Some Hot-Button Issues Sure To Make Your Thanksgiving More Fun

Forget the conventional wisdom, Thanksgiving can be a great time to discuss politics. After all, when is the next time you're going to willingly sit down to dinner with someone with whom you disagree about almost everthing. Most of the year, we're trapped in social media bubbles, enjoying a bland diet of our own political views spoonfed back to us. There's some good evidence it's hurting our democracy and tearing our country apart. So, take this holiday to educate your grandparents on net neutrality or to talk to your cousins about how high their taxes are. Reach across the aisle and make it a teachable moment. Just don't always expect to be the one teaching. Take time to listen and learn as well.

Here are some issues to get you started.

Net Neutrality: Should the government level the playing field or should corporations be able to charge users more depending on how they use the internet?

Tax Cuts: Will proposed Republican tax cuts benefit the middle class or only the wealthy? Will students end up paying higher taxes as a result?

President Trump: How's the president doing at his job? How is he handling issues that are important to you?

The Russia Investigation: What's Bob Mueller going to uncover next? Or is his investigation a witch hunt? Will the president pardon Paul Manafort and Richard Gates, who were indicted back on Halloween. Is Mike Flynn going to flip?

Hillary Clinton: Or maybe the real investigation is into Hillary Clinton and the State Department's handling of the Uranium One sale. Has that been thoroughly enough debunked yet? Or are there still threads to follow?

Sexual Assault Allegations: Charges have been lobbed at everyone from Louis C.K. and Al Franken to Alabama Senate Candidate Roy Moore and President Trump himself. What standard of evidence should we use to evaluate claims of sexual assault? Is everyone just a hypocrite when it comes to defending politicians accused of wrongdoing? And, most importantly, what the hell is wrong with men?

North Korea: Are we stumbling toward a preventable war? Deterrence worked against the Soviet Union. Will it be enough in this case? Are Trump's tweets part of a madman theory of diplomacy, a tactic so crazy it just might work? Or will taunting "Little Rocket Man" just make things worse?

Gun Violence: More than 30,000 Americans are killed by guns every year. Is that just the cost of freedom? Or can we fashion good public policy to prevent needless deaths? Has it been long enough since the last shooting that we're even allowed to discuss this?

You probably won't solve these issues over the dinner table, but it has to start somewhere. Just remember to keep things civil and make sure you're working from the same set of facts if you want to make any headway with your relatives. This factsheet from Politifact should be helpful for that. You might even want to print it off.

Of course, if you're tired of fighting with friends and family, why not switch things up and fight with total strangers for some killer deals. Check out the list of what malls and department stores are open around St. Louis for Black Friday shopping. Forgot the cranberry sauce? Click here for a list of grocery stores that are open Thanksgiving Day. Or, maybe you just can't handle your crazy uncle and dirty dishes. Why bother cooking at all? Here are some restaurants serving turkey dinners.

On the lookout for deals? Here are the ones that matter.

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