Don’t forgive those in denial about Trump

Dan Hazen’s commentary on humanity’s need to divide into camps in his story about being a bus rider was insightful until he got to the part of his Trump loving neighbor and his “hypocrisy” at judging him (“How much do we really know about those ‘bus stop people’?” The Herald, July 20).

Ethical philosopher Hannah Arendt was a mental giant not just because of her insights but also her courage to call something what it is. She would have no trouble seeing this Trump enthusiast as blind and ignorant. One of her best observations is that liars don’t lie to deceive but to break down one’s ability to see nothing as true or impossible. Hence the “post-truth” world we now inhabit and our democracy hanging by a thread. She said that no one who cannot tell facts from fiction has any ability to tell right from wrong.

That is exactly what is happening with Hazen’s neighbor. No amount of introspection or cognitive empathy will change that as much as Hazen wants to believe it to be so. No one’s story has meaning if they are living in a fantasy world. Reality is depressing more than not. And wishful thinking and avoidance doesn’t change it one iota. But living in reality seems to be the only known method to improve our lot.

Rick Walker

Snohomish