EDITORIAL: Politics at Thanksgiving? Absolutely

We’ve all heard it before: No politics at Thanksgiving.

Those of us with strong political opinions and large families often come under this piece of social instruction around this time of year, when Trumpers and the #Resistance often share table space.

Granted, it can get pretty uncomfortable when you’re trying to explain marginal tax brackets to your cousin, or convince your grandfather that people on public assistance don’t eat steak every night, or describe to a great-aunt the nuances of the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

But we’re here to say: Do it! Wade right in there and start swinging with facts.

In case you haven’t noticed, the world is on fire — literally! The blazes ripping through southern Australia have pretty much wiped out the koalas. Here in the United States, Congress has put in motion for just the third time in history the mechanism to remove a sitting president — though that’s only because Nixon resigned.

We need dialogue more than ever right now, and not just in the echo chambers of our own camps.

Instead of avoiding political discussion, prep for it. Bookmark reputable news articles on your phone and keep a tab open on Snopes. Have pointed questions for the relatives with which you most often disagree, something like: How come all the people smearing the testimony against Trump won’t testify themselves?

It’s clear that the country is sharply divided, and that basic facts are not getting through to many, many regular Americans, who are, after all, the ultimate custodians of this republic. And it’s nigh time we hashed it all out.

Be ready to burst stereotypes, call out racism, gently correct gender-loaded language. Prepare yourself to do a lot of listening, and be ready with the pushback. But try not to be such a dick about it. It is Thanksgiving.