The last Thursday of November is fast approaching which means it’s almost time to gather around the dinner table, carve a bird someone almost ruined in the oven and try to avoid talking about religion and politics with the people you’re contractually obligated to tolerate.
Most people prefer to take the easy road, keep the peace, talk about the weather, tell their relatives how school is going six or seven times and then go on a walk with their cousins.
Instead of avoiding conflict, we should be embracing it.
Avoiding conflict is for cowards. The whole “don’t talk politics at the dinner table” mantra is for those who are too scared to admit they can’t defend their beliefs. If one of your family members can repost every conspiracy theory they see on Facebook, they can endure a five minute line of questioning about where they get their information.
Besides, avoidance doesn’t prevent conflict, it just pushes it to a later date when you’re all talking behind each other’s backs. You might as well clear the air while you’re all together.
Some of your family members need to be dragged. Politely, of course. It’s your moral duty. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to offer insights your family wouldn’t normally hear in their echo chamber.
They’ll probably never agree with you when you bring up systematic inequality or separation of church and state, but at least they heard it and are now forced to think about it on the ride home. The first step towards true activism is having hard conversations with your loved ones.
“But what if someone’s feelings get hurt?” Well, your feelings got hurt as soon as your cousin showed up with a smug look on his face and an opinion on everything. If he can’t handle a discussion about how Joe Rogan might be a loser, maybe it’s time he learned some coping skills. You’re just helping him grow as a person.
This also might be good for you too. Your family’s political views might frustrate you, but how much do you really understand about why they hold these certain beliefs? How long has it been since you’ve gotten to brush up on your debate skills?
The pilgrims and Native Americans probably weren’t arguing about whether the Earth is 6000 years old, but Thanksgiving has always been about bringing people with wildly different beliefs together to sit around a meal. Talking about those differences just carries on the spirit of the holiday.
Categories: Opinion
Defining family as “the people you’re contractually obligated to tolerate” is interesting. You have done an excellent job of redefining Thanksgiving as a time to embrace division instead of embracing our differences and enjoying one another’s company. Its good to know that the people spreading the news across our wonderful campus are so optimistic! The Herald is always a place I can go when I’m in a good mood to bring me back down to the ground. Thanks.