One reason I am happily apolitical — all the venom from people who align themselves with this side or that. I understand the comfort that comes with “belonging” — there is a camaraderie amongst people who share one’s beliefs, and even a pleasure that comes from slinging arrows at those who seem to oppose them. Also, when one aligns oneself with a group, it’s admittedly easier, because one is carried along by the “righteousness” of the cause. For some (who have become susceptible to the enticement of group-think), that means parroting whatever the majority (or the leaders) of the group are saying. Others do manage to exert their individuality while still associating with a certain collective. But it’s the seemingly inherent vitriol that, frankly, turns my stomach.