We have a houseguest, and she turns out to be Right Wing. She's my wife's friend, but I could not stay silent. She had started in with J about the "Border Crisis" and J shut that right down, to her credit, but I felt it wasn't enough.

I told our guest about a fascinating book I was reading, that it was good, but traumatic. It was about the Mezote Massacre in El Salvador, and how soldiers trained by the C.I.A. to prevent leftist incursion, were told to frighten the villagers, and instead, tortured and murdered 800 to 1000 people.

Then I left the room.

She hasn't said anything along those lines since.

I think we have to speak up, even when it's uncomfortable or might be seen as "impolite."