One of the most serious consequences of the Trump presidency was his demagoguing and gaslighting the country to the extent that the issues separating us are now as fundamental as delusion versus reality. What to do when a significant part of a society doesn't even accept verifiable facts as foundational in deliberations? This is a problem evidenced in cults, and a good chunk of America operates as such. There is simply no reasoning with one another in such a situation; what remains is shouting matches and more division. There is no possibility for dialogue.

* How to begin to straighten and uncoil this diabolical mess?
* How to get along now with family members who still believe an election was stolen, and that the rabble attacking the Capitol on January 6th "were understandably upset?"
* How to be civil to people who are just plain mean-spirited? Who also have AR-15s!

As we enter the post-Trump era in American politics, we have a huge mess on our hands, but thankfully one that didn't ferment for four more years. What we can do is:
* Not make things worse through discussions that just can't happen; it doesn't take long to discover when you're in one of those. Just get out of it. I have to do this every day, it seems.
* Find simple ways to be kind to one another. Hardly anyone ever objects to that.
* Pray, pray, pray! There's a spiritual dimension to all of this, and a kind of warfare ongoing. Nasty energy flows through nasty words. God's protective armor needed.

Great essay via link below:
https://apnews.com/article/don...1c5211daf9ffd0f2ad05