Judging by the most committed left-leaning acquaintances of mine, divisiveness is a noble thing now. So is constant, focused, unrelenting anger.

To hate just the right people is the highest of aspirations. But to focus one’s hate on one or two people does not satisfy. One must hate approximately half of the country.

Do I need to explain?

Maybe some of you don’t have old friends who were once rational, warm and pleasant  who have become devoted to social media trolling, spreading the gospel of Everyone Who Can Be Remotely Associated With Trump Should Be Silenced And Rendered Powerless. They go looking for fake news items which are as extreme as possible in order to be outraged at them. They will even misrepresent themselves and claim to be Republicans or Christians distancing themselves from Trumpism.

And distancing themselves from loving personal relationships over their loved one’s non-conformity. It is precisely as though they have joined a cult.

But it’s not enough to focus the rage on Trump and his associates. Let me quote:

He should have asked for calm at least a year ago but we know that would not have helped him excite the racists and bigots and just plain ignorant people to his cause.

I’ve lost an old friend and now a family member is shunning me. Several abject apologies later, I am still unforgiven. And I didn’t even support Trump. I never, ever made personal criticisms; I always discussed issues. For instance, I never criticized President Obama personally, but registered objections at his policies. You’ll have to take my word that I kept personal relationship in mind when arguing over social media. I chose my issues and my words carefully. I did not burn bridges.

My offenses are that I am not sufficiently in breathless support and unquestioning agreement with all things left, Hillary whitewashing and Planned Parenthood’s version of abortion-on-demand in particular.

It’s a sad time.