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Yesterday the president said “The Democrats are so self righteous and ANGRY! Loosen up and have some fun.”
Outrage on the left is toward abuse of power on behalf of the abused and the narrative is that it’s the cause of divisiveness
Outrage on the right foments violent abuse by the empowered on behalf of the self, and the narrative is it’s an valid expression of social frustration
Outrage on the right foments violent abuse by the empowered on behalf of the self, and the narrative is it’s an valid expression of social frustration
Do you ever see the formulation “White conservatives, your constant grievance politics and social outrage may be turning off the very voters you need to convince.”
The unexamined assumption is conservatives are the standard, who first must be convinced if you want social change.
The unexamined assumption is conservatives are the standard, who first must be convinced if you want social change.
Even when they're attacking journalists at hate rallies, cheering their leader who has encouraged them to attack journalists, white conservatives are still the standard, the normal.
They are doing it. It must be normal.
The assumption is there before the question is even asked.
They are doing it. It must be normal.
The assumption is there before the question is even asked.
These rallies are objectively alarming: the rhetoric authoritarian, the policy fascist, their leader manifestly corrupt, bellowing bigoted lies.
The best our mainstream cultural narrative seems to be able to do is timidly wonder if these observable truths might be true.
The best our mainstream cultural narrative seems to be able to do is timidly wonder if these observable truths might be true.
Look at this. Really see it.
Think of the times the narrative BEGINS w “If this is what white conservatives are doing, this is normal.”
Even when it’s assumed to be disturbing, the question is always “how do we convince them?” not “how do we STOP them?”
Think of the times the narrative BEGINS w “If this is what white conservatives are doing, this is normal.”
Even when it’s assumed to be disturbing, the question is always “how do we convince them?” not “how do we STOP them?”
Remember all the op-eds post-2016: "Trump proved the left has been in a bubble."
Yes. He did prove that. Trump popped our bubble.
Our bubble told us that, despite our differences, Republicans had good intentions. That was Obama's vision; we rallied around it.
It wasn't true.
Yes. He did prove that. Trump popped our bubble.
Our bubble told us that, despite our differences, Republicans had good intentions. That was Obama's vision; we rallied around it.
It wasn't true.
Many of us were able to believe it because we'd grown up in a vision of America that reached for fine ideals of equality for all, and our privileged position never punctured that bubble.
Trump punctured it. He should have punctured it for all of us, forever.
Trump punctured it. He should have punctured it for all of us, forever.
We should see that those who disagree with us don't have a different way of reaching those ideals—they *hate* those ideals, and would take us in the opposite direction.
They want to be the default center. The only.
Our dominant cultural narrative still wants that for them, too.
They want to be the default center. The only.
Our dominant cultural narrative still wants that for them, too.
The dominant cultural narrative wrote those op-eds, and the conclusion of "the left was in a bubble about Trump" was "so now we need to move more toward Trump voters."
No.
Really no.
We're making a new and better dominant cultural narrative. And we're not asking permission.
No.
Really no.
We're making a new and better dominant cultural narrative. And we're not asking permission.
We're making a dominant cultural narrative that says there is no default.
We move to meet difference and diversity; we don't demand it move to meet us.
We're not catering to a default. Everyone belongs. Everyone matters. Everyone's moving to meet everyone else.
We move to meet difference and diversity; we don't demand it move to meet us.
We're not catering to a default. Everyone belongs. Everyone matters. Everyone's moving to meet everyone else.
It's a party. Everyone's invited.
The only people who can't partake are those who refuse to—not because they've been deliberately excluded, but in the same way that those who refuse to come to a party are not at the party,
The only people who can't partake are those who refuse to—not because they've been deliberately excluded, but in the same way that those who refuse to come to a party are not at the party,
If you're at the rally, you're not at the party. Not because you can't; because you won't.
There's a difference, and we're going to tell the truth about that difference.
We're not asking permission.
There's a difference, and we're going to tell the truth about that difference.
We're not asking permission.
The only way I can think of to convince someone at the rally to come to the party is to show them the party.
The only way I can think of to show them the party is by making the party happen.
The truth is, America's at the rally right now.
Let's party.
The only way I can think of to show them the party is by making the party happen.
The truth is, America's at the rally right now.
Let's party.
Criticism. She means criticism.
Hey, *I’M* working on a piece, too. Please conservatives, tell me about the laws design to let religious organizations fire you for being conservative.
Tell me about the laws passed to keep conservatives out of bathrooms.
Tell me about the people who lurk in women’s rooms with weapons in case a conservative comes in.
Tell me about the people who lurk in women’s rooms with weapons in case a conservative comes in.
Tell me about the gerrymanders and the ID laws and the administrative precinct shutdowns designed to disenfranchise conservatives of their votes.
Tell me about the demonstrations to protect monuments of generals who fought to keep conservatives enslaved.
Tell me about the conservative teens sent to suicide-inducing conservative conversion therapy.
Tell me, conservatives, about the conservative travel ban. Tell me about border agents arresting conservative patients at hospitals to deport.
Tell me about how your children were separated from you for being conservative.
Tell me about how you live every day in fear that the government will nullify your conservative marriage. Tell me about the energy expended to make sure no baker should be “forced” to make a cake for conservatives.
Tell me about how you got kicked out of the military for being conservative.
Self-censoring, as defined here, basically means for “weighing the effects of your words on others and the attendant consequences prior to speaking,” and it’s a basic tool of a mature mind.
This framing reveals a coddled and infantile worldview.
This framing reveals a coddled and infantile worldview.
This is a group so used to being placed at the center, so deliberately ignorant of the harm and pain and damage they’ve done by demanding that placement through legislative domination, that facing social criticism for their cultural selfishness strikes them as loss of freedom.
My request was “contrived” to focus on actual empowered systemic/legislative menace and oppression of conservatives, but I will agree that no such examples exist.
Conservatives dare act as if they’re oppressed simply because when they do this sort of thing, people treat them as if they were the type of people who do this sort of thing.
