Don's Tuesday Column for this week (last week's posted at 6 AM)

THE WAY I SEE IT by Don Polson       Red Bluff Daily News 9/24/2024

         Friendships strained over politics

Readers may have missed this column last Tuesday. I thought it got lost over last minute changes sent in about the Republican headquarters’ opening and hours—make a note that the former Ramsey Jewelers spot at 748 Main Street is our location. Hours are targeted at noon until early evening, staffing permitting, and there will be election materials, voter registration forms (priority one for any unregistered, qualified citizen), and the camaraderie that goes with having shared values, beliefs and political priorities.

Regarding staffing, it will only be open if folks fill in the time slots. Stop by for available hours.

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However, regarding that missing column. It was posted at my blog, Donpolson.blogspot.com last Tuesday as usual, and is there as of 6 AM today so you can see what the issue was. The title focused on friendships that have been negatively impacted by political differences, even animosities (none of which came from us towards said friends and relatives). Our personal experiences, like our travels, are our “local” issues, which some readers probably share in their lives.

What “triggered” the “spiking” or canceling of that column was simple: I used the “T-word” several times, referring to a presidential candidate whose first name is the same as mine. My little anecdote about how toilet paper in many forest service campgrounds is so thin you can read bold type through it, and our “relief” over returning to two-ply paper and flush toilets, was acceptable.

In sum, one friend took to posting anti-(T-word) garbage on her social media; a relative posted “(T-word) is the Antichrist,” both of which prompted canceling social media interactions. One friend of decades long relationship launched, in a call he initiated last summer, into a harangue and diatribe, attacking (T-word) in the most vile terms, after which we “ghosted” him until he offered an apology for his language.

Then, this summer, when we were catching up on each other’s activities, we simply mentioned having enough bandwidth to watch a (T-word) rally while camping. The nonstop, angry, vituperation left no gaps for even a mild rebuttal, as digital phone conversations don’t go two ways until someone stops talking. I found myself wanting to say that his arguments, as well as his media sources that feed his “(T-word) Derangement Syndrome” are “bovine excrement.” We’ll see if he’s calmed down next summer.

Having read of another columnist’s information sources, and the pattern (which I share) of skimming articles to get the gist, and delving deeper if more detail is desired, I have a respectful suggestion. It appeared that the news sources all leaned in a center-left direction; it’s an easy enough habit as I find my sources are all right-leaning.

My suggestion is for that columnist, as well as readers in general, to bookmark “Donpolson.blogspot.com” and take the 5 or so minutes a couple times a day to get what may not find its way into your awareness from the so-called “mainstream news media.” They invariably follow the New York Times/Washington Post/LA Times/network/cable conventional “wisdom.” It’s an “echo chamber,” which if ingested often and long enough becomes your own supposedly self-inspired thought.

Recent blog posts: “Top Border Patrol Agent Reveals Biden-Harris Told Him To Hide Number Of Terrorists Crossing Border—The administration was trying to convince the public there was no threat at the border"; “A Disturbing Number of Democrats Think America Would Be Better Off If Trump Were Assassinated.” Also, “Dems’ apocalyptic rhetoric about Trump only increased after first assassination attempt.”

Posted Monday: “Can Harris's Cynical, Run-Out-The Clock Campaign Succeed?”; “Learning the Wrong Lessons From History: The Lasting Legacy of Barack Obama”; and “THUD: Mich. Dems Rush to Rashida Tlaib's Defense Against a Cartoon, Trip Hard Over Reality.”

My blog is a good place to go to round out your “menu” of news, opinion and analysis. At least, it can challenge your perspective as a Democrat or “progressive,” putting your beliefs to the test.

Catching up on state doings: “Powerless in California” delves into the sketchy supply of electricity due to intentional policies de-emphasizing sufficient, reliable power sources. “The only things ‘renewable’ about energy generation in California are the supply of lies and the suffering being imposed on Californians.

“Problems with the power grid in the state have been getting worse for years as Gavin Newsom and the Democrats keep pushing to electrify everything while simultaneously replacing reliable nuclear and fossil fuel electricity generation with so-called ‘renewable’ energy.” A recent concert at the Hollywood Bowl, where we shared wine and music in the 80s, was canceled due to insufficient power to keep the lights on.

Coming up: We can know how anti-2nd Amendment Kamala Harris is from her record in California. We can know how anti-First Amendment Gavin Newsom is by the law he just signed outlawing political parody ads. We can know how “soft on crime” Harris is by this: “Rapist Set to Walk Free Thanks to Kamala Harris’ Reform Law.” More next week.