Lisa, Wisconsin, 12/15/23
Growing up my father and I were able to discuss things like politics and religion even when, after graduating college, my views shifted further to the left. He still listened to me and I to him, even after he divorced my mom and married a woman he’d been cheating with. A few years later he divorced her, moved to Florida and married another woman. Then he became a born-again Christian.
My Dad fell in love with Donald Trump and all that he stands for. His political emails to my sister and I became more frequent, and visits became sprinkled with divisive language, opinions and unsolicited advice. We politely asked him to discontinue the emails, all the while tactfully trying to interject our thoughts in a respectful and *nice* way. He is now anti-vax, anti-immigration, anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ, and anti--anything that makes American look less and less like the 1950’s. He only watched Fox News, pro-“build the wall”, pro-fake news and pro-MAGA.
In March of 2023 he sent yet another political email that ended with, “I know this may upset you, but rest assured you will never receive anything like this again, from me.”
His email was a rally call against transgender equality, Joe Biden, reparations, college loan forgiveness, immigrants, the 2020 election results, and vaccines to name a few. It was clearly an auto-forward for which he had simply received it and sent it on robotically. He sent it to us after years of us asking him not to. I replied with the most respectful response I could muster. It began with “I love you.”
Months passed and I never heard from him. I texted, I called to no avail. Finally, out of a sense of desperation and concern that perhaps something had happened to him I left him a message at his office.
He returned the call in anger that I had called his office to simply tell me I “just don’t get it,” -- then he was gone. The born- again Christian who had several affairs, who neglected to send my mom child support and alimony, had disowned his daughter because of a political disagreement.
I don’t even recognize the man he has become. He is filled with fear, loathing and judgement all the while acting self-righteously emboldened. I texted him on Thanksgiving and shared photos of him as a young boy, standing alongside his mother. I said, “I am sending these in the hopes that it brings a smile to your face.” He never responded. I will not text again.