Thread by @dynamicsymmetry

This is a predictably fantastic thread, really worth reading if you’re a Bernie supporter who wants to help him win, really worth reading if you have problems arguing online, and also just really worth reading in general.

https://twitter.com/alexandraerin/status/1235943004667555840

It actually puts me in mind of something I read in one of @SlacktivistFred’s posts one time about evangelism and how it’s actually supposed to work.

It’s a fable about white settlers trying to evangelize to Native people (I am paraphrasing here).

So the white settlers come striding into the village all like HELLO WE ARE HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW GREAT OUR GOD IS, LUCKY YOU

And they’re received politely, given a meal, and everyone sits around the fire and the white settlers evangelists Evangelize.

They go into their whole long elaborate and fairly patronizing sales pitch, the whole thing. Won’t describe it. Sure you can imagine.

The Native people listen politely, and then when the white settlers evangelists shut up, one of the elders of the village stands up.

And says “That was a good story. Thank you for sharing it. Now we’ll tell you our story.”

And the white settler evangelists are like

what

Because they figured they’d come striding in with the Best Story, the Right Story, and deliver it and that was all they had to do. But their audience didn’t see it that way. For them it was about exchanging stories. Of who we are, where we come from, what we value.

Look, evangelism in the most general sense is a problematic notion and therefore probably best not practiced at all. But to the extent that one does practice it, it’s not about talking.

It’s about listening.

If you want to be an Evangelist for Bernie, you will fuck it all the hell up if you come striding in with your Right Story and don’t listen to a single thing anyone says. Outreach for something like this is about telling and listening to stories, to people.

Here’s another anecdote for which I can’t find the source, sorry. But it was about experiments with a particular approach to political canvassing for reproductive rights.

The canvasser would knock doors to talk about abortion—and tell the story of their abortion.

What led them to their decision, what they went through, why they felt like it was the best thing for them to do.

It was *spectacularly* effective.

Didn’t always get someone to switch over to donating to NARAL or whatever right then and there, but even people against abortion listened, and thought, and were empathetic, and usually came out of it with at *least* a softer stance.

Because it wasn’t about arguing or having the Right Story, it was about saying “Here’s my story, for what it’s worth. This is why I believe what I believe. This is why I believe people need these rights.” And leaving it at that.

Should everyone approach politics like that? Of course not! Not everyone can, not everyone wants to, people should only do what they can do.

My point is that fighting in the comments and responding to a concern with “well why don’t YOU do better” is just. No.

Another anecdote, which I once again cannot source and I’m sorry: Not too long ago I heard someone on a policy podcast talking about why some Black voters in the south are skeptical of things like M4A.

They’re skeptical of it because racism.

This is not all of them, by the way. This is just a concern than some Black voters have and have expressed.

They’ve had *intimate* contact with government social services and welfare agencies, and they know how fucked up and systemically racist that shit is.

So they hear about something like this government apparatus, which in their experience is *not* designed or organized or implemented with their best interests in mind, taking over all of their health care, and bet your ass they’re looking at it with some doubt.

They’re *right* to do so. That attitude is based on long experience and it’s a completely rational and well-informed way to think.

So let’s think about how to handle something like that.

First of all, if you as a non-Black Bernie supporter from outside their community don’t *listen* to them, you won’t even know it’s a problem they have. So shut up for two seconds and hear what they have to say about why they’re not sold on something like M4A.

So what do you do once you’ve done that? Explain to them why they’re wrong?

Or maybe say something like “You know what, that’s totally fair, and you’re right. That *is* a big potential problem. That’s why we need people like you in our coalition, to point things like that out.”

And if they’re still not interested, you respect that and you leave it alone.

But you won’t get anywhere if you don’t listen and go to where the concerns are rather than dismissing them.

So Warren supporters expressing pain and exhaustion about being harassed and leaning away from Bernie?

Maybe just say “I’m really sorry that happened to you, that’s inexcusable and that should have no place in his campaign”.

And leave it there.

Not “but not all of us are like that!” Not “well, we’re fighting fascism so sorry about your hurt feelings but get over it!”

Just “I’m sorry that happened to you, that was wrong.”

You might do more good for Bernie by doing that than anything else, and you will sure as hell do more good for that person by listening and offering empathy. And that person should matter to you. Ostensibly you’re fighting for them.

Just *listen*. Stop trying to defend yourself, shut up and listen and think. Exchange stories. Offer empathy. Build solidarity, and do it without demanding that the person join your club.

If every Bernie supporter did that, oh my god what a difference that would make.

And you know what? You’ll feel better. You’ll feel better in your head and heart. You’ll feel energized and positive about the work we have to do.