With Friends Like These, Who Needs Friends?

So I know a guy.  He's not a friend, but we talk.  I know he's on the other side when it comes to politics.  The scary thing is that he's fanatical, even rabid, about being a Republican.  So when he was demanding Biden denounce Trump getting fired upon, I knew, given his rabidity, that if I comment on it, he will comment back, and probably harshly.

Did I want to go back and forth with him about this?  Eventually, and maybe against my better judgement, I did.  And man, as off the rails as he has been about other political posts, he was acting ... well, crazy this time.  And he made it personal, which is the difference this time, and is what makes this argument scarier.  He was accusing me of not denouncing the shooting, which I did, even though I pointed out the fact that Trump and Republicans are the ones who glorified violence.  But he didn't like the way I denounced the shooting, and he kept demanding that I denounce it in a way that he liked.  I'm not going for that bullshit, so not only did I peace out on him, I had to mute him.

This is an escalation, no doubt.  I don't know if he comes back from this.  I think we have had heated discussions like this before, but not like this, and so I don't know if taking a weekend or a week or even longer is going to simmer things down.  The problem is that I am going to see this guy again.  There's that football Game our alma mater's playing up here in October.  Moreover, he's a big music fan, and there are a couple of concerts I have already bought tickets for.  I'm going to run into him.  Before, we've been civil.  Now, after what he said to me?  I don't know if he can control his temper, and I don't know if it's smart for me to give him the chance.

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Social media is stupid.  After the incident, there were at least five posts from Facebook friends denouncing it.  None of them seem to be aware, or don't seem to care, that the guy who got shot was the one who spearheaded January 6.

Most if not all of them don't profess to be part of a party, but I have seen signs from all of them that they really are MAGAts.  They are all, also, hot as fuck, and I continue to wonder why so many gorgeous women are part of the Republican party.

Did I hold my tongue when I saw this virtue signals?  I couldn't for my acquaintance, so I didn't for these people I don't know in real life.  So for all the posts I came across demanding we all denounce the shooting, I reacted with a laugh emoji.  I don't think any of them have de-friended me, and I wonder why they haven't.  I mean, if someone did that to me, it's an immediate block.  I'm smart enough to know and to do that.

Politics, man.  It exposes people.