ukmancoll

Hi all,

Feeling a little down today, a kind of homesickness I guess, so I thought I would let it out here.

Been here (just outside of Chicago) for nearly a year now, and haven't really felt too homesick up until recently.

While I do miss the usual things, like the culture, people, food, family, friends, etc, it hasn't been too bad. I am trying to embrace my new life and realize how lucky I am to be here.

The one thing that has started to get to me more and more in the recent months is how politically impotent/paralyzed I feel here.

I always used to say that I would never be too bothered about actively trying to seek citizenship in this country, but I have definitely changed my mind on that one. If I am going to live here, I want to have a say on who runs this government, the State, my County, and so on.

I would definitely put my political view points more towards the left of center, and living here in the Midwest can be very tough sometimes. Everyone I seem to interact with, from my wife to her family to my colleagues, are all firm Republicans. My In-Laws are far to the right, Christian, pro-life, anti-immigrant (Mexicans, not English of course...), anti gay, anti everything that isn't middle class white suburban. We will be sitting at dinner and when the discussion of politics comes up sometimes, I have to try so hard to bite my tongue - I mean, what is the point of arguing with your family right? They aren't going to change their mind, and neither am I. No good can come of talking about either religion or politics with the ones closest to you.

Even the people I work with are like that, although not to the same extent. You might have read about the big immigration protest that came through here (downtown Chicago) last week. Me and a couple guys went down to watch it go by. One of them went into this monologue about how all the Mexicans should just be rounded up and sent back home, we don't need or want them here, etc, etc, etc. I tried to fight back and defend 'us' immigrants, illegal or not, and it just got more and more heated. Again, nothing good can come of it.

Because I am so interested in politics, I am taking a Monday evening political class at my local college. It is very interesting, and I am learning about everything to do with US politics.

Of course, the problem is, I cannot vote. And, I will not be able to vote for a long time. We have Primaries coming up next week, and I asked my wife if she would let me "have her vote" in the election as she doesn't know anything about any of the candidates, where as I do. Of course, she doesn't want to do this as a lot of our political view points are different. She would prefer to either vote not knowing anything about the candidates or not vote at all rather than give her vote to me who knows something about the issues. Giving her vote to me is worse for her than not voting. This of course hurt me a lot, but again, what’s the point of trying to change her mind? Even if I try and talk about politics with her, she gets defensive straight away. She says she isn't firmly Republican, and she seems to like the Governor of Illinois a lot and he is a Democrat (I'm not sure if she knows this), but her views are definitely Republican. She is probably the more liberal of her family though.

So anyway... living out here in the Midwest is tough. I can't find anyone to interact with who shares my views. Everyone out in the suburbs is a far right wing Republican. Down here in the city, where half of the population is black, it is more liberal, but I don't interact with anyone here except my coworkers... who all live out in the suburbs!

It is all getting to me right now, and making me feel more and more of an outsider. When I hear people talk about their far right wing views, it just gets me more and more angry and depressed. When I read/hear the news, I get more and more frightened about what this country could turn into. For instance, the possibility of Bush nominating one more right wing judge to the US Supreme Court (although it would be an all out war before he got someone nominated), the Pro Life people gearing up for a war on Roe vs. Wade, the debacle that is the war in Iraq, the deepening middle east crisis, the crisis in Iran, the US response to Katrina, the "democracy" that is Bush wanting to spy illegally on its citizens, and proposing to change the law so it is no longer illegal... etc, etc, etc.

It is all so depressing.

But, I feel a little better for getting it out. All I need now is the ability to vote and I might be able to do something with my feelings!

I don't want this thread to turn into a discussion on issues as I am sure there are a lot of people here who will disagree with my viewpoints. I just wanted to talk about how I feel impotent here, and how I wish there were more people around I could talk to about politics.

If you got this far down the page... thank you for reading.

Matt

Jerseygirl

Don't think of yourself as an immigrant. As my mother once said to me 'how can you possibly be an immigrant, you're British'. LOL.

ukmancoll

As Vince Vaugh would say, I like where your heads at!

