Thread by @bccover

I don't think the left and Acela Corridor folks realize how hard in America it has been for SO long to be an open conservative. How often we'd have to self-censor, how people have lost jobs over their beliefs, etc.

They don't get "it". We've been told repeatedly our views and policies kill people (which is ironic coming from the party of abortion, but whatever), that we are evil, that we are hateful, that we are dangerous.

It's been that way my entire adult life. You were evil if you voted for George Bush, you were a racist for voting for Romney, you were against democracy itself if you voted for Trump.

We we've been told, and the world saw us as not simply wrong, but on the side of all that is bad and evil in this world. Only now as it was *just* starting to shift back, the person in the forefront fighting to normalize dialogue and humanize conservatives was murdered.

And he was murdered in front of young adults, and the video of it was autoplayed online that children saw it. CHILDREN (a forever reminder not to allow your kids to use social media so they can avoid seeing things like that).

Part of the reason people on the right are so angry and honestly terrified is they are afraid the momentum will be lost and they will have to go back to self-censoring just when they felt like they could live normally. The world, once again, feels unfair.

And if you can't see that, or understand what is happening and that the focus shouldn't be, "whatabout that thing that happened here too"- then kindly and respectfully- maybe commentating on the culture and politics today isn't for you.

People on the left haven't had to check their words before they talk to people- afraid they are going to be ostracized with other parents, on their kids' sports sideline, at work, etc. They have no clue what the normie conservative experience has been for DECADES.

It was finally getting back to a place where conservatives felt they could be more open- and yesterday several public figures were open about liking Kirk and being friends with them. And check their comment sections on said posts. It's just like the good 'ole days.

The elites, the left, the DC/NY crowd has ZERO clue why people on the right are SO angry. In part it's not merely anger, it's fear. Fear that the progress of being able to be openly conservative might be fleeting.

Charlie was good, he was kind, he was patient, he was open. And he was killed for it. And instead of seeking to understand and listen to conservatives who are telling you all exactly why this moment is a huge one, we are being lectured *again* about what we are doing wrong.

Conservatives are being told repeatedly that they aren't grieving this moment correctly, and we have to make "space" to acknowledge all of the other slights and hurts that they blame on conservatives in years past. It's rage-inducing.