I’m pretty consistently politically center-left on everything except abortion and gender ideology. My boyfriend, who’s more of an unofficial fiancé at this point, is politically center-right. With young men more conservative than young women, I realized when I was looking to date, if I was to find a guy who believed in marriage and family and was open to the faith, he’d inevitably be more politically conservative than me. He was an agnostic when we started dating, and he now identifies as Christian and is a church going Eastern Catholic catechumen. We both care a lot more that the other has a well formed conscience and thinks critically before voting than who the other votes for. I automatically throw all political mail in the recycling and paid for YouTube premium so I can do my workout videos without the same annoying political ads. 2020 killed all my social media accounts, and I never want to go back. I’ve found when I meet someone in a coffee shop, the first thing I learn is that the person is usually a normal decent human being. It’s only after we form a relationship that I learn the person has obnoxious political opinions, but by then I already know the person is a normal decent human being. Social media makes us know the obnoxious political opinions before we recognize the person behind the screen.
Interestingly though, the actual Benedictines I know best (both men and women) who do keep death daily before their eyes better than almost anyone I know—they are extremely concerned with this election because they know it can result in literal life and death for so many in this country. Both in the impact of the policies that whichever president would enact and in the potential political violence that could come in the following days/weeks/months. So I think it’s precisely because we Catholics have a strong theology of suffering and death that we are called to care for (and dare I say, vote on behalf of) the least among us that Christ identifies with.
I have to be honest: I just don't super buy that Kamala v. Donald is resulting in "literal life and death for so many in this country". Happy to be proven wrong. The people I know who are feet-on-the-ground with the poor in our area have told me that things changed preeeetty much zero over the past four/five presidencies in terms of how they were able to function, and I recently listened to a podcast that said the same thing. People will say that both Donald's and Kamala's abortion/immigration/war politics will save lives, depending on how you're looking at the situation. This argument can be made in either direction. Just my two cents. I also said repeatedly that it does matter, and that you should vote.
*Full disclosure, became a paid subscriber (again) to leave this comment. But I plan to stick around ;-)
I would consider my household to be fairly "feet on the ground." I serve as a chaplain at our region's level one trauma center and at a youth mental health facility; my husband is a judicial clerk in our county and served as an ADA during peak COVID for a neighboring county across state lines. I don't know what areas/issues the people you mention work in, but I (we) heartily disagree. A quick look at the life expectancy data by state says a lot (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/life_expectancy/life_expectancy.htm). Particular issues of disparity in terms of impact and ethic of life include healthcare (especially the ups and downs of the ACA and who gets insured and with what quality of insurance), gun control (as much for the alarming rate of suicide among older white males as for mass shootings), and the systematic demolition of individual and family rights by the Supreme Court (and no, I'm not just talking about Dobbs. See Janus v. AFSCME, Starbucks v. McKinney, Snyder v. United States, Dept of State v. Munoz). My husband insists I include the distinction between MN and WI (hey, neighbor!) in the way courts are treating folks who are mentally ill. MN is one of the more progressive states in the nation when it comes to handling mental competency - connecting folks to services, housing, food, disability, medical care (MN Statute 611.42). Wisconsin's legislature is fixated on increasing bail requirements without regard for competency or context. Oh, the number of times he came home from his former job losing his mind over the recidivism, once in a single day because a woman was trying to get arrested so that she'd have a warm place to sleep... That said, I know this kind of debate is exactly what you're just done with, and I can sympathize with that.
I'm not much on the 'gram these days, but just before one of the debates I saw a video collection of past presidential debates, including up to Obama vs. Romney. It was legit startling to see the civility and the number of times they said, "I agree with my opponent..." I would love to see more of that, some sense that we can be decent, dignified human beings who disagree about policy but hope that we are all working for the Common Good.
AND in addition to flipping tables, Jesus also warned that he, "came not to bring peace, but a sword." (Mt. 10:34). I don't want my legacy to be writing people off for disagreeing with me (which is what it sounds like you're calling out?), but if I could be a little like my great-grandmother who marched from the altar out into the streets for women's votes and to end child labor in London in the early 1900's, I will have lived in a way that prepared me for a good death.
PS I see in you someone who is engaging in good faith and with whom I agree and disagree about plenty! Wish I had more people like you in my day to day circle. Also, sorry in advance if I become "that person" in your comments.
PPS Thank you for the Ann Lamott recommendation a few weeks back. Bird by Bird may be changing my life.
Right, but my point is that you just named a lot of state issues, correct? That’s sort of exactly my point. I don’t know—everyone will have different experiences that lead them to different conclusions, surely. Thanks for sharing yours—it was very informative! And I’m SO GLAD about Bird by Bird—I’ve probably read it 5-6 times!!!
I think just one was truly state-oriented. ACA and the Supreme Court decisions are very much federal examples where the next president will have sway. Depending on who is elected, likely 2 or 3 SC appointments could occur in the next 4 years. Fmr president Trump did everything in his power to undo the ACA and in the end crippled/bankrupted it as much as he could. Federal gun control is somewhat stuck until we see federal action, which won’t happen without the support of the president. Til then, we have cities like Chicago being flooded with guns from states like Indiana. Not to mention countries like Haiti being flooded with weapons manufactured in the U.S. (I didn’t get into foreign policy because, with the exception of Haiti where I lived for 3 years, I don’t feel I know enough to comment. But lives are certainly at stake around the world, too). I offered the state-level example of courts treatment of mental competency as an example of how impactful policy really is. Again, I think the life expectancy data speaks to this.
Also, fun fact about me, I was a very active Republican until the rise of Trump. I really bought into republicans as the party of subsidiarity, but what I found at caucuses and as a delegate to my state conventions was people who literally did not want to pay any taxes and a rising extreme xenophobia. If the tide turns toward being solutions-oriented rather than obstructionist, I’d be willing to listen again.
So I deactivated Twitter, Threads and Facebook a few weeks ago. (I had to keep Instagram, guilty pleasure) and I will say it’s made my life a bit better. I was getting to caught up in this election craziness and hating on people who didn’t even know I was hating on them. I agree in the grand scheme of things the election is a blip in my life. Honestly not much will change fir me. But I do worry about those faces we see in the Beatitudes… it might be more than a big deal for them. I’m hopeful that we can come together after this is over. Prayers to Our Lady!
This piece was very timely to read personally as someone who has been going through a breakup this past month that was initiated by him largely due to political differences. I’ve been ruminating a lot lately on how much we should actually weigh these nuanced political differences and why it seems a life rooted in Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church isn’t enough common ground anymore for some. This essay helped to give some much needed perspective on what truly matters, especially as I try to strike the important balance in responsible political engagement. Thanks, Claire!
💯 Love this post, it’s all about keeping the right perspective. And by “right” I mean the perspective that affirms your humanity and gives it the best chance to flourish. Keeping death in mind is a great way to do that. I also think of the phrase “is this a hill to die on?”. There are a lot of pitfalls when it comes to American political culture. I consume a lot of news because I truly enjoy politics 🙈🙈🙈 but I’ve learned not to share it, especially online. I might send great podcasts to a few friends. But I’d prefer to talk in person. You actually don’t have to project everything online. I truly think a majority of people would be much happier if they tuned out the news cycle and social media (which I prefer to call antisocial propaganda).
Lexi I love how you put it, “is this a hill to die on” so many times I tell my kids I just can’t take on “that cause.” If I get bogged down in everything I would not leave my room. And I agree I would rather talk to you face to face vs. stuff on social media. It never comes across the way you think it does and then you end up alienating people.
This post really spoke to me this morning, coming as it did shortly after several other posts that… didn’t… (particularly the onslaught of Notes from one particular writer re: Ancient Greek history. I don’t know where he came from and wondered if he stayed up all night posting his essays all at once. I had to mute him. But I digress.)
I’m so tired of all the politics and as much as I’m grateful that Election Day is in a week, I know it will get worse then, no matter the outcome…
I don't know, do you think it will? I was hoping it would cool down a tad. But maybe that's me living in Lala land! I have a third class of Faustina in a rosary. 💀
I’m pretty consistently politically center-left on everything except abortion and gender ideology. My boyfriend, who’s more of an unofficial fiancé at this point, is politically center-right. With young men more conservative than young women, I realized when I was looking to date, if I was to find a guy who believed in marriage and family and was open to the faith, he’d inevitably be more politically conservative than me. He was an agnostic when we started dating, and he now identifies as Christian and is a church going Eastern Catholic catechumen. We both care a lot more that the other has a well formed conscience and thinks critically before voting than who the other votes for. I automatically throw all political mail in the recycling and paid for YouTube premium so I can do my workout videos without the same annoying political ads. 2020 killed all my social media accounts, and I never want to go back. I’ve found when I meet someone in a coffee shop, the first thing I learn is that the person is usually a normal decent human being. It’s only after we form a relationship that I learn the person has obnoxious political opinions, but by then I already know the person is a normal decent human being. Social media makes us know the obnoxious political opinions before we recognize the person behind the screen.
Interestingly though, the actual Benedictines I know best (both men and women) who do keep death daily before their eyes better than almost anyone I know—they are extremely concerned with this election because they know it can result in literal life and death for so many in this country. Both in the impact of the policies that whichever president would enact and in the potential political violence that could come in the following days/weeks/months. So I think it’s precisely because we Catholics have a strong theology of suffering and death that we are called to care for (and dare I say, vote on behalf of) the least among us that Christ identifies with.
I have to be honest: I just don't super buy that Kamala v. Donald is resulting in "literal life and death for so many in this country". Happy to be proven wrong. The people I know who are feet-on-the-ground with the poor in our area have told me that things changed preeeetty much zero over the past four/five presidencies in terms of how they were able to function, and I recently listened to a podcast that said the same thing. People will say that both Donald's and Kamala's abortion/immigration/war politics will save lives, depending on how you're looking at the situation. This argument can be made in either direction. Just my two cents. I also said repeatedly that it does matter, and that you should vote.
*Full disclosure, became a paid subscriber (again) to leave this comment. But I plan to stick around ;-)
I would consider my household to be fairly "feet on the ground." I serve as a chaplain at our region's level one trauma center and at a youth mental health facility; my husband is a judicial clerk in our county and served as an ADA during peak COVID for a neighboring county across state lines. I don't know what areas/issues the people you mention work in, but I (we) heartily disagree. A quick look at the life expectancy data by state says a lot (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/life_expectancy/life_expectancy.htm). Particular issues of disparity in terms of impact and ethic of life include healthcare (especially the ups and downs of the ACA and who gets insured and with what quality of insurance), gun control (as much for the alarming rate of suicide among older white males as for mass shootings), and the systematic demolition of individual and family rights by the Supreme Court (and no, I'm not just talking about Dobbs. See Janus v. AFSCME, Starbucks v. McKinney, Snyder v. United States, Dept of State v. Munoz). My husband insists I include the distinction between MN and WI (hey, neighbor!) in the way courts are treating folks who are mentally ill. MN is one of the more progressive states in the nation when it comes to handling mental competency - connecting folks to services, housing, food, disability, medical care (MN Statute 611.42). Wisconsin's legislature is fixated on increasing bail requirements without regard for competency or context. Oh, the number of times he came home from his former job losing his mind over the recidivism, once in a single day because a woman was trying to get arrested so that she'd have a warm place to sleep... That said, I know this kind of debate is exactly what you're just done with, and I can sympathize with that.
I'm not much on the 'gram these days, but just before one of the debates I saw a video collection of past presidential debates, including up to Obama vs. Romney. It was legit startling to see the civility and the number of times they said, "I agree with my opponent..." I would love to see more of that, some sense that we can be decent, dignified human beings who disagree about policy but hope that we are all working for the Common Good.
AND in addition to flipping tables, Jesus also warned that he, "came not to bring peace, but a sword." (Mt. 10:34). I don't want my legacy to be writing people off for disagreeing with me (which is what it sounds like you're calling out?), but if I could be a little like my great-grandmother who marched from the altar out into the streets for women's votes and to end child labor in London in the early 1900's, I will have lived in a way that prepared me for a good death.
PS I see in you someone who is engaging in good faith and with whom I agree and disagree about plenty! Wish I had more people like you in my day to day circle. Also, sorry in advance if I become "that person" in your comments.
PPS Thank you for the Ann Lamott recommendation a few weeks back. Bird by Bird may be changing my life.
Right, but my point is that you just named a lot of state issues, correct? That’s sort of exactly my point. I don’t know—everyone will have different experiences that lead them to different conclusions, surely. Thanks for sharing yours—it was very informative! And I’m SO GLAD about Bird by Bird—I’ve probably read it 5-6 times!!!
I think just one was truly state-oriented. ACA and the Supreme Court decisions are very much federal examples where the next president will have sway. Depending on who is elected, likely 2 or 3 SC appointments could occur in the next 4 years. Fmr president Trump did everything in his power to undo the ACA and in the end crippled/bankrupted it as much as he could. Federal gun control is somewhat stuck until we see federal action, which won’t happen without the support of the president. Til then, we have cities like Chicago being flooded with guns from states like Indiana. Not to mention countries like Haiti being flooded with weapons manufactured in the U.S. (I didn’t get into foreign policy because, with the exception of Haiti where I lived for 3 years, I don’t feel I know enough to comment. But lives are certainly at stake around the world, too). I offered the state-level example of courts treatment of mental competency as an example of how impactful policy really is. Again, I think the life expectancy data speaks to this.
Also, fun fact about me, I was a very active Republican until the rise of Trump. I really bought into republicans as the party of subsidiarity, but what I found at caucuses and as a delegate to my state conventions was people who literally did not want to pay any taxes and a rising extreme xenophobia. If the tide turns toward being solutions-oriented rather than obstructionist, I’d be willing to listen again.
So I deactivated Twitter, Threads and Facebook a few weeks ago. (I had to keep Instagram, guilty pleasure) and I will say it’s made my life a bit better. I was getting to caught up in this election craziness and hating on people who didn’t even know I was hating on them. I agree in the grand scheme of things the election is a blip in my life. Honestly not much will change fir me. But I do worry about those faces we see in the Beatitudes… it might be more than a big deal for them. I’m hopeful that we can come together after this is over. Prayers to Our Lady!
Mary, help us! We are a mess, Mama!!!
This piece was very timely to read personally as someone who has been going through a breakup this past month that was initiated by him largely due to political differences. I’ve been ruminating a lot lately on how much we should actually weigh these nuanced political differences and why it seems a life rooted in Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church isn’t enough common ground anymore for some. This essay helped to give some much needed perspective on what truly matters, especially as I try to strike the important balance in responsible political engagement. Thanks, Claire!
It is an important balance--we're all trying our best to figure it out!
💯 Love this post, it’s all about keeping the right perspective. And by “right” I mean the perspective that affirms your humanity and gives it the best chance to flourish. Keeping death in mind is a great way to do that. I also think of the phrase “is this a hill to die on?”. There are a lot of pitfalls when it comes to American political culture. I consume a lot of news because I truly enjoy politics 🙈🙈🙈 but I’ve learned not to share it, especially online. I might send great podcasts to a few friends. But I’d prefer to talk in person. You actually don’t have to project everything online. I truly think a majority of people would be much happier if they tuned out the news cycle and social media (which I prefer to call antisocial propaganda).
Lexi I love how you put it, “is this a hill to die on” so many times I tell my kids I just can’t take on “that cause.” If I get bogged down in everything I would not leave my room. And I agree I would rather talk to you face to face vs. stuff on social media. It never comes across the way you think it does and then you end up alienating people.
This post really spoke to me this morning, coming as it did shortly after several other posts that… didn’t… (particularly the onslaught of Notes from one particular writer re: Ancient Greek history. I don’t know where he came from and wondered if he stayed up all night posting his essays all at once. I had to mute him. But I digress.)
I’m so tired of all the politics and as much as I’m grateful that Election Day is in a week, I know it will get worse then, no matter the outcome…
I’ve never been good with liminality.
What relic do you carry?
I don't know, do you think it will? I was hoping it would cool down a tad. But maybe that's me living in Lala land! I have a third class of Faustina in a rosary. 💀