A Rant About Mack Family Politics

There is one thing we don't discuss in our home or with other people, and that's politics.  If we have guests over and they like to talk about it, we tell them we don't discuss politics in our home and that's that.  If we go somewhere and politics is a huge topic of discussion, we do not participate.  Everybody has their own opinion, and I am thankful that we live in a country where we can make decisions for ourselves based on what we think is best for our country.  But I don't want to hear everyone's opinion, and I know they really don't want to know mine. 

I grew up in a family where politics was the top bill of conversation at every single family gathering we had.  Throw a couple of cases of cheap beer in the mix, and voila!  Instant disaster.  Everybody would get LOUD and OBNOXIOUS and then inevitably, people would start fighting.  Not physically, but verbally.  And do you know what the worst part was?  Everybody in my family was always on the SAME TEAM!!!  That's the thing about politics.  It truly can bring out the absolute WORST in anybody, and with so many different opinions (even within the same party lines) and I don't even see the need to discuss it.  So I don't.  Ever.  If you ask me who I voted for, I won't tell you.  Even if I know you voted for the same candidate as I did.  I really just don't want to discuss it.

I will be the first to admit that I've crossed party lines several times over the years.  I absolutely under NO circumstances will vote for a candidate strictly based on party affiliation.  I don't identify myself with either political party most times, and I've swapped affiliations on the official voting records several times over the years.  I vote for the person I think will be the best candidate, and that's it.  

And here is where things get tricky.  I learned early on that Joe and I have completely different political viewpoints.  After several really ugly arguments that left me completely flabbergasted, we both made the decision that we agree to disagree (most times, often times in the past we have completely agreed) and we just don't discuss it.  Because let's face it... Have you ever had a political "discussion" with someone who sees things differently than you and you left agreeing with them?  NOT EVER.  It doesn't happen.  People don't say "Oh well thanks buddy, good thing you told me that, I'm now a (insert party here)."  Pssshhh.  Not.

This election has been a tricky topic of discussion in our home.  Mainly because we don't want to raise children that vote for who we vote for just because it's who we vote for.  I want my children to be educated and make voting choices that they understand and I do not want them to affiliate with a specific political party just because that's what their parents do.  Lucky for my kids, that won't happen because The Coach and I are typically a world apart politically and they get educated to all the choices available to them.  Mock elections are coming up in Justice's school, and it amazes me the children that have told him who they are voting for and why... The majority of black children in his class are voting for Obama strictly because he is black, and the majority of white kids in his class are voting for Romney because he's NOT black.  And those are the exact words out of the children's mouths.  It's disgusting.  Really people, is that how far we've come over the years?  Well, lucky for Justice he gets a better political education at home and gets to vote for whoever he wants to vote for as long as he can justify his reasoning.  That makes me one proud Mom.  Joe and I discuss politics with the children WITHOUT interjecting our own personal agenda's and allow them to choose based on what they feel is right.  And that's exactly what ought to happen.  This crap about voting based on skin color makes me sick.  My kids are fortunate that they come from such diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds that they get to see "both sides" of life.  Life in "White America" and also life as an African American.  

Joe and I typically disagree on politics, but we have learned over the years that it's OK to ask each other what we think of a particular topic strictly to get the "other side of the story".  It's amazing what you learn being married to someone of a different race.  It's so easy for "White America" (me included) to say things like "slavery was over years ago, move on".  But unless you have been an African American and can understand what it means to be a minority, you really don't understand.  And I don't understand, because I grew up in White America.  I have however, learned an awful lot about Black America and tolerance since I met and fell in love with Joe.  Do you know that when Joe applies for ANY sort of financing, that he does it over the phone first?  So they can't see that he's black?  He waits until he gets approved before he strolls in to sign the paperwork.  Do you know how many times he's been racially profiled over the years by police?  More times than I can count.  And can you imagine sitting down to do genealogy and running into a dead end after only two generations because black births weren't important enough to document anywhere but a slave owners logbook?  I cannot.  After the Treyvon Martin murder, he sat Justice down and told him he was NEVER EVER allowed to run through our neighborhood in street clothes, only running clothes.  He explained to him about profiling and how the police might think he was up to trouble if they saw him running in street clothes.   And here's a good story that still makes my blood BOIL, several years later.  

When Shandi was about 14, she traveled with Joe to Virginia via airplane.  She was on her way to see her biological father, and Joe was heading there for Navy business.  He scheduled their flights together so she wouldn't have to fly alone, and off they went.  They had a layover in Detroit.  Suddenly, while they were waiting at the gate to get on their next flight, a SWAT team of police swarmed in and arrested Joe because THEY ASSUMED HE HAD KIDNAPPED THE WHITE GIRL HE WAS WITH.  And do you know those were the EXACT WORDS OUT OF THE COPS MOUTHS?  The cute little white lady behind the ticket counter said he "looked suspicious" and called the police.  She later acknowledged that she had no other reason to suspect anything other than the color of their skin was different.  Shandi was absolutely TRAUMATIZED.  They interviewed her and asked her questions about her own father that no child should ever have to answer that has grown up around such a loving and wonderful man as Joe.  I remember telling that story to someone once and they responded "Well, if you marry outside of your race those things are bound to happen."  REALLY?  We are indeed grossly divided in this country.  With that being said, Joe and I have been together for almost 17 years, and have never had any issues other than the "airport incident" dealing with race.  Never a sideways glance even.  So although we are a divided country, we are at least keeping our opinions to ourselves most times.  

Where was I going with that?  No where.  It's just a story that reminds me how different we as American's still are culturally and it prefaces me saying that it's perfectly fine if Joe has a different political viewpoint that I do.  I can't venture to guess what is really best for every single American in this country, and I am thankful that we both can have our own choices and opinions.  I'm also thankful that I get to hear his viewpoint regarding these things, because it opens my eyes to things I'd not normally venture to understand or even fathom.  

I voted today, and I took the boys with me.  Justice had the opportunity to go through the ballot with me, which was great.  He went with me because he decided in his mock election to vote for the candidate that I decided to vote for.  Joe has not clued us in to his choice yet, and I think he has struggled with his decision this election.  Justice's reasons were strong and good, and none of them had anything to do with skin color and everything to do with education.  

Hallelujah.