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'B' has divided the country, but families too ...

(157 Posts)
jura2 Sun 02-Jun-19 13:49:54

on a EU remain site for expats in the EU - so many young people and families saying they do not intend to visit parents in the UK in the future, and no longer wish to invite them to come and stay with them in EU - as they are so upset and shocked at their parents hard Brexit and anti EU/immigration stance- and just cannot face spending time with them. How sad. I didn't always agree with my parents, and do not always agree with DDs- but that would break my heart.

Callistemon Sun 02-Jun-19 15:14:01

Quite right, M0nica and others with sensible views.

The type of young people you mention sound like intolerant bigots. I would be upset if I thought I had brought up such a child.
Mine all think for themselves, have different political views but respect the fact that each of us is entitled to an opinion.

Ginny42 Sun 02-Jun-19 15:22:21

I think friends who are the polar opposite from each other must either be able to distance all communication from politics, or there must be huge areas of life where judgement is influenced by your political beliefs and arguments will inevitably result. I can have friendships with people who have different political views from me, but I could not live with/love someone who had such different views about important issues.

petra Sun 02-Jun-19 15:22:53

notanan2
I've bought property in 2 countries prior to them joining the eu.
Would you explain how the home office would stop me buying a property in say Montenegro?
Should I be worried? Nah.

dragonfly46 Sun 02-Jun-19 15:29:53

I haven't lost friends over Brexit but it has opened my eyes to their attitudes which until then had remained hidden.
We were out at lunch with long time friends (over 50 years) and as the waitress was leaving one of our friends said "another b****y foreigner!" I was shocked rigid and cannot think of him the same again. Brexit seems to have enabled people to make these remarks which i find extremely distasteful.
I also have a Scottish friend who has fallen out with her brother over Scottish Independence!

petra Sun 02-Jun-19 15:33:23

I'm puzzled by how these parents who voted leave were able to hide their racist views from their children all those years.
Surely it didn't come as a shock when they voted as they did.

Callistemon Sun 02-Jun-19 15:36:59

If you purchase the property after we leave the EU you could get Montenegran citizenship too, petra!

dragonfly46 Sun 02-Jun-19 15:38:02

Petra our friends do not have children but they hid their racist views for years from us. It could be of course that they have developed them recently.

Callistemon Sun 02-Jun-19 15:40:23

Because they are probably not at all racist but had other reasons for voting leave, petra

This is all rather OTT - exactly how many are so many?
Five, ten, hundreds, thousands?

Callistemon Sun 02-Jun-19 15:43:16

I was not referring to your friends, dragonfly, after all I don't know them, but to the parents mentioned in the OP, now cut off by their children.

MamaCaz Sun 02-Jun-19 15:49:18

GrannyGravy13
Here's a thought what about trying to get along with others whether they be friends or family immaterial of how they voted.

That only works if both/all sides are prepared to try.
Believe me, it can definitely wreck a relationship if someone can't or won't either keep their very strong views to themselves, or at least meet the other person half way and agree to differ.

notanan2 Sun 02-Jun-19 16:10:49

After Brexit, EU citizens status if they want to come to UK or be reuined with family, or if Brits have non brit partners ans children (and reciprocal agreements for brits abroad) will be based on the home offices CURRENT policies, not what they were back prior to EU membership.

How can people not understand that? It CANT be like pre membership. It will fall within CURRENT frameworks for non eu to eu movement, not historical ones that are long gone

notanan2 Sun 02-Jun-19 16:13:42

*I'm puzzled by how these parents who voted leave were able to hide their racist views from their children all those years.
Surely it didn't come as a shock when they voted as they did.*

I would disagree. The referendum brought out sides of society as well as individuals that I had previously underestimated sad

kittylester Sun 02-Jun-19 16:21:21

Why does voting leave equate to being racist? confused

I voted remain btw.

notanan2 Sun 02-Jun-19 16:31:37

Kitty, a lot, A LOT, of people on both sides behaved appaulingly around referendum time. It unveiled a nasty side to society and individuals.

