Fete Lifestyle Magazine October 2020 - Best of Issue | Page 34

A previous week started with a frantic text from an old friend. A mutual acquaintance went on a racist and anti-Democrat rant on Facebook. While their families had been friends for decades, the original author saw no issue in repeating these hateful memes even when she called out his hypocrisy. This actually came as no surprise – I’d blocked this guy before - but the fact that he was so cruel to my friend and her family was shocking and disappointing.

I saw comments

from others I

recognized

in support

of this

ugliness,

and that,

too, was

unsettling.

Then

Trump refused

to disavow

white supremacy

in his surly and

churlish exchange

with Joe Biden in their

late September ‘debate.’

People I know and respect posted their disgust, especially in light of the President’s dog whistles to the far right, and many supporters came out of the woodwork to justify the Republican's record, which, they said, explained the tactics. The frustrating spiral of boorish rhetoric sucked me down, and the debate itself literally gave me nightmares of dysfunctional relationships past. I found myself unable to focus, almost unable to function.

After another nearly-sleepless night, I’d had enough. The weeds of hate choked out the light. It was time to get digging.

I got online and blocked, unfriended, unfollowed, unsubscribed. I took breaks from those I found

emotionally

exhausting

without

guilt. I

donated

what I could

to a select few

charities working

to win the country

back from this plague

of darkness and weak

moral character.

Finally, almost anti-climactically, I removed Facebook from my phone. Even though I know it’s for the best, this was a hard move. I had once enjoyed seeing friends and family and humor and news, but there was little joy to

be found as of late.