big life; small space

Here is where I try to take a more nuanced approach. Which may not mesh with the Gather controversy, because I haven't been following it closely. I agree with you wholeheartedly that chosen circles may matter more than other connections, emotionally. But what I worry about (and I'm *NOT* saying that you're doing this, but I worry that there may be people who do) who opt out of formal political participation in favor of their chosen circles. And by this I mean not just voting, but writing formal legal representatives, engaging in political dialogue that takes us outside of our more comfortable chosen spheres, etc. Again, I am not saying that you're doing that (I add these caveats because people often see this as a personal attack). I try to encourage my students to all participate politically--from writing and speaking with their representatives, to commenting on proposed regulations, to acting as legal representatives in support of their political views. It often fails, and it saddens me. Because while social spheres do matter, the legal spheres matter as well. And despite what some might hope, they aren't going away anytime soon.