Dearest Rachel –
Today is Tuesday morning; and more to the point, it’s also Election Day. Or rather, the end of election season, I hope. What used to take place over a single day when we were a young couple has been drawn out into what feels like a months-long affair, and I can’t wait for it to be over and done with.
Given that the village is so quick to switch over from one holiday to the next – contra that of certain houses – one would expect that the political signs should be coming down with similar alacrity once the returns are in. Depending on the weather, I may walk across town later this week and give you an update on that. Or not; you already know about my reluctance to talk politics when I write you here.
Which you might point out as being strange; after all, we used to discuss the topic together in life quite regularly. But of course, we could do so in a perfectly civil manner, like with me and Dad, or even with Kevin – although he would get more opinionated over time, and especially (after your departure) once Anastasia was involved in the discussion, by dint of having to flee her home country as the invasion began. It was much more difficult to manage a discussion when a love interest was involved, however (literally) remotely.
But there’s a difference between a conversation between friends, family and lovers and one that gets broadcast hither and yon across the internet. When the idea of writing to you as a form of therapy (as well as an emotional and intellectual outside) was first recommended to me, I was told to be careful about certain topics. For all that I enjoyed (and miss) it, I was advised not to talk about our sex life… and on a broader note, stay the heck away from politics. Michael Jordan’s line about Republicans buying shoes, too belongs here as, regardless of party politics, everybody suffers loss at some point in their lives; everyone has to recover from grief.
But it’s easier said than done, honey. It would seem sometimes that literally everything one does is politicized these days. I used to joke, back when you were still around, about how even how one shops shows ones affiliation, as the blue box store generally tends to have a clientele that votes red, while those that patronize the red box store tend to vote blue. Ironically enough, Daniel and I tend to eschew both of those box stores, shopping elsewhere for groceries (and online for other necessities), while occasionally popping in to the nearest warehouse store, not because of its affiliation, but because it’s nearby.
And you’ll notice I use terms like “red” and “blue”; I don’t have to say liberal or conservative (which I tend to prefer to party names already). But the point is that mere colors have become politicized at this point. I kind of feel bad for folks in places like Cincinnati or St. Louis, where supporting their local baseball team can be a dangerous call, if someone mistakes their cap for support for something else.
Which is further reason why I was warned to not talk about politics with you here; there are those for whom, let’s just say, civil discussion cannot be had. You’ll recall the “mostly peaceful protests” of the pandemic year – as well as your dismay to see the other side think they had a turn shortly before your departure. It’s happening again across the Atlantic, with town halls being burnt to the ground, and flags being waved in the street that aren’t that of the nation itself; other loyalties that the country they call home. It’s depressing.
And it seems to be coming here, if we let it. I’ve heard politicians say, in front of whole groups of supporters, that those of the opposite persuasion need to have the fear of the state (I know, the expression is “the fear of God,” but these folks don’t seem to have much time for those who believe in Him) put into them, to discourage them from participating in the process. Granted, that would be as staff for opposition politicians, but it’s not that great of a leap from there to merely supporting with one’s ballot. They were able to round up people who were in Washington on that dismaying day – even based on credit card activity, let alone security camera footage – and throw them in jail; it’s likely that, after five or six years, their ability to hunt down the opposition has only gotten more sophisticated since then.
So I’ve been advised to keep my opinions to myself, lest I bring down certain people’s wrath. Indeed, there’s one social media outlet I post to regularly that won’t receive notice of this letter, lest I get kicked off the platform for these very comments.
At the moment, these angry people seem to be leading in all of the polls, and I don’t know what to make of it. I used to assert that, for all the bloviating that our would-be leaders do, nothing ever happens. Which, honestly, is a good thing, since “the government that governs best governs least,” although if they’re going to do nothing, it would be nice if it wasn’t so expensive. These days, however, those plans seem like they might be enacted; the angry people might just come for those who disagree with them.
I just hope, if they win, they get it over with quickly, so I could see you again that much sooner.
