Advice for how to deal with a difficult relative? Deets inside.

So Karen is the wife of my mom's brother. At some point over the last ten years, she took the red pill and became heavily radicalized on Facebook. Anti-LGBT, anti-abortion, pro-Trump, etc. Despite graduationing with a degree in biology, she frequently shares inaccurate medical facts and doesn't believe in evolution.

In person, she's as quiet as a church mouse. She doesn't have the ability to articulate her thoughts beyond parroting some slogans. She's almost timid.

A few months back, I poked the bear on social media and watched as she unraveled. My mom joined the argument and she and Karen had some things to say to each other about COVID-19. It was a definite popcorn moment as these two generation x-ers let off some steam. After that, my mom considered her bridges burned with Karen.

Today, mom's brother reached out to see if my mom and I wanted to drive the two hours up to his house to have a July 4th party and celebrate the family's summer birthdays. He's probably oblivious to the fight my mother and Karen had online.

My mom wants to go and make Karen uncomfortable by being polite and as nice as normal; she knows Karen won't say shit about their arguement to her face.

I don't want to drive two hours up to listen to people talk about real estate for three hours, eat two vegetarian hot dogs, then drive two hours back home. Fuck Karen. Fuck "owning" her.

SO AFTER ALL THAT BACKSTORY: I'm a grown ass adult who doesn't need to justify skipping out on seeing bigoted relatives, right?

yeah your mom can do that on her own if she wants

^^^

Have fun ma

yeah no this just makes me think of all the memes about conservatives cutting off their nose to spite their face to own the libs

or whatever

you don't gotta go!

let her go and do her thing while you're at home and not being anxious about the situation plus doggo

HILARIOUSLY I can't bring Ferris to their house because he "disrupts" the indoor cats. Like - I'm fine with someone saying "no" when I ask if Ferris can come and enjoy an OUTDOOR family get together. Sometimes a dog is annoying! But to say that he'd hurt the INDOOR CATS is just bonkers to me.

no I meant you can stay at home with your doggo but I'm not surprised that you can't bring him

they're crazy. stay home with the best dog