i just returned from a trip home, and i as the saying goes, no politics or religion. most of my family is conservative, but it is interesting to see the range, depending on WHEN they became active in politics.

to simplify: with the older generation, it strongly correlates to religion and general gratefulness at the us for help during wwII. the younger generation born in the US is very interested in money issues and abortion. the younger generation born in the philippines, finished college, etc. might bring religion into their politics, but took history classes that didn’t glorify us occupation of the philippines, so there is no immigrant loyalty from that standpoint.

as an entire family, there is quite a bit of expressed force behind their rhetoric. even though each group approaches their politics from diffi was really disappointed in the bailout. when i expressed this, two of my more vociferous family members said, “well, it was YOUR party that started it.”

i didn’t participate in politics much before because i don’t understand acceptance of limited, dichotomous thinking. in high school, we learned that our brains take the chaos around us and create patterns to better help us process large amounts of information (ex. hunting, gathering–you know the drill!). i wish they’d spent some time linking that survival ability to its ability to limit our thinking in more abstract areas…sort of inoculate ourselves against our own minds…