The last time

I had dinner

with someone

I didn’t

know

was a few

months 

ago

by 

the pool

with

other friends

in common.

It was not

random.

We were

introduced

intentionally.

We realized

that,

like us,

they used 

to live

in Connecticut.

The guys 

play golf.

Commonalities.

We shared

likes and

dislikes. 

We would

learn more

background

each 

gathering.

In sum,

we were

introduced

with knowledge 

of some

sameness:

shared

experiences,

people,

and likes…

conversation

starters.

Imagine

sharing

a meal

with

a like 

minded

friend

(supporter)

and their

like 

minded

friend.

A conversation

starter,

“Nice 

to meet

you.”

Even

as

racist

white supremacist

neo

nazis

are the

dinner

companions!!

It was 

just

dinner, 

with 

gross

bigots—

whose calling cards 

are crazy 

bigotry—

who 

we can

only hope 

get

just

deserts.

They 

may

be

three

stooges,

but

their

audience

is

weaponized 

and

eager.

The sum

total

of the

dinner

is 

the horror

of hate–

racism

and

antisemitism

metastasizing

rapidly

as

the “dinner

party”

stayed

silent and

complicit.

Trickles 

of 

rejection

days

after

knowingly

avoiding

and

trying 

to balance

what?

Not 

staying aligned

with

a loser, 

versus 

aligning

with

hate

and

abetting violence

by abiding

all.