There’s been an inordinate amount of fantasy dominating public discourse this year. From those shouting about rigged elections to those demanding that we defund the police, there are an awful lot of people who passionately eschew reality for delusion, generally of the self-serving type. If this is a widespread cultural phenomena is no longer a question without a clear answer. That ship sailed earlier this year. Why is much more illuminating.

Why is also actually not overly complex. We are simply reaped what we’ve sown when it comes to tolerating things that just aren’t true. Although a majority in our country are reasonably thoughtful people who are open to new ideas and respond to information, there are a significant (and growing) number of those who are are capable of neither.

If we lived in a benevolent dictatorship, crazy people wouldn’t be a major problem.

But in a free and open society, where there’s no law against being dead wrong and really loud about it, the stakes are higher. Although I’m as certain as I can be that President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20, I’m not ruling out the ability of the political flat-earthers, who are pushing the rigged-election craziness to overturn results they don’t like, to keep throwing haymakers until they hit upon something that works — even if it involves war, murder and violence.

An Idaho story that went nationwide this week involved anti-maskers protesting at the homes of public health officials tasked with trying to negotiate the COVID-19 crisis. When I posted this story on my own social media, I did so with commentary to the effect that I do not consider this an act of protest as much as an act of “asshattery.” I feel the same way about BLM protesters setting up autonomous zones in Portland and Seattle. Little of this is about protest. There are simply better ways if productive change is what you are seeking. It’s, instead, about poking someone in the eye who you just don’t like.

The way to shut all of this down is not to tolerate it. You have to tell people who are acting stupidly and selfishly that they are acting stupidly and selfishly. You have to call out things that you know, for sure, aren’t right — especially if you wish that it was right. If this were easy it would be a lot more popular. It’s not popular because it’s easier just to keep your head down and hope the wingnuts implode.

How’s that working for us?

The bad news is that if you do decide that it’s important to call out crazy when you encounter it, you won’t get much help. Politicians and the media love crazy because it winds people up — and those people are easily attracted and swayed. You can convince a lot of otherwise rational people to do incredibly bad and dangerous things if you can get them sufficiently angry or afraid. That’s what’s driving the election nonsense, the BLM nonsense, the COVID-19 hysteria (on both sides) and a host of other issues that have become black and white litmus tests for various political and social bases.

It should have never come to this. There exists now (and has always) a vast array of well-reasoned, well-researched and eminently reasonable positions on issues across the social and political spectrum. Positions that are well short of the all or nothing, scorched-earth stands staked out by partisans on the left and right. But we’ve slowly allowed nuance, shades of gray and the ability to argue for, or listen to, a position, without having to occupy an potentially undesirable point on a moral compass, to go by the wayside. It’s all or nothing with way too many people. Not most people, but a enough to cause trouble.

One of the go-to tactics of extremists (and those in training) is to paint everyone not in their corner with the same brush. You are either with them or you are as bad as all of the people they despise and oppose. That, by the way, is one of my personal indicators of who I’m dealing with when someone is trying to light me up over a column.

If I craft (or hear of) an argument that is nuanced, thoughtful and is based in some fact, and the response to it is “Well, you must be (choose any of the following): a racist, a bigot, a misogynist, a boomer, a lib-tard, a Trumper, against freedom and liberty, against public health, pro fascist, a misanthrope (my favorite this week),” or anything else with the aim of painting me into the some ideological corner, I know I’m dealing with someone who’s not serious about discussion. Someone who would physically jam their ideas down my throat if they thought they could get away with it.

Those of you in the middle — I and others have believed in you and shouted your virtues for a long time. It’s time to start asserting yourselves. Crazies don’t have you beat in numbers, but they do have you beat in volume. It’s time to put and end to that. Anytime soon would be soon enough.

Associated Press and Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist Martin Hackworth of Pocatello is a physicist, writer, consultant and retired Idaho State University faculty member who now spends his time raising children, llama farming, riding mountain bikes and motorcycles and playing guitars. His video blog, “Howlin’ at the Moon in ii-V-I,” may be found at facebook.com/HowlinattheMoonin251 and on YouTube at bit.ly/2SN745k.