I told my husband about the previous post, and he wanted me to post a retraction, he’s sitting right here, so this is a quote from the republican, politics-loving man I’m married to:

“As to the question can a republican be a “Tree Hugger” - in the truest sense, by all means. Unfortunately with many of the existing “Tree Huggers” it seems that there is more of a relationship with the tree than the people around them. As a person who lives under trees, and was raised loving the beauty they provide, I take exception to those that feel it is one or the other. I feel republicans have a great sense for protecting the conditions of our lives as well as our environment, and feel there has to be harmony in both.”

So there you have it, from a man who was raised by a father who worked for the Forest Service. He fought fires, and for a number of years the familiy lived on and maintained many acres of forested government land in Colorado, my husband has fond memories of those days.  Oh, by the way, my  father-in-law, in his own words, is a “die-hard democrat”.

I think the hardest thing to watch is how differing political views can come between people, especially within a family. It can lead to intense discussions around a dinner table, which leads to indigestion for dessert. It can lead to negative talk about family members when they aren’t present. It can literally lead to people who should love and support one another not wanting to speak to one another.

We have both democrats and republicans in the family, so we know how this is, but for the most part, we have learned it is best, when family is together, to just keep our thoughts to ourselves and enjoy one another to the best of our ability. If a topic comes up, and there is discussion, learning the art of keeping the discussion short, before it becomes heated or intense is a good thing.

Of course, sometimes a good debate isn’t such a bad thing, as long as it can be viewed as a learning experience by both sides…and isn’t done at the dinner table.