This post made me cry, @agmoore. But everything about togetherness and kindness makes me cry lately. I'm tired of outrage and anger. I want our country to heal and our people to come together.
I heard the most amazing program on This American Life yesterday. It was about a couple who had married a little later in life (second marriages for them both). She was a Democrat and he was a Republican. In the early days it didn't matter. But once Trumpism came on the scene, the divisions between them in what they believed and what kind of news they trusted came into focus. Their marriage began to suffer. Neither would listen to the other when it came to politics, freedoms, beliefs... etc.
They vowed to find a news source that was impartial and unbiased in its reporting. Seems impossible, right? Well, it turns out it's quite possible, and a guy by the name of Isaac Saul has achieved it. He created Tangle, a "non-partisan politics newsletter that gives you a 360-degree view on the news. No spin. No clickbait. Opinions from the left, right, and center so you can decide." I was amazed to hear about this incredible project. The readership is divided in thirds — left, right, and independent.
The couple mended their relationship. The husband, who was absolutely certain the 2020 election was stolen, read the deep-dive into the facts that Tangle provided and came to the conclusion that it was not. Biden legitimately won the election. Now, whenever there is an incendiary topic like that, they look for true story on Tangle.
Well, your story is about Halloween! But I love how it serves as a symbol of how people can come together for a fun and spooky and genuinely non-divisive celebration, and just enjoy being out and about, and being neighbors.
♥️
These are hard times. I don't know if my husband and I would get along if we didn't agree on this. I'd wonder about his values, if he could approve of that man. But we have to get along, and realize people on the other side can't imagine why we believe what we do.
Thank you very much for the Tangle reference. I'm going to check it out right away.
As for my neighbor with the big Trump flag in front of his house. I was shocked, but then realized he must have his reasons. And he must think they are valid.
You're correct about the blog--it's not really about Halloween. It's about people coming together and looking past their differences. What great feeling that was.
Disclaimer: I live in Houston, TX. I have voted for Harris already.
I have been listening the Ira and This American Life for 10 + years. I consider Ira part of my life. Brian Reed who produced this show is a big shot. I first started paying attention to him at S-town Podcast, which was an amazing show. I have listened to the same show, you mentioned. I was wondering...
I am 48. My wife is 50. We are college class mates. Thank heavens we met early on in life, much before politics became this toxic. I am thankful we have the same political view, because if we didn't, and knowing how militant she is (god bless her!, I don't believe in god); I don't think we had any chance of being together. We dodged a bullet. Our two daughters dodged a bullet.
On the same note I am going to reach out to J D Vance (yes, him!), he recently said:
“If you’re discarding a lifelong friendship because somebody votes for the other team, then you’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake and you should do something different,”
Kudos to JD for this! I have hope in humanity.
Also if you read his book he said a lot of the things regardning why we are here:
“What separates the successful from the unsuccessful are the expectations that they had for their own lives. Yet the message of the right is increasingly: It’s not your fault that you’re a loser; it’s the government’s fault.”
from...J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis