Dear Kate,

Although I am not a White Mom, since you wrote an open letter, I thought I would respond. I read your other posts on conspiracies and Joe Biden as well, and, in kind, I thank you for taking the time to read this letter in its entirety and hope that it finds you well.

My primary concern is not that you and I are on opposite sides of "history" or politics, it is that, if I understand your primary concern in your letter, is that you want the White Moms (and, I assume everyone that doesn't agree with you) to "shut up and stop posting". Maybe I've read too much into your letter, or maybe this is your version of satire, but censorship is a serious issue and so, forgive me if I'm overreacting.

Here's three quick points:

• 1)There were around 139 million people that voted in the last election, 63 million for President Trump and 66 million for Hillary. Therefore, there are at least 63 million Americans that likely disagree with you about your beliefs on a wide range of topics. These are people of all races, ages and both male and female. In fact, there are likely folks in the 66 million Hillary voters that disagree with you about something. Would you like them to "stop posting"?

• 2)There have been 6,000 years of human history and, generally speaking, each new generation thought they knew more than the generation before. Perhaps you should take your own advice in your Covid 19 article to "be respectful of their attempt to connect the dots themselves and try to find common ground". Maybe you feel like you have tried that. I sympathize with that, it has become very difficult to change people's opinions and beliefs and the online world hasn't seemed to help that despite the proliferation of "knowledge". Still, history itself is still one of the best teachers. There's an old saying that goes if you aren't a liberal when you're young, you have no heart, but if you aren't conservative by middle age you have no brain. I disagree with the quote on several levels, but I get the point. We all "feel" and see things differently at different ages, and many people do change over time. I know you think these White Moms are "wrong" in their worldviews, but is it possible at your age that your thinking may change over time? Would you want to be told to "stop posting" at any age or with any post?
• 3)The first amendment, which so many Americans have fought and died for, protect religion and freedom of speech. Are you saying that you'd like to change that? I will point out that what you seem to be advocating it is generally considered totalitarianism. This was promoted by Nazi Germany, Russia and China. Are you in favor of those systems? There is another quote that I love that goes "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". As such, asking people to stop posting and to stop forwarding (what you believe) are conspiracy theories is really in conflict with American and even liberal thinking (but not totalitarianism).

You seem to be an analytical and thoughtful person, and I do wish you the best.