I rotate my morning Panera Bread reading sessions among four different locations. Yes, in an unsuccessful attempt to not appear to be a loitering loser with no better place to hang out at. Still, this affords me the opportunity to encounter the same small groups of typically older folks getting together to chew the fat, and yes, indulge in what surely sounds like typical sheep bleating from Trumpistan. These last two days, women took great delight in describing Kamala's "cackling". Me thinks there's a video in their media sewer that's offering up this description. I say a video because I can't image these folks bother to read. Many times, I've asked myself if it's worth it to engage with these people. I have at the ready a litany of Trump's horrors, from repeated calls to violence, to the sexual assaults, the 35,000 or so lies, the Big Lie, the related insurrection, and the watching it all for three hours! Obviously, the list is much, much lengthier, and we all know it by heart. So what to do?

I've thought about avoiding the politics and simply asking if they value truth? If they answer in the affirmative, I would ask if they seek out opinions contrary to the ones they hold. Do they honestly grapple with the nuances of them? Do they understand that we all have cognitive biases that impede our search for what is real?  Do they attempt to cooly use reason as they evaluate the related evidence? And if they don't, I'd ask why not? I'd ask if there is anything that would change their minds? Have they in fact ever changed their minds, and if so, would they feel comfortable in expressing the new opinion within a group that doesn't hold it? What do you fear? I know what you are thinking as you shake your head, truly I do. Why bother Peter T. ? And you are probably right but I wonder, is there an opportunity to plant a small seed of doubt that might sprout? That might in the future have them question ANYTHING? If you have a pithy suggestion, one that will stick in their alleged minds, please serve it up. As it now stands, I typically move my seat because I just can't concentrate on my reading.

I have actually thought of having at my disposal a Flowchart For The Truth that's easy to read and follow. A one-page step-by-step roadmap that I could distribute and dare them to employ. I know, ridiculous! I guess it's my 20 years in the classroom!

Peter T.