At this point it’s a bit ridiculous if you don’t have one. 20 years is at least three cycles of ID renewals, so people have had plenty of chances to make the switch.

Are there actual rules about noise in the hallway? If there are, is she aware of them? Is there anyone who could potentially enforce those rules other than you? If there are no rules, then it could just be a cultural difference, and good luck to you trying to enforce your own rules in public spaces. You think it’s entirely reasonable to have a silent hallway, but maybe the other lady has never lived in a quiet place her whole life. Maybe she can’t see why you would want that at all.

Not this time.

Do you understand how voting works? Each person gets one vote. Do you think I, or anyone else, could have somehow forced the 30% who didn’t vote to vote, and not only that but to vote the way we wanted them to? How am I responsible for the choices of people 2,000 miles across the country that I’ve never interacted with? Do I have any control over the propaganda these people are exposed to?

At any given time, only 30-40% of the US is actually represented by the government. At least 30% of us directly voted against all this. Comments like yours make me feel like you’re trying to erase our existence… but I’m sure that’s helpful for somebody.

Humans have always understood our experience through stories and myths. Literally every civilization throughout history has them. It’s the people who refuse to consume any fiction that I don’t understand. Even when a story is entirely fictional, surely there is still meaning in metaphor and juxtaposition and human understanding to be found.