Thanksgiving Conversations and Divided Families
Last week, many found themselves seated around the Thanksgiving table with family members holding differing views, yet they managed to share a meal together. Ultimately, family ties seemed to outweigh ideological divides for some.
However, not everyone felt the same way. For instance, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and his wife Molly McNerney chose to end contact with family members who supported Donald Trump.
On the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast, McNerney expressed her heartache over her familial relationships, saying, “I’m so heartbroken because of my personal relationship right now with my husband fighting this man. To me, if they vote for Trump, it’s the same as if they didn’t vote for my husband and me and our family. Unfortunately, I’ve lost relationships with people in my family because of that.”
She went on to say, “I feel like I’m always conflicted and I’m always angry. … When I see these terrible stories every day, I quickly become angry at certain uncles, aunts, and cousins who put him in positions of power. … I wish I could deprogram myself somehow, but I’m really angry.”
Glenn Beck responded, reflecting on how political discussions have become so central to our lives, which he finds odd. He noted, “Politics wasn’t the sacred altar that it is now. We had room to be wrong, we had room to differ, we had room to be human.”
Beck’s thoughts resonate not just with McNerney and those on the left but also with individuals on the right facing similar rifts in their relationships. He asked, “Why is it so important to us that everyone sees the world exactly the same way we do?”
He noted that while he disagrees with some relatives, he doesn’t harbor ill feelings towards them. Instead, he described moments of disagreement as a natural part of family life, often lightened with humor during meals.
Meanwhile, during the same interview, McNerney insisted that this isn’t merely a political issue but one of true values, prompting Beck to challenge her. He stated, “This is one of the values we once shared: accepting that others, including family members, are allowed to make mistakes.”
His perspective points out that labeling others as inferior or completely misled just because they don’t align with one’s views can verge on authoritarian thinking.
Eventually, the whispers that urge one to reject differing opinions can become overwhelming. Beck cautioned, “Do you ultimately force them to see the way you want them to? If they can’t be convinced, it comes down to really loving them or forcing them into silence.”
As Beck suggests, sometimes, it might just be best to shrug and say, “Hand me the potatoes.”
