Once upon a time in America, when two people got together and discussed their political beliefs, there was a real chance that one or both of them might change their mind about something after listening to a different perspective. There was once a time when telling the truth mattered and “alternate facts” were simply called lies. Not long ago, people could debate important issues without vilifying those with whom they disagreed. However, in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, it is painfully clear that the age of civility in politics has officially ended.
The Age of Trumpism is upon us.
In the days after my latest column, entitled “Make America Kind Again”, was published in last week’s Journal, I was reminded of just how uninterested some of Trump’s followers are in treating Democrats like me with kindness. Over the last few months, I have snoozed, unfollowed, unfriended, and blocked more people on Facebook than I can count due to the overwhelming amount of animosity directed at me and people who share my beliefs. When that negativity became too much to bear last week, I finally did what I had been contemplating for a long time; I quit Facebook.
(And no, I did not switch to Parler.com, which is like Facebook but without a hate speech filter.)
The move was long overdue. I have wasted hours, days, weeks, and months of my life living vicariously through Facebook instead of living out loud in the real world where I belong. Facebook became an addiction, and after I quit drinking nearly four years ago, my dependence on Facebook became nearly as unhealthy as my dependence on alcohol.
For the longest time, my ego prevented me from deactivating my Facebook account. I was convinced that my Facebook friends’ lives would be irreparably harmed without a daily dose of Travis Naughton. I also believed that my writing career and sales of my books would be negatively impacted by abandoning social media. Then I remembered that I’m already not making any money as a writer. Dropping Facebook can’t make that situation any worse.
I do still have an Instagram account and a blog, so I’m not reverting entirely to the Stone Age. Instagram is mostly artsy photos and fun videos, and my blog is an outlet for my writing. Until politicians and their followers figure out how to ruin them, I’ll continue to use them to maintain an online presence—just in case I write the Great American Novel and need a way to promote it.
As a person who battles addiction, I have to be proactive in avoiding things that can become detrimental to my mental and physical health. Alcohol and Facebook both certainly fall into that category. Yes, they can be fun at times, but I know they aren’t good for me.
Just because I won’t be getting pulled into any more political arguments online doesn’t mean I’ll stop speaking up when I see injustices taking place or when I feel strongly about expressing my opinions about the current state of affairs in the world, in America, and here in Southern Boone County. In addition to politics, you can count on me to continue writing about adoption, parenting, teaching, baseball, and hot rods—and my smokin’ hot wife—on Page 4 of the Boone County Journal.
I do not expect you to agree with everything I write, nor do I expect to change your mind about those things on which we disagree. I do hope, sincerely, that you will see that the man writing this column each week is not just a liberal Democrat, but also a husband, a father, a grandfather, a kindergarten teacher, a classic car enthusiast, a Cardinals fan, and a patriot.
Make no mistake, just because my political leanings may differ from yours does not mean that I love my country any less than you do. Maybe if we could all keep that in mind, then Facebook could go back to being a place to post pictures of our grandkids again.
Until then, I’ll see you on Page 4.
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