My sister and I have never had a great relationship which comes down to her passive-aggressive behavior. For example she'll make snide comments and just have an overall negative attitude but if I say something back all hell breaks loose, it's like I have to walk on eggshells around her.
That was before I cared about politics, but now it turns out we have complete opposite beliefs. She's a college professor and teaches a course called "urban studies", and based on the course description it's largely focused on topics like white privilege and climate change. She's also an abortion clinic escort. She's a vegan and hardcore environmentalist. She's basically a stereotype of a millenial liberal and describes herself as a marxist.
I haven't seen her in 2 years but we have a family reunion coming up and I just know that certain topics might come up at the dinner table like COVID. I'm also against abortion and that's another topic that might come up as well. If I give my opinion and say that I think lockdowns over a flu virus were ridiculous and I didn't get the vaccine I'm sure an argument would break out because she gets angry when someone espouses non-leftist beliefs. Last time we had a family dinner she got angry because I simply asked her and her long-term boyfriend if they were planning to start a family someday.
Now I'm considering whether I should speak my mind within limits if these topics come up or just stay silent to maintain the peace.
I have a very stupid, toxic sister-in-law. I finally stopped attending family gatherings on the holidays and have enjoyed decades of great holidays with my husband and kids. It was worth it.
This is the way👌