jchandle writes

  I think I’m going to start blogging again. For me, not really for anyone else. Though I don’t know. That’s probably not true. I like when people read and engage with what I write. But I also find writing out my thoughts very therapeutic. Cathartic. The possibility of an audience is part of that–it’s a huge relief to feel like what I’ve been thinking is echoed in the minds of others. It makes me feel un-alone. But I don’t want to be the kind of person driven by the validation of others.  I also don’t want to pick fights–as much as I love a good fight. I’m tired of it. And I’m tired of the dance we all do on social media, pretending that we’re not fighting. We are fighting big time. It’s an election year. It’s what we do.  NOW IS NOT THE MOST DIVIDED THE COUNTRY HAS EVER BEEN.  I just have to say that because it’s at this point in the discussion about the state of online discourse, especially American online discourse, when I’m supposed to complain about how divided we are. But America

  I can, in good conscience, vote for politicians in the Democratic party, even though, in general, they support policies that allow access to elective abortion, which is contrary to the teachings of my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I saw a facebook post from a friend saying the opposite, and my first thought was to respond, “Where?” Show me where church doctrine indicates that abortion should be banned. It doesn’t! Even though the church teaches that elective abortion is wrong, it doesn’t advocate for policy on the matter, and church members who intend to vote Republican shouldn’t hide behind the church we share to justify their support for Donald Trump and the policy agenda of the Republican party.  But I don’t want to fight anybody. In fact, I don’t want to focus on the issue of abortion at all, and I’m annoyed at how much emphasis both parties currently place on it. Even though I generally agree that abortion should be legally available, I kind of cringe