Self-Righteous and Sure About It

Yesterday I noticed that one of my long-time friends at the meeting - a dude whose politics and social commentary runs counter to mine - was engaged in a lengthy conversation with a woman who's pretty new.  I ran into Jeff at the beach later and after some inconsequential chit-chat I asked if he and Cheryl had solved all of the world's problems.  He chuckled and said that she was having some trouble with what she perceived as a political bias in the members who regularly attend the meeting.  I don't see this personally but that's beside the point.  Jeff indicated to her that I might have the same trouble - a great compliment, actually, because it means that I'm keeping my politics out of The Fellowship.  Today I mentioned this conversation to Cheryl, concerned that someone said something or behaved in a way that made her uncomfortable.  We're all here for the same reason - a desire to stop drinking - and to a man, woman, or child we're showing up because we're not on a winning streak.  We're desperate, we're miserable, we're dying, so we strive mightily to make The Rooms welcoming and deliberately anodyne.

Initially, she seemed somewhat embarrassed until I mentioned that wanted to make sure she didn't feel excluded.  She proceeded to go on a pretty severe, one-sided political rant which became more and more fervent and more and more implausible in its contentions as she continued, working herself into an increasingly agitated state.  Her voice rose and her cadence quickened as the things she said became more unhinged and lacking in all context.  Another member had joined us at that point.  Finally, she made a charge so provocative that I said: "OK, I'm going to step away here" and my buddy, agreeing, joined me.  Cheryl, walking the other way, turned and said: "I hope you don't hate me now!"  I assured her that I still loved her just like I love everyone.

I found the whole episode unsettling.  I'm concerned that Alcoholics Anonymous is suffering from some of the extreme partisanship that's bedeviling the country right now.  I briefly considered asking if she wanted to sit down and have a measured conversation about any one of the many topics she brought up but caught myself short - she was so far down an extremist path that there wasn't any way to make her see another point of view and this is a tragedy, in my opinion.  I spent many years in my sobriety in an area where I was decidedly in the political and social minority and am happy to report suffered no damage from these attitudes vis-a-vis A.A.  In fact, some of my oldest and dearest friends came out of those meetings.   The old reminder that "we are people who wouldn't ordinarily mix" comes to mind.  

So valuable, so important, so fragile.