Good morning, Digital Neighbors! Happy Monday. Here was the musing happening in the early hours yesterday when my post went in a direction that wasn’t fit for a day of gratitude. It became a rumination on the last 25 years of engagement and use of the internet. The quote that sparked this TL;DR post was one of my favorite ones from Thomas Jefferson:

"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend."

I am a fan of taking reality as it comes at you. I have never seen faith as an escape from reality, but rather the courage to try to see things as clearly as possible. Illumination does not often reveal a pretty picture; rather, one sees the mess first before seeing the means to address it. For those afraid to look at the mess, let alone contemplate how to address it, settling for comfortable lies is good enough. I spent the better part of a year preaching on that topic once a month. We have to desire the truths that free us rather than the lies that please or comfort us. To be informed and engaged—more aware and responsive—is part of mature discipleship, adult life, and active citizenry.

In the early 2000s, I was already exhausted with the narrative of the MSM. At that time, my recourse for alternative information and non-narrative news was Drudge Report and Instapundit. Ace of Spades, Pajamas Media, and Breitbart would join them in the mid-to-late 2000s as newfound sources of alternative information. Back then, the political and cultural news was less toxic and divisive—or at least it seemed so. There might be strong disagreements, but there seemed to be less outright hatred or rage. Cancellation—aborting your career, social freedom, or private life—wasn’t implemented yet, but it was coming. The Left has an unmatched fervor for abortion in all its forms.

I can’t partake as freely of the news as I used to because it has become so wearisome and draining. I’d prefer to know less, but I also know that being neutral and peaceful is determined by your neighbors, not your intentions. Even as I say this, I know I consume and focus on it much more than the average (whatever that means) person out there. I am sure everyone has their preferred balance. Many more people are prone to the mindless distractions of the internet rather than political and cultural issues.

I was not enthralled with the Obama years. While I was hopeful that we might mend the racial divides within our nation, the opposite happened. America became more divided and stopped celebrating the proverbial melting pot, replacing it with grievance ranking and the disenfranchisement lottery for any who could fill out the checkmarks of victimization or historical oppression. I don’t blame Obama for this transformation; I blame him for emboldening it enough to force its way into public life instead of the confines of academia. I guess it would have found its way into public discourse no matter what, but it may not have corrupted policy and discourse like it has if it didn’t have endorsement from on high. I don’t know.

I joined Rubin Report because I wanted a place where I was free to question, critique, or disagree with the anti-Trump narrative in 2019—and then, of course, it went into steroid mode in 2020 with Covid-mania and all its malicious lunacy. I still hold an immense grudge against that year and how it further divided and warped the American mind. It is hard to forgive people who exploit fear to compel compliance or foster division. When the embers of resentment start to smolder or I get exhausted from the news cycle, I go back to prayer, take a drive with the dog, play with the cats, or listen to music.

The Coffee Talks, Speakeasies, Tea Times, and Schmoozes we host on TEAMS at Padre’s offer a place of connection. More than anything, it was meant to provide a more personal connection—hearing a human voice and occasionally seeing a human face. The personal has always mattered to me. ZOOM and then TEAMS have been both a sounding board for concerns, grievances, and rants about the narrative as well as an escape from it when we talk about more mundane or personal things. The vibe from the beginning has been: no set topics—always invited, never expected.

"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend." Or discovering a new friend. Have a great day, digital neighbors!