NationStates Jolt Archive

Do you think your upbringing has had any influence on your conservative/liberal bias?

Are you old enough to know the answer to the above questions or are you just going through a faze?

Are you old enough to be raising your own family now? Are you over thirty doing it the same as your parents raised you or are you raising your own children differently than you were raised? Are you more like your father or more like your mother?

For myself, I was raised in a long drawn out divorcing family, but unlike most American divorces back then, my Father was granted custody of all four children (two boys, two girls). My father remarried and was able to show us a happy couple example for many years before we all left the house…

I believe I’ve seen both good and bad home life examples, and I’m applying those lessons to the raising of my own children now… How about you?

Easy: Yes.

No, because my family is 100% Republican, and I disagree with them on 99% of social issues, especially personal freedom. However, I also disagree with the Democratic party on management of social programs and public education, so I'm not really a Democrat either. I'm registered as one, but not in 100% agreement with the leadership.

I would say, "yes", but I can't vote in your poll because I am Libertarian/Classic Liberal.

My parents have been married for 40 years. Their parents were married for over 40 years.

Their state of marriage has less to do, however, with my political leanings than does my religious upbringing and subsequent rejection of the doctrine(s) of Revealed Religion.

That and an uncanny amount of common sense and self reliance.

Having grown up
- poor and
- living in many racially diverse places and
- encountering mostly shitty public schools as well as one very nice public school in a rich area (I loved that school in the well off area and I miss it so *sniff sniff*)
- with a single mother that worked two jobs most her life (when they were available) and was still barely able to afford anything even though she didn't drink, do drugs or blow her money on stupid crap and
- having two different religions forced down my throat by my mom (Baptist) and grandparents (Catholic)

I became a liberal who cares about issues concerning education, religion, poverty and racism

I've been raised by my mom since my parents divorced when I was 8. Though I'd say I've made many of my own opinions, my mother's opinions, coupled with her situation and own past made be respect working women as well as workers rights in general.

It's also made me an advocate of support for new, young mothers and single parents.

And as much as I respect my mother for what she has done, my situation has also made me an advocate of marriage counsiling. The divorce rates today disturb me, and I can speak from experience, it isn't easy growing up without a parent.

None of those really apply to me.

I grew up in a two-parent home that was reasonably stable until I was 8 or 9. I know now that it was only stable because my mother held it together, but I didn't see the evidence of my parents' failing marriage until then. They divorced when I was 14, and unlike most children, I was happy to see it happen. I was raised by my mother from then until college age. She then started dating a guy that she is now married to and who I view as my stepfather. He has acted as a father to me since I began college. I lost touch with my biological father for a while, until he got sober, and am now back in touch with him and visited him earlier this year.

I am neither truly conservative nor liberal. I fall into the "moderate" category on most issues, leaning more liberal or more conservative depending on the issue. I have been labeled by various people as a moderate either leaning slightly right- or slighlty left-wing.

I am neither truly conservative nor liberal. I fall into the "moderate" category on most issues, leaning more liberal or more conservative depending on the issue. I have been labeled by various people as a moderate either leaning slightly right- or slighlty left-wing.
Hi Dem :)


*Ph33r Spends a few minutes trying to imagine what kind of people would describe Dem as conservative, ever, about anything :p *

Not an insult, not at all, only I have a hard time seeing it myself :D

yes: my parents are ex-hippies and i'm a commie pinko hippie now :D


Are you old enough to know the answer to the above questions or are you just going through a faze?
i thoroughly believe in my political beliefs; however i know they are ideological and unrealistic and that may well result in said beliefs being toned down somewhat when i get into the 'real world' proper, after uni

Are you old enough to be raising your own family now? Are you over thirty doing it the same as your parents raised you or are you raising your own children differently than you were raised? Are you more like your father or more like your mother?
indeed i am old enough to raise my own family, but am only 20 and wouldn't wish to either for my sake or my families'

and i would certainly do the same as my parents did (though perhaps a little less smothering when times got hard)

For myself, I was raised in a long drawn out divorcing family, but unlike most American divorces back then, my Father was granted custody of all four children (two boys, two girls). My father remarried and was able to show us a happy couple example for many years before we all left the house…

I believe I’ve seen both good and bad home life examples, and I’m applying those lessons to the raising of my own children now… How about you?

my parents have been through some pretty fucking rough patches together, and very nearly divorced. i am so god-damn glad they didn't. so similarly i've seen a lot of the bad aspects of marriage, but also seen that there's always hope, that it is possible to pull through... like the beatles say: all you need is love :)

My parents were ok growing up. There were a number of times when I was little that I remember my mom threatening to go back to her parent's house. I remember a number of dreams from back then where she did so, just got in the car and left. I also remember thinking that if they got a divorce I wanted to go with my dad, because he was nicer to me than my mom was.

