This year, welcome the elephant in the room to join in the holiday festivities | Opinion
Never has the elephant seemed so apt as the symbol of the Republican Party. After all, the extreme fringe of the party has been the “elephant in the room” — never to be acknowledged in polite conversation — at so many family gatherings in recent years.
This holiday season could be different.
As warmongering, the Epstein cover-up, cruelty, deception, illegal tariffs, corruption, apparent war crimes and murders on the high seas, violence and the utter chaos of the Trump administration continue, prepare to hear things from Republican friends and family you may not have heard before. You might hear someone say, “I did not vote for this” or “insane” or “I can’t hold my head up anymore.”
This is even more likely as we continue to experience, first-hand, the local effects of Trump’s increasingly unpopular policies. When Trump refused to fund SNAP, the community meal served by one church on Thursday nights saw an immediate increase, nearly double, in the number of people who needed dinner. Farmers, lumber mills, and bourbon distilleries saw their healthy markets swept away from them with the stroke of a tariff pen. Everyone buying groceries feels the effects of Trump’s policies every time they shop.
Even when a partial or temporary fix appears, no one can count on it as being predictable enough or lasting long enough to inform business or personal planning. Uncertainty clouds every decision. For any of these reasons, you may hear Republican friends say out loud for the first time, “It has gone too far.”
I know, because I am already hearing it.
The polite rule against discussing “race, religion, or politics” at a dinner party still seems like a good one, especially with extended family. No matter how much you disagree, you will still be family, with a long future together and important things in common, including relatives. No purpose is served by straining family relations that (unlike friendships) cannot be changed.
But as Chairman Mao said, “a revolution is not a dinner party.” And as the Republican revolt against Trump gathers steam, we may find ourselves drawn into conversations we do not start.
When that happens, we can be ready to welcome those overtures. Instead of saying, “I tried to warn you!” we can remember that we have all been bamboozled, deceived and betrayed at different times. We can be ready to say, with enthusiasm, “People of good will can always find common ground to work in good faith for the good of our country.” If they want to meet for lunch or coffee after the holidays to find concrete ways to move forward together, all the better. If they simply want to be heard, we can accept that gesture of good will.
If you find that the elephant in your room seems to be larger than ever, you need not say anything or start any conversation. Just listen carefully. If the elephant is starting to shed its fringe, be prepared to invite the elephant to feel welcome, join the celebration, and share the holiday blessings in the spirit of the season.
Anne Chesnut is a Lexington attorney, churchgoer, book club member and former Girl Scout.