In politics, the ‘third rail’ is a metaphor for any issue that is so controversial that it is 'charged'. And thus untouchable in the sense that any politician who speaks out on the topic will offend enough voters to impact his career. Or hers.
Considering the SOL reader (through mail responses, story Comments, and blogs) I've decided there is one subject that qualifies for third-rail status. Now, I'm not talking about personal peccadilloes like sexual turn-offs.
The one temper-raising topic is, of course, politics. And, that's no surprise — SOL readers are representative of a divided America.
So, one of my fictional characters made some disparaging remarks about Trump. Boy, did I hear about that.
In another political arena — guns. Any gun-regulation discussion draws spirited reactions from both sides of the issue.
Now, a rational writer might well steer clear of these subjects. So, look for even more third-rail content in my future stories.
Not running for office,
Paige