I have a MAGA friend whom I considered sending this essay to - but she'd respond, I KNOW, with a diatribe telling me yet again how awful "dems" are and how deceived by "fake news" we are. It's just not worth the stress, I have alas decided. But on the other hand I had a decent discussion with a Trump supporter who owns the coffee shop I frequent. We agreed that the polarization and tribal nature and media have contributed to the mess we're in. But ultimately you are dead on right - it's how each of us chooses to react