I was raised a republican conservative.

[hickman]

By my Dad. My mother had retreated into alcoholism by the time I was 10. She was a drunk, but not stupid. She never stopped talking to her kids even after we stopped listening. She was a Democrat, and my big brother and I(the two oldest) are die hard Dems. My Dad was my hero. He stepped in when he realized that my Mom was incapable of taking care of the children. And had to maintain a career as a corporate lawyer and raise his kids, and take care of Mom. I loved him, but knew he was wrong. In 2004 he realized that everything he had stood for as a republican had been betrayed. He looked at me and said "I know what they've done to my grandchildren". Dad had just come back from voting for Kerry, the only Dem he ever voted for in his life. He died in april 06 knowing that the world he fought for in WW2 had been hijacked. RIP Dad, I'll miss you all my life. RIP Mom, thank you.

[Skittles]

1. your dad was a good man

in the end he cared more about America, and his family, than he did about the GOP - he learned. :thumbsup:

[hickman]

2. In the end he saw his life as a lie.

Everything he believed in, everything he based his life on turned out to be a money sucking lie. He died a broken lonely man.

[Skittles]

3. I'm sorry to hear that, hickman

I can empathize; my dad killed himself at age 50. :(

[hickman]

4. Dear sweet Lord Skittles,

I am so sorry for you. I'm wordless. I don't know what to say. Yes I know that's redundant but...

[Skittles]

8. well thanks hickman

I prefer people not knowing what to say over those who say the wrong thing - it's difficult for people, I know....depression is a terrible, terrible thing...and by the way, "I'm sorry" is a very good response. :)

[Crazy Dave]

5. I was once a Reagan era registered republican

But not a practicing one. Back then I was a very profitable drug dealer and had many girlfriends I used to fool around with.

[hickman]

12. Um, again I'm speechless.

I gotta figure that if you're here you picked one of the babes and gave up dealing. But then again that's an assumption and well...you know the rest.

[Crazy Dave]

13. I'm pretty honest and open about my youthful criminal activities

Things that you'd never see or hear a right-winger admit to.

[Courtesy Flush]

6. Been there. Done that.

I'm still a registered Republican, and voted GOP since the Reagan years. More recently it's been undeniably obvious that all the Democrat rhetoric about Republicans (racist, homophobic, pandering to big corps) is totally true -- not true for all republicans, but certainly true of those who are pulling the strings. I see them warming up to the religious right with their fake morals, just to get them to do the bidding of corporate America. They don't give a shit about abortion, but it means votes, so it's an issue.

Maybe it was less obvious before Bush, or maybe I didn't want to see it. Point is, that's not the kind of America I want, nor the kind of people I want to be associated with.

[hickman]

7. kdsusa, thats what broke my dad's heart.

He always thought that repukes stood for fiscal responsibility, and morality that meant honesty and integrity. I think it was Lee Atwater that started him wondering WTF. Then it just got worse. In the end he realized that my Mom was right. She may have been a drunk but she wasn't stupid. She was just unable to be what the 50's demanded.

edit for bad typing

[a kennedy]

9. *hugs* hickman

:hug: and welcome to the "right" place.

[NewWaveChick1981]

10. Your dad did the best he could with what he had. And he acted on his

beliefs. You can't fault him for that (which you don't, and neither do I). :hug: Although I don't agree with their politics, old-style Republicans had much, much more integrity than the current crop. Fiscal conservatism and responsibility are, IMO, good things. Your dad sounds a lot like my stepfather, who was a WWII veteran as well (101st Airborne, glider pilot, died in 1999, tough but lovable SOB!) who stood up for his beliefs. I'm sorry he was so disillusioned by the idiots running the show today. :hug:

[hickman]

11. It's so harsh. They (My dad, your Stepdad,) went to war for an idea.

At the end of their lives they find out that it was all a lie. NewWave Chick1981 you described my dad to a T. "Tough but lovable". Just like your Stepfather.

[NewWaveChick1981]

14. I know. You think about the integrity these guys had and then look

at the asshats in control now and despair that it could have gotten so bad. And for your dad and my stepdad to have seen everything they worked for go straight to hell, it's shameful. It makes me want to cry every time I think about it. :cry: