It has been more than a year since the presidential election, and the division continues.
Of course, this is nothing new. If you paid attention in history class, you know our politicians have had a lot to feud about for 250 years.
I am more worried about our family feuds. Some people just won’t give it up. There seems to be no middle ground. You're either “MAGA,” or a “lefty.”
Thanks (or no thanks) to social media, we are no longer in the dark about who Cousin Beauregard voted for. Back in the day, we never really cared. We only followed him to make sure he was still above ground, but now we must see his rants, his memes and his misinformation. Lucky us!
Sometimes you can just laugh it off, but what about the loved ones with whom you interact on a daily basis? According to some of the stories I am hearing, it might be wise to hire a personal food taster. The temperature has risen to such a degree, even Memaw may be seeking political revenge.
I never envisioned this level of weirdness, did you? People who have roamed the earth longer than me never reported any lingering hatred when Truman beat Dewey, or when Ike beat Adlai. Plus, back then we didn’t know that much about the candidates. The reporters knew which politicians were cheating on their wives, drinking too much, and engaging in dirty political deeds. They just wouldn’t tell us, until years later. Maybe what we didn’t know, really didn’t hurt us.
That was long before Facebook began fueling our anger, and before the cable “anger-tainment” channels discovered that raising their viewers' blood pressure enabled them to print money. Nowadays, if certain TV opinion hosts told their followers it was sunny and 95 outside on New Year's Day, they would smear on some sunscreen, and go skinny-dipping.
One young friend confided to me, “I’ve lost my mother.” That could mean any number of things, so I started asking questions. In this case, it was tied to politics.
He said, “She’s bought into everything. She thinks 9/11 was fake, that school shootings are staged, and that January 6th was just a bunch of tourists. Last night she told me she didn’t need me or my politics.” He was not joking, and then shared more details. “I help her keep track of her money, and I noticed she sent half her monthly check to (a well-known political figure who claims to be very wealthy.) I am the only one who can stop her, but she won’t listen.”
Another friend told me, “My brother and I were always close, and I thought he hung the moon. But I have lost some respect for him. It’s painful to constantly be at odds over politics. I sometimes stress over what we’ll talk about when we visit. I’ve never had to worry about that until now. These political differences are wearing me out.”
She continued, “Luckily, we have mutual respect that holds us together. I’m afraid that is not true for many families. I avoid making any political comments online because we don’t want to cause any further division. I wish they could develop a vaccine for this, but that wouldn't help, because now my brother is an anti-vaxxer.”
There is no cure, but I know one family that actually enjoyed their Christmas get-together. It was 100 percent politics-free. Their invitation stated, “Upon entering our home, you will notice a large punch bowl in the living room. Anyone who makes any mention of any political candidate (federal, state or local; past, present or future), political party, impeachment, the Epstein files, health care plan, immigration policy, inflation, tariffs, autopens, pardons, or any president from George Washington to Donald Trump, will have to deposit twenty dollars in the bowl. Your contribution will be sent to whichever candidate you despise the most. We hope to see you in your jolly holiday attire!”
The bowl remained empty, and a good time was had by all. Clip and save. You may want to try this during the 2026 holiday season.
David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.
