Let Me See if Strait Can Get This Straight

Let me see if I can get this straight.

The sentiment on social media is that enough is enough.  People are tired of politics dominating their social media feeds, and are ready to call it a day.  And this sentiment is coming from all across the political spectrum.

It's not a completely invalid sentiment.  This has been a rough election cycle, with Trump in particular pulling the rhetoric as low as it can go. There has been little discussion of issues, and mostly just personal trashings, of both candidates and their supporters.

So y'all want to take a break from politics and go back to pictures of food and tales of children and grandchildren?

Yes.  Please.  Let's talk about those things and all the things that bind us.  Let's please do that.  We're all a part of a great mass of humanity that needs to do more celebrating and dancing together.

But stop talking about politics?

Let this Strait tell it to you straight -

Nahhh.  Not gonna happen.

How can I stop talking about it when the Senate Republicans have gone to the unprecedented step of indicating that they may block all Supreme Court nominees for the entire time Hillary Clinton is President?  How do I back off when one branch of government is willing to hold hostage another branch of government until they control yet a third branch of government?  You want me to surrender political discussion while someone discusses letting the Supreme Court whither away if they don't get their way?

How can I stop talking about politics when the House Republicans have made a commitment to spend most of their energy into investigating and plotting the impeachment of a President that hasn't even been elected yet?

How can I cease civic discussion when one of the candidates is stating fairly clearly that they may not accept the results of the election if he loses?  Why should I stay silent in the face of the violence and unrest he is deliberately fomenting?  To poll watchers inspired to intimidate, to raising doubts about the results before they're even counted, to implying the viability of "second amendment solutions", you really want me to ignore all this?

Whoever wins any particular office, the issues remain the same.  We must do something about climate change.  We have to reverse the growing income gap.  We have to stay internationally engaged through intelligent diplomacy, fair trade deals and the judicious use of military force (when absolutely necessary).  We have to provide decent health care to every single citizen, without exception.

And I have no intention of staying silent about it.  Not now.  Not ever.

Deal.