Statements made cant be unheard.

dragonfly46 Sun 02-Jun-19 16:40:35

I certainly Kitty don't think all Brexiteers are racist - far from it but with a lot of people it all comes down to immigration. What they do not realise is that these so called immigrants are maintaining many of our industries including the NHS!

You will realise I also voted to remain. Having lived in Europe for 18 years I am an European not an insular Brit!

M0nica Sun 02-Jun-19 16:41:37

I have never asked DC how they voted. I assume they voted remain, as we did. But I do not know.

We have for a more intersting things to talk about than constantly harping on political issues.

kittylester Sun 02-Jun-19 16:41:46

But, why does voting leave equate to being racist?

I dont really understand what you are saying notanan2, can you explain.

blondenana Sun 02-Jun-19 16:54:38

Spoilt brats, just spitting their dummies out, it;s all talk hmm
Maybe hoping to blackmail their families into changing their minds,take no notice

jura2 Sun 02-Jun-19 16:55:01

kitty- as said above, it depends how and why it was done. If a vote is associated in friends or family circles, as an anti immigration vote, with comments and prejudice to match - as sadly the young people in the group mentionned- then it is a different thing. These young people are not falling out with their families because they voted differently- but because of what they have said and expressed concurrently- and because they refused to see how it puts their children and grandchildren in very difficult, negatively life-changing and stressful situations- and their total lack of empathy - and often sheer and bl*ody provocation.

A twerp - blimey, not come across that word for a long time. BTW I have not fallen out with anyone, and made sure of that- despite huge provocation. I have at times quietly walked out and taken the dog for a walk to avoid confrontation. But yes, some of the virulent anti-immigration, and yes, racism - and anti EU rhetoric and nonsense, and total lack of understanding re No Deal and WTO (do listen to Rory Stewart on WTO- he explains ti really well)- means that although I would NOT allow falling out- I/we in fact- have no desire to spend time and shared holdaysn having to listen to that twerpish twaddle and having the DM thrust into our face either.

Chewbacca Sun 02-Jun-19 16:58:07

It's a sad fact of life that, some people are so argumentative and malcontentious that they could fall out with an empty house. Brexit has just provided some people with something to focus their ire on and beat people over the head repeatedly for not agreeing with their views. Best avoid them, and the social media sites that spouts such divisive claptrap, if it causes you to worry about it.

varian Sun 02-Jun-19 17:01:00

I have never, ever, heard anyone suggest that all leave voters were racist. That is a slur bandied about by the liars of the leave campaign. I am pretty sure we all know folk who voted leave who are definitely not racists. So lets not keep repeating that slur.

What has become pretty evident, however, and has been shown in many surveys, is that all, or very nearly all, of the racists who voted in the fraudulent referendum, voted leave.

Just yesterday, in our local pub, I heard a leave voter, who I would not accuse of being a racist, say as much and he pointed to the topic of immigration and the effect of liar Farage's infamous "breaking point" poster as the deciding factor.

blondenana Sun 02-Jun-19 17:01:49

I don;t see that wanting less immigration is racist, yes we need some immigrants, but not those who end up living off the welfare state, and there are plenty,
Why are a lot of these coming in, still unemployed and bringing all their families too
Lots of our Drs and nurses were immigrants initially, but they have come with skills or learned skills,
Genuine immigrants yes, but what about all the illegals who are coming in by the boat load, and being allowed to stay

notanan2 Sun 02-Jun-19 17:02:47

Chewbacca that attitude is so unfair to people who have had the rug pulled out from underneath their whole lives due to brexit.

It is not petty if it upsets them that people in their families wanted that to happen!

notanan2 Sun 02-Jun-19 17:04:31

If its welfare use you want to reduce blondenanna its brits not immigrants that your issue is with.

kittylester Sun 02-Jun-19 17:08:02

So, not everyone who votes leave is a racist. They might just have thought it through and reached a different conclusion.