What the United States needs is more “Uncle Daves.”
A letter published last week by syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson is generating a wave of social media support for a man who was reportedly cut out of his niece’s wedding over his political views — but is now the target of resentment because he’s not coming through with a gift.
It’s almost unbelievable enough to be dismissed as fake out of hand, but it fits the leftist template so well, it’s disturbingly normal.
In the letter, signed by “Angry in Philadelphia,” a woman described how her daughter decided against inviting “Uncle Dave” to her wedding because the old boy’s politics would “make her feel unsafe” at the wedding celebration.
“My daughter is very politically progressive, as are many of her friends,” the mother wrote, “and although she and Dave have always had a good relationship (I thought), he is a conservative voter and has supported candidates we all abhor.”
At her daughter’s request, “Angry” wrote her brother a note to tell him he would not be invited — he didn’t respond or attend the wedding.
She then sent him pictures from the occasion, “all in an effort to make him feel like he was not being totally left out.”
Ah, it must have been great for Uncle Dave to know he wasn’t being totally left out — just left out enough to know that his physical company was not welcome at one of the milestone events in any family.
But that isn’t why “Angry” was writing to be asking Amy. She was angry because Uncle Dave hadn’t come across with his usual $1,000 or more gift for the happy couple.
“My husband says I should drop it – but I can’t. Dave’s behavior is upsetting and embarrassing to me.
“How can I get my brother to recognize and change his petty behavior?” she asked.
“Please don’t tell me that I’m the one who started this by not inviting my brother to the wedding. After all, he’s a grown man, while my daughter is young and just starting out.”
It seems like most individuals with a sense of propriety, respect for others, or even a modicum of intelligence would probably have figured out Uncle Dave wouldn’t be sending a check any time soon — but “Angry” is clearly lacking in all three. (It’s also a pretty good bet that the pictures she sent as a gesture of goodwill were probably aimed at Uncle Dave’s checkbook as much as his sensitive feelings.)
For what it’s worth, Amy set her straight.
“In short: Brides who are too afraid of family members to invite them to a family wedding don’t then get the pleasure of receiving their money.
“You seem almost as afraid of your daughter as she is of your brother, but I hope you’ll find a way to courageously tell her that the Bank of Uncle Dave is closed, at least to your branch of the family.
“So far, your silent brother is the only family member who is behaving appropriately. He’s steering clear, which is exactly what you have asked him to do.”
On social media, the response was similar, if often less politely worded.
Uncle Dave rocks! That bride is horrid.
— Jennifer E. (@JennRN123) July 2, 2023
Mother and daughter are a classic example of what is wrong with society today.
Unbelievable
. Good job uncle Dave .— Tina See (@TinaSee77726424) July 2, 2023
Classic…..Liberal !
Insufferable…..Entitled….Clueless….Snowflakes
P.S. GO UNCLE DAVE !
— CaptainAmerica (@202america) July 1, 2023
I love Uncle Dave 😂 https://t.co/G1ABdPYMv2
— Stacey (@ScotsFyre) July 1, 2023
Again, there’s really no way of knowing whether the letter actually describes a real family situation, but can anyone who’s been paying attention to the U.S. over the past decade automatically rule it out?
The progressive politics of this brainless bride and her friends (God help her husband, assuming there is a husband, in this case) didn’t come from a vacuum. This country has been awash in them for years. (And that very much includes Philadelphia, a Democratic machine city with a district attorney paid for by billionaire George Soros and the inevitable, chaotic crime problem that combination produces.)
The progressive sense of entitlement is bottomless — demonstrated by President Joe Biden’s blatantly unconstitutional bid to wipe out student loans (and Democratic response to the Supreme Court’s decision Friday that that wasn’t going to fly).
And the bottom line is they always expect Uncle Dave to be insulted with impunity and still fork over the cash to pay for it all. (Like conservative fans of the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA seem bafflingly content to watch their beliefs spit upon and still turn out to cheer the men who mock the country and pretty much everything that’s decent.)
Be Uncle Dave! https://t.co/fT4AVSDsmJ
— Julie Gunlock (@JGunlock) July 1, 2023
If this letter is accurate, one Uncle Dave is finally saying, “no.”
The country needs more of them — say, 81 million more of them — to make themselves understood as well as “Uncle Dave” is doing here.
Yes! We all need to be Uncle Dave! The only one with common sense in a family of “me” and “I”! So proud of him for giving these nasty and pathetic relatives zilch! Hope he exits stage right with them forever more! The world needs more Uncle Dave’s with relatives like this!
Well, it is quite easy to see the reason the daughter is the way she is. Just a chip off the old block, that one is. I truly feel sorry for the poor SOB who married the daughter. These people have no common sense or shame.
that woman failed as a mother, sister, and human. She failed in raising a daughter with any moral compass, empathy, or tolerance. Diversity of thought is also absent. As for Uncle Dan, he is probably better off staying away from this branch of the family tree. The gall to expect and demand a gift after telling him he wasn’t good enough to be invited to the wedding – mind you he is literally her uncle, not like friends or or even strangers that were obviously invited. Mother should have put her foot down, but obviously she has enabled this daughter for years so that wasn’t going to happen.
No invite, no check. She was rude not to invite him.