Conversations about Hotdogs

Dear Family,

I know you just want to talk about hotdogs and Chicago food...and joke around...and share photos of dogs.

All those conversations would be cool as a subplot or comic relief.  I have nothing against light-hearted distractions...even in the worst of times.  

But having those conversations amidst a complete silence regarding the January 6 Hearings and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade is very disconcerting.

I tell myself, though, that silence is preferable to knowing how and why you still stand behind Donald Trump. That you think he's a bit crude but the real villain in the story is Schumer and Pelosi.

Or hearing that although you support reasonable abortion and reasonable gun safety, you're going to continue voting for politicians who want no abortion and lots of guns.  

Things running through my head as you discuss Chicago food:

A) Our country is falling into the hands of fascist right-wing religious extremists.  I wish we could all openly and strongly agree that religious extremists making laws to control the rest of us is a terrifying, horrible thing no matter which religion it comes from.  

B) The fact that when we were much younger,  I was shamed lectured at, by Dad, for boldly admitting politics didn't interest me.  This week I watched or listened to the majority of the hearings.  I wish I could tell you about that...brag a bit and have you guys be proud of me.  But I doubt any of you would be proud of me for wasting my time on what you probably see as just a distraction from rising gas prices and airport crowdedness.     

C) When I was in fifth grade and my special interest was V....I probably assumed you guys would be like the Bernstein family or the Maxwells  and/or you'd be on the same team as Martin and the Willy.  But it turns out you guys are more like Eleanor and Daniel.  You'd probably call the mouse-eating footage fake news or left-wing headline porn.  

I'm not going to lie.  I'd love for all of you to be as left wing as me.

I'd love for us to be a family united in Wokeness.  

How fun that would be!

But really.  I'd settle for knowing that....

even though some of you are conservative, and you still stand behind capitalism, low taxes, bootstrap philosophies, etc.

That you see Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as the heroes of the Republican party and 

That you agree with Judge Luttig when he says that Trump and his allies present a clear and dangerous threat to our democracy.

Read my novel: The Dead are Online