Maddy came to us around 9:30 pm, as she often does fighting bedtime. Usually, she jangles the doorknob and we pause our show. Not last night.

"What are you watching?"

"It's the last Presidential debate," Heather says. "We have to watch it."

Genuine shock: "We HAVE to?!"

/1

Apparently our kid is sensitive to TV time authoritarianism.

No, we explained. We just felt compelled to see how it'd go. To our surprise, we'd made it more than five minutes without cringing to death.

"It's kind of interesting," Maddy said, sitting down to watch with us. /2

She actually watched and listened. She reacted to the President's tone and noted he seemed to be making up almost everything he said. Beyond that, I wasn't sure how much of it made sense to her. Maddy is just nine, after all.

Then the debate turned to immigration. /3

When Kristen Welker talked about the 525 children who had been separated from their parents at the borders and months later still didn't know where their parents are, Maddy gasped. Loudly.

My heart fell into my stomach. I understood how desensitized I've become to "the news" /4

After the debate, we had a long talk about people we know who will likely vote for the President.

"Maybe I should talk to (relative)," she said. "I don't want to make them feel bad. I just want to know why. Maybe I can change their mind."

/5

I want Maddy's kindness and courage. I bought into "what difference would it make?" but I do want to know how the same people who taught me to love my neighbors and pray for my enemies became ardent supporters of a man who has consistently acted contrary to those values.

/6

I do not understand standing by the cruelty, whether it's meant embracing it or holding your nose to try ignoring it.

But I do believe that writing them off now, completely, will lead to more folks sacrificing their morality and ethics to chalk up political wins. /end