Yesterday evening, I called my mom (61) just to check in and be a good son. It took her about 12 minutes before she veered into politics. I thought I’d share some of what she said because, honestly, I’m baffled by how she could believe these things. My mom has always voted conservatively, but her reasons used to be more coherent, like tax law specifics. That’s not the case anymore. Here’s a summary of the topics she covered in about 6 minutes (all of this is her perspective, not mine):
- California: According to her, California recently passed a law that gives $125,000 to illegal immigrants for buying houses. Not loans, just a direct handout of $125k to any immigrant who asks, so they can buy homes.
- Minnesota: She claims Minnesota is issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants without requiring documents, birth certificates, or proof of address. She’s concerned that these immigrants can’t speak English or read street signs, making them a danger on the roads.
- Socialism: My mom believes socialism means the government controls every aspect of your life. She mentioned her neighbors, who emigrated from Russia to Canada and then to the U.S., are now unable to visit their grandkids in Canada because of restrictions.
- Abortion: She’s upset about babies being aborted at 38 weeks, especially since she says I was born at 38 weeks.
- Young Voter Apathy: She thinks that young people don’t care about the country and don’t vote, which she finds frightening. She believes that if I want to protect America, I should vote for Trump.
I kept my opinions to myself because arguing with her about these topics, especially politics, seems pointless. But this conversation was a whole new level of disconnection. It’s as if she’s not engaging with real information or taking a moment to think critically.