Psychologist says its wise to keep politics off of Thanksgiving menu

Dinner table discussion will no doubt turn to politics this Thanksgiving, but some families would just as soon avoid that added holiday stress. A Tulsa psychologist says it's probably wise to do just

Wednesday, November 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Dinner table discussion will no doubt turn to politics this Thanksgiving, but some families would just as soon avoid that added holiday stress. A Tulsa psychologist says it's probably wise to do just that. Hereâ€™s some help how your family can keep Bush and Gore off the menu this year.

Most American families are under enough stress during the holidays as it is. Stir in a drawn-out presidential election with the usual conflict and expectations, and you could have a recipe for indigestion. Should families talk politics over turkey? "It wouldn't be at the top of my list,â€ said Dr. Julie Powell Ward, psychologist. â€œIt's not that it's a bad topic; but for some families these kinds of controversies don't work out very well over holidays, because people are very divided."

Ward recommends dodging the issue by continuing to eat or leaving the table to offer help in the kitchen.
"Another form of dodging is to simply go at it from a humor point of view, like 'I'm not going there,' or "I'm not touching that,' and really sticking with that," she noted.

As stores fill with Thanksgiving dinner shoppers, some say they've thought about whether politics should be on the table. "We wondered if there was going to be massive overtime, police and fire, with all the domestic disturbances that were going to come up," said Tulsa firefighter Mick Fenn.

Gore supporter Rita Foster's father voted for Bush. She looks forward to a peppered family debate. "I have the most conservative son in the world,â€ she said. â€œHe's en route here. Surely my daughter-in-law is brighter and will have voted for Gore."

Ward says with any controversy, family, holiday or otherwise, the first step is listening to another's point of view. "Acknowledging their point is a valuable place to be coming from,â€ she explained. â€œEven though I'm not coming from that same place, so there's a certain amount of respect in the way that's communicated."

And whatever the election outcomeâ€¦"At least we're thankful,â€ said Julie Robards. â€œWhoever's president, weâ€™ve got to have one." At least for one day, remember to put division aside for Thanksgiving is about coming together in thanks.