with a question of why he wanted to join that particular social media platform. He stated that he wanted to follow President Trump and get his information directly from the source. While I was a bit surprised, I wasn’t shocked. My dad is a long time fan of Alex Jones and Jones’ show Info Wars. This being an alt right conspiracy filled “news” program.
I have a much more middle of the road approach to politics and firmly believe in letting people live how they want and believe what they chose as long as it isn’t harming others. And if a person’s ideological views don’t match mine that’s ok. I’d much rather have a friend and a good relationship with someone than to sever ties based solely on not having the same beliefs. My dad is not that way and yesterday I found out first hand that a relationship with his son is not as important as having the same beliefs and options as him.
Over the course of several text messages my dad asked if I disliked Trump. To which I stated that someone who brags about grabbing women by the pussy, goes on Twitter tirades over Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Celebrity Apprentice show ratings, among other rants, was not someone I found to be admirable.
Then my father proceeds to ask me if I get my news from fake news CNN? Which is framed almost exactly how Trump deems that network. I answered that I did not. Which is true. I told my father that I believe that we should have a free press that questions our leaders and that not having that kind of system would put us on par with a dictatorship like North Korea, where the government regulates what people see in the news and media. I also informed him that I don’t trust some alternative news source that believes the government has a “God Machine,” can control tornados, and is putting chemicals in the water that turns frogs gay.
My dad didn’t seem to like my answer because he stated that we need to talk about this, to which I replied: No, we don’t’. He could respect that I have an opinion that is different than his and we can have a relationship or we can just not have a relationship. And my father chose the latter.
He would rather not have a relationship with his son or allow his son to think for himself and form his own options rather than just focus on common ground and agree to disagree.
My father, for as long as I can remember, has said that the government is slowly trying to take our freedoms away. How hypocritical is it then to not allow his son to have the freedom to think for himself? Is that not the essence of freedom? To think for one’s self? To chose what one believes? To live how one choses?
My father is also a “devout” Catholic, or so he claims. I wonder then what he thinks of Pope Francis speaking out against Trump regarding the ban on refugees and immigration? And how does such a moral and religious person hold a person in such high regard who brags about grabbing women’s genitals?
So, thanks to Alex Jones for doing all my father’s thinking for him and informing him what to believe, I no longer have a relationship with my dad. Because in Jones’ eyes, I am the enemy.
A Voice to Listen 