The Dinnertable is Not the Place for Politics

Over this Independence Day weekend I got to spend the weekend at a cookout at my Uncle and his wife's house.  Present were a friend of his wife's, who I had never met and who was very, very liberal politically.  Also present was a family member who, for lack of a better explanation, I don't get along with, don't respect and generally avoid.  Now, the lady was a leftist, a Clinton apologist and perhaps a bit naive, but so what?* My family member on the other hand, just couldn't resist politics, and the only reason I knew politics was being discussed is because I could hear him raising his voice at this woman, repeatedly.  Why?  Because she defended Hillary and that made you angry?

So what?  I'm not saying never have political discussions with those you're likely to disagree with.  Hardly, I think I learn from such discussions.  That said, there's a time and a place, and a holiday cookout isn't it, especially with someone you've just met when you know full well you're not going to see eye to eye.

If you are yelling at a person because they politely and calmly disagreed with you, you are wrong, full stop.  If I walk outside because of the commotion and you introduce me into this situation with "Mike is a libertarian, a gun owner and an NRA member" and then try to steer the "discussion" to guns, you're just being an ass.  As a dumbass 19 year old kid I may have taken that bait, but at 30 years old, there are things that are simply not appropriate, not worth my time, and just plain old unpleasant. I know how many of those discussions will go, and I could argue the anti-gun side better than the anti-gun leftist I'm talking with at this point.

*Not everyone you meet is your "enemy" just because they disagree with you politically.  I don't have any respect for a whole host of leftist political positions, but that doesn't make every person who holds one of those positions my "enemy" or evil etc., etc. Not every Leftist is Bill Ayers.  I do wonder though, given experience with other anti-gun liberals, how she'd have seen me if she knew I had a pistol on me while I was sitting across from her, drinking a beer and eating tasty meat.