But... That kind of thinking doesn't quite work around here... Sometimes I think I am living in the deep south... (no offense to the people living in the deep south! )

mickmills

None taken

I used to get annoyed with my work colleagues far-right views, & the fact they wont even entertain any other ideas or views. Have been here 3 half years now so just try & ignore them when they start talking politics.

Best investment I have made since being here, headphones for my pc at work!

Jerseygirl

Tell me about it. Sometimes I think that I am living in a time warp.

ladylisa

I'm also in the mid west so know where your coming from. I phone my brother in the UK when I want a good political moan we can go at it for hours. One thing I was thinking though is do your wife's family know your political views? I ask this because if you are keeping them to yourself maybe they are unaware that your views differ from theirs. Maybe if they knew you didnt agree they would out of respect keep a little quieter about airing their views at you at the dinner table. However I cant help but wonder that if you were to get into debates with them over issues close to your heart they may even try and avoid all political conversations in the future for fear of inflaming the leftie. Just a thought.

Ray

What you actually mean ..is you what to meet more people who agree with you opinions ...

ukmancoll

Yes, they know my views. Politics doesn't come up very often, but when it does, its about as right wing as it gets. I don't like to keep my mouth shut, but as I have said, no good can come of debating with them.

Actually, the last time politics came up, I just came out and said to my father-in-law: "I don't think we should talk about politics..." There was an awkward silence for a few seconds after, but I think they got my point.

ukmancoll

Yes? That is exactly what I mean.

That's why I said I feel like an outsider, because no one around me shares my political view points. If I was in, say, New York, perhaps it would be different. But I'm not.

At least in the UK, where I was from anyway, there was a good mix of political viewpoints floating around.

The point of my post wasn't to say I am right, they are wrong. My point was just to express my feelings about feeling different, alienated, and impotent.

Kate2112

You can get involved in politics even if you are unable to vote. Perhaps the candidate that you wanted to use your wife vote for. Go to their campaigning headquarters and volunteer your services. I'm sure it was your frustration at not being able to vote yourself that prompts your disappointment that your wife wouldn't give away her vote. However the very democracy that you admire means that if you cant convince her not to vote for Coco the Clown she is entitled to Vote for Bozo the Bush. That is democracy in action.

anotherlimey

I'm surprised; when I lived in Chicago, everyone seemed to be left.

Maybe just different circles of friends.

Ray

Thank God you did not have to go 30 years of not being allowed
to spout any political opinion....

ukmancoll

I agree with your view on Democracy in action, totally. I was just a little disappointed on a personal level.

I did make contact with a local candidate, but it is so difficult to make time. And I know it sounds like an excuse. The only time they wanted volunteers is week nights - when I am not working late these days, we are using the extra time to house hunt, etc. Plus, I live an hour train ride from downtown and the nightly commute gets worse the later it gets. That is why I do the political class, so I could at least get involved in some controlled debates. So, I do feel like I am doing SOMETHING to get around this.

ukmancoll

I am aware of the political history behind the right to vote/dictatorships/political retribution Ray (if any of that is what you are alluding to), but none of that is my point.

I was purely using this page to express some personal feelings, that's all.

Jill

One of the wonderful things about USA is everyone is entitled to an opinion and can feel free to express it. Most of the Yanks I know are not offended by views other than their own, and most like to defend their point of view (and they often express themselves strongly - which some folks mistake for anger or conflict. In other words, I don't feel out numbered just because everyone else has a different angle on things.

The second wonderful thing about USA is the government system tends to average out all the conflicting points of view and competing priorities. Parties in power change every 4-8 years, and even when one party is in, they often act out the values of the other party. And regardless who is in, the Congress and Judical Branch tend to balance out the actions taken by the executive branch.

So I would suggest you join in on the political discussions with the inlaws, don't take their reactions personnally - and who knows, you may open their eyes to a different point of view.