The dominant group in the US benefits from embedded values & narratives. When those values & narratives are surfaced & challenged, they cry "radical protestors," "political correctness," "wokeness," and "cancel culture." Anyone who adopts their language is helping them.
You may think, "well, there's a reasonable interpretation of those terms under which they identify real problems." And it might be true. But they understand that sentiment & exploit it to give their grievances bipartisan cover. They rely on it as a carrier of their viruses.
You may think, "well, we can't let authoritarian reactionaries shape how we talk. We have to tell the truth as we see it." Fine. That's noble & great. Meanwhile, the country is about to tip over into full-fledged fascism. Guess there's no cost too high for signaling Seriousness.
A different way to go would be to choose any of the hundreds of truths that need telling or any of the hundreds of fights that need fighting that *don't* empower fascists.
Politics is groups inside, with power & resources, and groups outside, petitioning for a fair share of power & resources. There will always, always be people around to tell the latter that they are asking too rudely, or using the wrong language, or going about it wrong.
You could choose not to be one of those people!
