It's been a while since I tallied how many friends I've lost because of their crazed support of that guy in the Oval Office but I think I'm now up to ten. Understand that I have friends who back D.J.T. but who don't go all Alex Jones on me about it, spouting "alternative facts" and borderline hate speech. The counter is tallying a different list — one of folks who are now clearly living in a new reality where all news either backs Donald 100% or is fake. You can't really talk with people with whom you do not share a common language or facts.
The latest inductee has been sending out texts and posting online messages begging for "civility." Okay, fine. I'm all for that. But to him, that only means we must not say negative things about The Greatest President Ever. I live in a land where one of our blessed freedoms and strengths is our right to criticize our alleged leaders. If you can't do that, you're not living in America…and indeed, my Trump-supporting friends are still fine with every insult and conspiracy theory directed at Barack Obama or anyone named Clinton.
The tenth person on my List of Lost Friends really believes that when Trump calls people stupid or losers, that's not incivility. It's just striking back with the truth against those who deserve to be slapped…and by the way, I think that's part of the appeal of Trump to some people. They have people in their lives (and on their televisions) who they'd like to see have the crap beaten out of them and they adore a leader who won't be statesmanlike and respectful towards such folks.
But really, it doesn't work like that. Incivility is reflexive and has been since the first time "Caveman A" hit "Caveman B" and "Caveman B" hit back. You can have a world where no one calls their opponents idiots or one where everyone calls their opponents idiots…but you can't have a world where one side is allowed the unilateral right to insult because they're right and the other side isn't allowed to insult since they're wrong.
And I should add here that I'm not following the Trump/Omarosa battles. I've just read enough about them to feel that neither one should never have been anywhere near a position in the government.