Did you get your political beliefs from your parents?

Question

Did you get your political beliefs from your parents?
I did, my parents were always working class democrats. It struck me that alot of my political ideology comes from my childhood and growing up midwest democrat. I thought, wow, all that I know and believe has come from someone else and their ideas about religion, politics, life, anything really has all been conditioned into me directly or indirectly. And I just wondered why we as a people get so opposed to others belief systems when our own were founded upon the ideas of others. It made me feel a bit unoriginal and blokheaded. Why do we hang on so tightly to what we've been conditioned or manipulated to believe in the first place. Why shouldn't it be easy to listen to others and let go ofm our parents stuff and the governements stuff and all that other stuff. Our parents molded who we are, why do we always hang onto that? Why do we continue to fight about poltiics? A truly original move would be to try to understand what, where, why, how, who the other side is saying.

Answer 1

I was raised in a split household, by that I mean one Democrat and one Republican. I was interested in politics from an early age, I watched the news and read the news paper faithfully by the time I was 8. I can honestly say that I have heard both sides and the Democratic party is the one that resonates with me. It better encompasses my beliefs and the vision I have for my Country.

Answer 2

I think I got some of my beliefs from my parents. I am more liberal in thought than they are (which is rather hard, since they both were full-fledged hippies. . .). But the one thing I carry with me that they taught me was to remain open to everything - even the opposing viewpoint; you never know when the other guy might actually be right.

I was taught that in order to really have a viewpoint on a topic, and to understand how to debate the view you have, you have to understand the other side. Just shutting off and thinking that the other guy is wrong and you are right isn't going to win anything for you. I was also taught that personal attacks come from those that really don't know their viewpoint or the topic well enough to defend it with facts. They also showed me that it is much more fun to debate with another intelligently than it is to attack the other person on a personal level.

I think the most valuable thing I got from my parents is to stand up for what you believe in - no matter if it is the popular viewpoint or not. Some of the things I feel aren't the trendy way to feel. And some of the things I feel aren't in line of my political affiliation (Democrat/Liberal). But that is the beauty of being a free thinker. That way, you are never locked into something by a label.

Answer 3

Yes and no. I grew up with my parents being Democrats. THroughout the 60's and 70's, I kind of agreed with the things my parents stood for: helping the poor, helping the working class. I came of voting age in 1980... although I liked President Carter (he was pres. during my high school years, I found myself agreeing more with Republican values overall.

I actually flipped a quarter in 1980 to determine whom to vote for. Since then, however, I have considered myself an Independent. I vote for whomever holds views and platforms closest to mine. For the major roles, that has been the Republican party... for minor things, local city stuff, I might vote for a Dem, or and Indie, or a Lib,... I just take it on an issue by issue basis.

Over the years, I have found that Dems do not really stand so much for helping the poor and needy as they do for enabling them to stay poor and needy.

Answer 4

My mom is a Liberal Republican with a Republican mom who grew to grow to be a Democrat after George H.W. Bush and a Father who became an self sufficient, My Dad is a reasonable Republican with a Swamp Yankee Father and a mom who did not communicate approximately it. i'm a reasonable Libertarian Leaning self sufficient, with ties to the eco-friendly and Libertarian events, a Gun possessing, beer swilling, atheist, anti-conflict, anti-tax, professional-animal rights, capitalist, environmentalist, whack activity. My mothers and fathers and myself voted for Ralph Nader in 2004, and we plan to do it back in 2008!

Answer 5

I have the same political views as my parents, but they are liberal in some places an I am not. But I guess some of my views came from them.

Answer 6

when i first became interested in politics, i felt i was very conservative and shared many repub views, growing up in a strictly republican household. as i got older, well more mature, i realized that nearly all republican views i disagree with. i had a u.s. history teacher that i can credit for that transformation, and he gave me a point of view nobody else could (he is county clerk and judge) and i am now extremely liberal. so my parents influenced me as a younger kid, but i soon grew out of it.

Answer 7

No, I got my values and such from my mother, and my beliefs were formed of those values. However, my beliefs are my own and my mother would never ask me to not think for myself no matter how much we may agree or disagree.

Answer 8

My parents vote republican usually but not always. as a young kid They didnt have much to say about it, in highschool/college I believed very liberally , very opposite of them. Then I would say in my late 20s I realised my well intentioned mistake.

Answer 9

Mostly no. My father was somewhat liberal but not politically engaged. My mother is quite conservative, And We disagree about politics. I am mostly liberal, and a lot more politically minded than my father was.

Answer 10

heck no. my mother is sooo liberal and i'm so conversative. i think growing up the way i did and having a mother who was and still is very liberal makes me want something other for not only myself but for my family