On Writing And Reactions

 One of the things that I find increasingly difficult to navigate these days is writing about anything that in any way touches on the the political.

Given the state of the world, it is obviously a very exposed nerve - as most recently noted in yesterday's post (and some of the others on The Collapse).  Although I have pretty clearly not mentioned politics in any of what is a speculative fantasy (other than the most localized of them), it provoked some rather strong opinions about the Now.  

This is not an isolated event.  Other bloggers that I follow - the crew at Chant du Depart and Eaton Rapids Joe, both FOTB (Friends Of This Blog) can sometimes post about rather banal subjects and the discussion can immediately go places that I sincerely question had anything to do with the original post (yes, sometimes they do post more openly political things - but not always.).

I have always tried to be as honest as I can on this blog- certainly about myself (I am as honest as I can be about those I write about; they deserve the level of anonymity I give them and should not be tarred with my brush).  And so, I can say honestly, that the more this goes on and the closer this election gets (and, I suppose, the closer the post-election gets), the more the whole thing repulses me.

Yes, I know - I can ignore politics, but politics is very interested in me. And yes, I do very obviously have to live in in the world that these politics create.

But I suppose that is precisely my point.  We all have to live in the world that these politics create.

At some point, one candidate, one party will win and the others will lose.  But all of the animosity, all of the hate, all of the bitterness does not end on that day.  It lingers like acid, eating its way through the fabric of society and every relationship long after the initial spill is gone.  Given the world of the InterWeb and Social Media, it will all live on in eternity (or at least until the power goes out). 

To me, it is like having a huge blowout argument with one's spouse or a very good friend and then having to go back after the fact and try to restart the relationship. It is awkward at first (if even possible), and the best one can hope for is something approximating what was there before.  There are silences that are not breached, subjects that are no longer talked about.  Sometimes the friendship never recovers.

The level of trust is broken and is difficult restore, if it can be at all.

So that is one point - we all have to get up the day after and live in a world where for the last X years has been filled with vitriol and emotionally laden (even verbally abusive) words.

The second, for me, is personal.

I am Christian. It is not something that I particularly hide, but it is not something I trot out at every conversation either.  But like most things, it will come out in the wash over time.  As a Christian, what I say and do ultimately reflects on Christ and His Church.  Woe be it to me if I end up turning people away from Christ because of my behavior, words or actions (I am sure it has happened already, perhaps multiple times.  All one can do is ask for forgiveness and soldier on.).

I know, I know.  There are significant problems that need to be addressed.  I agree.  But vitriol and emotion are never the way to do it, let alone violence.  All of those things beget more of those things; things that start out evil in nature are destined to fail and fall.

By writing this of course, I suspect I will have created some reactions.  For once, let me be stern:  It is not the day to remind me of the state of the world and the forces that are out to get "us" and likely how I am ignoring the whole situation.  Please spare me the effort of checking my phone multiple times a day to delete comments.  I will do so.  

Also, those sorts of responses are exactly the sort of thing that created this post in the first place.  If that somehow no longer makes me palatable, I very much appreciate your support over the years, but likely this will not continue to be the blog for you.

I have great writers that I admire over at Five Acres and A Dream and An English Homestead and Riverbend Journal that write nothing remotely invoking a political response.  I love all of their work (and as with Chant du Depart and Eaton Rapids Joe, heartily commend them to your attention).  I prefer to go a bit wider in my ponderings.

But even with the ability to write a bit more broadly, I value more the fact that people of widely differing opinions stop by and read and offer their wisdom.   I will do anything to protect that, even to the point of ending any writing that invokes those responses (and being more proactive in deleting responses that touch on such matters),  not only because it does not encourage discussion, but that it discourages those who might believe differently from commenting or reading at all.

Conversation, relationship building, and problem solving are a dialogue, not a monologue.

Your Obedient Servant, Toirdhealbheach Beucail