Renee Good’s killing proves we no longer share the same common reality | Opinion

A flood. A tsunami. The events of the last year have felt like a tidal wave of chaos, making it difficult to see beyond individual moments to the larger, more important picture. I get it. It sometimes feels impossible not to linger on the absurdity, the cruelty, the open contempt for our Constitution, every single time.

This is intentional. Chaos is the entire point. But we cannot stay there — not only because it’s terrible for our health, and it doesn’t do much good anyway — but because clarity requires distance. We must do this in order to have any chance of reclaiming what has already been lost, or preventing what may be coming.

We’ve already had a glimpse of what’s coming. The killing of Renee Good, a recent Kansas City resident, hits closer to home. An unimaginable tragedy for her friends and family was made even more painful by the national spotlight and the rapid politicization of her death. We are asked to reject what we saw with our own eyes, normalize ever-increasing cruelty and grow accustomed to a logic that bends to whatever it’s asked to justify. Yes, chaos is the point.

For me, the old framing of political right versus political left is obsolete. We’re in a different reality now, one divided between those who support all that is happening in our country and to our people, and those who are horrified by it. Politics, governance and geopolitical strategy are complicated, and there is room for honest, important debate to be had. It’s a place where ideas and opinions and persuasion happen, ultimately to improve lives. That era has been replaced by something far simpler and far darker: Either you support this and where it’s going, or you are horrified by it. I have thoughts for both groups.

Time, energy wasted in social media

Those who are horrified may want to consider a slightly different way of thinking and moving in our new world. This administration has made its intentions clear. It has shown a willingness to provoke new global conflicts, shred and trash treaties designed to prevent another world war, strip away social supports funded by our taxes, normalize cruelty and imprisonment not only of undocumented people but also U.S. citizens, and is increasingly looking for ways to use military force against its own people. If you believe all of that is true and accurate, there are a few things I think are important to accept now.

I experienced an internal shift somewhere around last November. While I guard against nihilism, I realized that the train of this political trajectory has already left the station. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to affect a different outcome. For me, it meant accepting the reality of a situation, whether in a personal relationship, a difficult job situation or a shift in how a population views its role in the world. Once I accepted that reality, I could clearly identify where my energy and time were being wasted and redirect them toward efforts that stand a chance at making an impact.

Social media is an echo chamber. Outrage, however justified, is pointless. Your like-minded friends already agree with you, and your MAGA brother will just roll his eyes at your opinion. Save your time and energy. Disengagement here is about resource allocation, not contempt of all social media. It has its purpose.

Things are likely to worsen in ways that are difficult to imagine right now: more violence, higher costs for food and everything else, more instability. It may take months or years to reach the peak, but there is no evidence relief is coming anytime soon. So, you should prepare yourself and your family for a future that looks harder than today.

Call Democrats, Republicans in Congress

Congress is mostly ineffective, but it’s still worth the effort to call its members relentlessly. Yes, call Democratic leaders, but focus on Republican ones. Republicans enabled this chaos, and they are the only ones who have any leverage to slow down this train. With enough noise, a few might decide it’s worth the risk to stand against what the administration is doing. Resist. Protest loudly and peacefully. Make noise where it counts.

Finally, to those who are horrified, please understand that attempting to reason with committed supporters of this ideology is unlikely to work. Reasoning works only when there is a shared understanding of facts, and that is largely gone. You cannot shame them, appeal to empathy or compassion or plead with those folks. They have set up camp, and you are not invited. Stop chasing a human connection that won’t come. This isn’t about writing people off as irredeemable, but about seeing where persuasion fails and redirecting your energy.

I don’t know that supporters of this administration are still reading, but on the chance that you are, here is what I want to say: I come from your world. I understand your worldview and how it has been cultivated for years, sometimes for your entire lives. I genuinely understand where you are coming from. I profoundly disagree with you, and it causes a deep sadness that nothing I say is likely to reach you. If I were granted one wish, a Hail Mary of sorts, it would be this: Step away from all the biased commercial U.S. news channels. Turn off FOX News, CNN, MS NOW, Newsmax and the others. Watch and read the BBC, Reuters, PBS or anything that has international distance, not ideological purity. Doing this one thing will help you see the propaganda that has been so effective. We may never agree on policy, but we cannot even argue honestly if we are not grounded in reality.

Finally, supporters should understand that this story does not end here. It may take decades, but one day, the United States will return to its roots and to the values we’ve upheld for 250 years. It’s possible it will happen in your lifetime, and you may be forced to confront the uncomfortable truth of how you contributed to its downfall. I hope your children are able to forgive you. I will understand if they cannot.

Tonya Cain is a Missouri-based writer whose recent work examines political chaos, moral responsibility and the consequences of disengagement in American civic life.