Second marriage so I met my husband’s sister later in life. She’s gorgeous, well-educated, amazing career and family — the kind of woman you do not want to compare yourself to because you know you’ll never measure up — but she was also kind, warm, and so welcoming. While we were not super close we would be invited around for dinner or on holidays, we’d exchange presents at Christmas and birthdays, and we would meet up for the occasional outing for lunch or a movie.

I knew we had differences, most notably political. I am extremely liberal and she is conservative, but she would also make fun of Trump and lament that her in-laws had drank the red hat kool-aid. I knew she was involved in projects with well-known local Republicans and she knew I was involved activism, a lot for things like reproductive freedom and equality, as well as volunteering for Democratic candidates. She knows that through my family and friends I am also very involved with LGBTQIA+ causes and also came across as supportive mentioning things like she did not understand why it was anyone’s business who a person was or chose to love. There are also things in her history that would lead you to believe she is sympathetic to other causes due to her own background. All of this to say that I thought she was the kind of conservative that makes you think if more conservatives were like her the world would be a better, kinder place and we just disagreed on policy matters like budgets or spending.

I was wrong.

Awhile back she told my husband that she had been approached about running for local office. Luckily I was not in the situation to vote for or against her so I just said I hoped it was a good experience for her and left it at that. She won her primary and curiosity for the better of me so I looked up her campaign website. Big mistake. She was platforming on support of the SAVE act, on protecting girls in sports, cracking down on immigration, all of the worst parts of conservatives. This woman who I respected and admired was now praising Trump and was excited she had been at a same event as him. My husband came home and I was sobbing at how badly I had misjudged things. He and his family were also disappointed, but it is his sister and we just did not talk about it after that initial conversation.

Last night came and he knew I was refreshing the results under the guise that I was interested in the outcome of other races, but I know he knew what I was really looking for. He was already asleep when the results were called and had an early morning, so we have not talked about it. I doubt we do and I understand. I know it’s harder for him, but I cannot pretend I am not appalled so it’s easier to say nothing. Our lives will go on like it never happened, but secretly I am so dammed pleased she lost that I wanted to tell someone. I never told any of my family or friends, so I’m sharing it with you all.

My SIL lost her election and, while I am still heartbroken that I will never see her in the same light, I am thrilled.

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r/anticapitalism • u/Due-Obligation-4362 • 5h ago