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For those of us who have spent 50 or more years being aware of political and social issues we have seen a lot of changes in beliefs and attitudes held by the majority of people over the past few decades. What is something you believe now that you thought that you would never change your mind about when you were younger?
[For me, it was my view about "mixed race" children (especially children who had one white parent and one black parent). When I was a very young adult, even though I was a liberal, I disapproved of mixed race relationships because I thought that their children, if they had any, would grow up being at least somewhat stigmatized and therefore would have self-esteem problems. Now, I think that it is wonderful that I was so wrong, and that mixed race children are now just as accepted as children born to parents of the same race (generally speaking, of course), and I hope I will live to see the day when EVERYONE will look beyond the color of someone's skin or the shape of someone's eyes or nose. Imo, that can't come soon enough!]
I never disapproved of mixed-race marriages; it's just that it was controversial back then. In overwhelmingly white Wayne county today, there are mixed-race marriages and mixed-race children. Nobody seems to think anything about it. This is one way that society has improved. I keep thinking that if I had slightly darker skin, I would have less skin damage from sun exposure. And this is in a lifetime of living in northeast Ohio, where there are elementary school-aged children who have never seen a sunny day.
In my younger days, I favored eugenics, and genetic counseling in particular. I thought that we could have a better society, especially if we could eliminate genetic diseases. Don't get me wrong, I never favored eugenics based on race, religion, or national origin. Then one day, I realized that purebred dogs and the British royal family were both examples of eugenics.
For those of us who have spent 50 or more years being aware of political and social issues we have seen a lot of changes in beliefs and attitudes held by the majority of people over the past few decades. What is something you believe now that you thought that you would never change your mind about when you were younger?
[For me, it was my view about "mixed race" children (especially children who had one white parent and one black parent). When I was a very young adult, even though I was a liberal, I disapproved of mixed race relationships because I thought that their children, if they had any, would grow up being at least somewhat stigmatized and therefore would have self-esteem problems. Now, I think that it is wonderful that I was so wrong, and that mixed race children are now just as accepted as children born to parents of the same race (generally speaking, of course), and I hope I will live to see the day when EVERYONE will look beyond the color of someone's skin or the shape of someone's eyes or nose. Imo, that can't come soon enough!]
Being from the conservative side, I never had a problem with "mixed race children". I even thought the more the different races mixed, the more we would come together and that race would not be an issue. I also look forward to the day when race does not matter. I would also like to point out that the children from mixed races are often very good looking, even though their parents are average looking.
I have changed my views on "same sex marriage". If 2 people love and care for each other, they should be able to legally be married. I'm still not so sure about the children in these marriages. I guess we'll see down the road, if they have any issues or problems with having 2 dads or 2 moms.
I grew up in a strong Democratic household and most of my immediate family remain Democrats. I was a strong, liberal Democrat until about ten years ago. I was 21-22, and blamed Bush for everything wrong with the world and my life.
I had a rough breakup that year, flunked out of college for a semester, and had a lot of time to think. I realized that I had gotten myself into the mess at school, and that I needed to take some responsibility for my actions. I started listening to Glenn Beck's radio show (no idea why I found him first) and he seemed entirely reasonable. I started listening to Limbaugh shortly after (still listen to Limbaugh a few hours a week) and it was like the world opened with common sense and reason. I voted for Obama in 2008 because I was tired of Bush and thought McCain was a bad candidate (after voting for Kerry in 2004), but have basically voted straight Republican otherwise since 2008, with the exception of a few local elections where I knew the Republican running and didn't like them personally. I try to vote in every election that I know about, including low turnout municipal elections.
Once I came back to school, it was clear I was no longer welcome in the political science program I was majoring in. People would invite me to liberal events, and I'd politely decline, stating my views had changed. The head of the department at the time was Chinese and was a big sympathizer of the Communist Party. He was the only one who taught a required course for graduation, failed me (even though I retained all the graded work with passing grades and appealed to the dean of that college, it was pointless), and I couldn't finish the program. That really confirmed a lot of what Limbaugh and others had said. I had been on the receiving end of the liberal bias, simply because I was a conservative, not on the lack of merits in my work.
After this experience, I switched to the business school, where I completed required major work in a summer, fall, and spring semester. I had a little administrative help and being allowed to take multiple courses currently that usually needed to be done in sequence, etc., and I know my political views helped get a few strings pulled in my favor there. I was able to bring in some what would now be called "alt right" student organizations. Many of the folks in the leadership positions of those orgs back then have moved onto conservative media (I know two of the national leaders I met work for WorldNetDaily now), some are involved in organizations I'd consider nonpolitical, but way outside the mainstream of normal American thinking.
I've basically been alt right for the better part of ten years. I vote Republican, but am not a big business/corporate type. I'm pretty socially libertarian to even liberal depending on the issue.
I've always been conservative and have had no 180 degree turns in my lifetime.
I would have to say I pretty much take after you. I am not quite as conservative as some of my family, but certainly to the right or right. The one issue I have mellowed on is gay rights. well I was never opposed to gay rights or any rights as far as that goes, but did have an issue with sexual orientation period. After working in the hospitality business for 20 years and having both homosexual bosses, co workers and clients plus having a lesbian daughter I have become very understanding and accepting.
Before I retired I would have put myself to the right of Democrat and left of Republican camp. I was secure in my job and I had been very insulated from the economic woes of the US and the dramatic loss of decent jobs to outsourcing and technology. Was one of those people who would advise someone who was under or unemployed to get to work, stop whining, and pull yourself up by your own bootstraps like I did.
I didn't realize we no longer had boots. After I 'retired' and moved to Las Vegas I was forced to learn how it is in the real world. No jobs available that paid enough to live on and the few you could get were all part time, no benefits, no time off. I got to know people who worked 2 or 3 jobs to try and make a living. They worked 50 or 60 hours a week and had been toughing it out for years. Many still lived at home in their 30's, mostly because their student loan payments ate up their whole paycheck. Today we have lots of jobs available and anyone who wants to work hard can get 2 or 3 of them. Education works against you because employers know no one with a bunch of degrees will stay at a job for $9 per hour. Whenever I wanted to get a job, I took all the higher education off my resume.
Las Vegas is probably a little worse than the rest of the country. The only industry here is gambling/tourism/entertainment and we have all low pay service jobs. The casinos pay nothing. I have a friend who is a manager in a player's club with 30 years service. She does work full time and have healthcare partly paid by her employer. She has a degree from Penn State. Her salary is $13 per hour. After 30 freaking years. They should be ashamed.
My experiences in Nevada have made me more liberal. People, collectively speaking, need to be more important than corporations. And if those corporations can afford to pay their officers 20K per hour, they can afford to pay their employees enough that they don't qualify for government assistance. And if McJobs are all we have then they need to pay a living wage. For 40 years or so, all the benefits of increased productivity have gone to the 1%. Wages have not kept up.
I was an extreme liberal/friend to the marginalized type/socialist labor party/bourgeois guilt driven idiot from ages 20-34.
Doing volunteer outreach work in the bowels of Dade and Broward counties (FL) for 14 years, (YEARS, not months) transformed that viewpoint into a loathing for the lower class/underbelly of society/ghetto/innercity culture.
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