My parents have stayed together though. Their relationship seems ok now, my mom doesn't threaten to leave and they get along fine.

My dad hardly lived at home for a bit when I was near the end of highschool though, he got a job in Montreal, but we couldn't pick up and leave with him, partly because in the Quebec school system, I would have had to start highschool from the beginning instead of just finishing my last two years.

However, I don't think my home environment influenced my ideas about politics. My parents are both conservatives, anti-choice, anti-immigration, pro-death penalty, pro-war, pro-tax cuts et c... whereas I take the opposite stance.

Both parents are ministers so I've run into my share of wackos, dysfunctionals and the terminally senile. And as we all know I'm a stinking commie.

Hi Dem :)

*Ph33r Spends a few minutes trying to imagine what kind of people would describe Dem as conservative, ever, about anything :p *

Not an insult, not at all, only I have a hard time seeing it myself :D

I don't get into many of the economic threads, but I am pretty conservative on economic issues. I tend to be more passionate about the social issues - which I often lean a bit more liberal on. However, even then, I am considered conservative by many - especially when the talk turns to welfare, etc.

There is also the fact that while I may advocate the rights of others to liberal positions, and thus sound quite liberal myself, my personal views are often rather conservative. Take, for instance, the abortion issue (no one derail this thread!). I am adamantly pro-choice from a political point-of-view because I believe people have the right to make their own moral and religious decisions. However, I am adamantly anti-abortion in all but the most extreme of cases. It is not something I would ever choose for myself, outside a pregnancy that was threatening my life. The same thing on sexual issues. I advocate the right of people to be in whatever kind of relationship (or lack thereof) that they wish. I, however, personally believe that sex was meant to be the highest expression of love between two people who have dedicated their lives to each other, and will only pursue a sexual relationship in that vein.

If I didn't get stuck arguing the rights of people to do things I wouldn't personally do so often, you might be surprised by just how conservative some of my own views really are. =)

Wow...the results so far are NOT what I expected!

Wow...the results so far are NOT what I expected!
Actually, I don't see them being too far off - though the divorce rate is a bit lower than statistical.

So many posters here are either Young or European (or both) that the "Liberal" numbers were bound to be skewed. :p

I don't get into many of the economic threads, but I am pretty conservative on economic issues. I tend to be more passionate about the social issues - which I often lean a bit more liberal on. However, even then, I am considered conservative by many - especially when the talk turns to welfare, etc.

There is also the fact that while I may advocate the rights of others to liberal positions, and thus sound quite liberal myself, my personal views are often rather conservative. Take, for instance, the abortion issue (no one derail this thread!). I am adamantly pro-choice from a political point-of-view because I believe people have the right to make their own moral and religious decisions. However, I am adamantly anti-abortion in all but the most extreme of cases. It is not something I would ever choose for myself, outside a pregnancy that was threatening my life. The same thing on sexual issues. I advocate the right of people to be in whatever kind of relationship (or lack thereof) that they wish. I, however, personally believe that sex was meant to be the highest expression of love between two people who have dedicated their lives to each other, and will only pursue a sexual relationship in that vein.

If I didn't get stuck arguing the rights of people to do things I wouldn't personally do so often, you might be surprised by just how conservative some of my own views really are. =)
Another Political Libertarian... Pro Choice on Everything! :D

Another Political Libertarian... Pro Choice on Everything! :D

LOL. Well, for the most part. I'm not libertarian to the point that I think we should do away with income tax and stop funding all welfare, etc, although I do lean towards libertarianism on most social issues.

And I am politically pro-choice on most things, although I do think there are certain issues that society does have a compelling interest in regulating, at least to some point.

I know it sounds like a bunch of fence-sitting to some people, but it really does seem more logical to me than either extreme end.

No, Single-parent (female) she is sort of centrist liberal type thingy, cut off from mainstream politics (i think she supports the green party) yet i am 100% conservative, not Conservative as the tories are becoming more and more liberal as they try to "modernise", republicans the best I think.

Married, never divorced (loving) – I am liberal

I voted for married, never divorced (abusive).

While my family isn't abusive, it definitely isn't loving. All we do is yell at each other and keep to ourselves. It's more of a loose economic alliance. I plan on hoarding as much wealth as possible. Get my parents' names off my assets and split as soon as I turn 18.

I'll move far away, but leave a forwarding address. That way I don't have to deal with them but they don't think I hate them.