Jump to content

‘Reach Out to Trump Supporters,’ They Said. I Tried. I give up.

SaysWho?

By SaysWho?
in The Political Re-Education Camp

 Share

Recommended Posts

SaysWho?

SaysWho?

Posted
Posted

 

Quote

I really thought it might work. Growing up, I often talked about my Islamic faith with my non-Muslim friends, and I like to think that might have helped to inoculate them from the Islamophobic propaganda and conspiracy theories that later become popular. So I assumed I could win over some Trump supporters whose frustrations and grievances had been manipulated by those intent on seeing people like me as invaders intent on replacing them.

 

So in late 2016, I told my speaking agency to book me for events in the states where Trump won. I wanted to talk to the people the media calls “real Americans” from the “heartland,” — which is of course America’s synonym for white people, Trump’s most fervent base. Over the next four years I gave more than a dozen talks to universities, companies and a variety of faith-based communities.

 

Quote

I reminded them that those who are now considered white, such as Irish Catholics, Eastern European Jews, Greeks and Italians, were once the boogeyman. I warned them that supporting white nationalism and Trump, in particular, would be self destructive, an act of self-immolation, that will neither help their families or America become great again.

 

And I listened. Those in the audience who supported Trump came up to me and assured me they weren’t racist. They often said they’d enjoyed the talk, if not my politics. Still, not one told me they’d wavered in their support for him. Instead, they repeated conspiracy theories and Fox News talking points about “crooked Hillary.” Others made comments like, “You’re a good, moderate Muslim. How come others aren’t like you?”

 

The emphasis on that last one is mine due to comments @sblfilms made about people telling his dad he's "one of the good ones."

 

Quote

I was introduced to a donor who I learned was a Trump supporter. As soon as I said “white privilege,” she began shooting me passive aggressive quips about the virtues of meritocracy and hard work. She recommended I read “Hillbilly Elegy” — the best-selling book that has been criticized by those living in Appalachia as glorified poverty porn promoting simplistic stereotypes about a diverse region.

 

Quote

I’ve even tried and failed to have productive conversations with Muslims who voted for Trump. Some love him for the tax cuts. Others listen only to Fox News, say “both sides” are the same, or believe he hasn’t bombed Muslim countries. (They’re wrong.) Many believe they are the “good immigrants,” as they chase whiteness and run away from Blackness, all the way to the suburbs. 

 

 

 

And finally (though you should read the whole thing):

 

Quote

I did my part. What was my reward? Listening to Trump’s base chant, “Send her back!” in reference to Representative Ilhan Omar, a black Muslim woman, who came to America as a refugee. I saw the Republican Party transform the McCloskeys into victims, even though the wealthy St. Louis couple illegally brandished firearms against peaceful BLM protesters. Their bellicosity was rewarded with a prime time slot at the Republican National Convention where they warned about “chaos” in the suburbs being invaded by people of color. Their speech would have fit well in ”The Birth of a Nation."

 

Quote

Don’t waste your time reaching out to Trump voters like I did. Instead, invest your time organizing your community, registering new voters and supporting candidates who reflect progressive values that uplift everyone, not just those who wear MAGA hats, in local and state elections. 

 

Quote

Just as in 2016, I don’t need Trump supporters to be humiliated to feel great again. I want them to have health insurance, decent paying jobs and security for their family. I do not want them to suffer, but I also refuse to spend any more time trying to understand and help the architects of my oppression.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
skillzdadirecta

skillzdadirecta

Posted
Posted
44 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

If only @Greatoneshere was still around.

@Greatoneshere is gone again too? and regarding the article, I'm gonna read it but the conclusion it comes to is not surprising to anyone who is familiar with systemic American racism and its apologists. I've often said to "moderate White friends" of mine that to them Trump supporters me seem reachable because they feel like that they can see "both sides" and that by being able to see those two sides, they can reach some common middle ground. What they refuse to see and acknowledge is that the "other side", the side that champions systemic racism, has become EXPERT in disguising their racism in other non racist issues and that the American mainstream for the most part has bought into that lie. Now that they've become emboldend enough to say the quiet part out loud, it leaves very little wiggle room for racist apologists. They don't even WANT you to speak for them anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CayceG

CayceG

Posted
Posted
Quote

Just as in 2016, I don’t need Trump supporters to be humiliated to feel great again. I want them to have health insurance, decent paying jobs and security for their family. I do not want them to suffer, but I also refuse to spend any more time trying to understand and help the architects of my oppression.

 

 

This is as good a distillation of the way forward as I can imagine. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
skillzdadirecta

skillzdadirecta

Posted
Posted

I mean I get it... with all that's going on in the outside world right now, to get an notification from the boards and come to see that its juvenile bullshit can be a bit much. The ignore user button has been getting a lot of use from me these days because I just don't have the patience for the lame back and forths on this board anymore :shrug: I come here to talk about all the shit my real life friends aren't into as much as I am anymore, mostly games... not to engage in pseudo-intellectual dick measuring contests.

 

2 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

Why the fuck do people post on The Asylum? Anyone whose post count is higher there than on any other board should be perma-banned. And why are people so angry with people lately? sblfilms and greatoneshere are fantastic users. We lose them but keep the trolls driving them away?

 

It's like I said above... there's a LOT going on in the real world these days and instead of these boards becoming a respite and an escape, they can be an annoyance on a lot of ways. A wholly unnecessary one too. I didn't always see eye to eye with either one of those guys but I didn't want to see them leave the boards especially if the assholes are gonna stay. It diminishes the community. Has anyone for once thought about what kind of year Sbfilms must be having? His business CAN'T be doing all that well right now and I can only imagine the stress the dude must be going through. Nope... gotta get that last dig in to show how smart I am :| (not saying you're doing that @CitizenVectron but you get my point)

I've been spending more an more time on Reddit and other forums because some of the users here have a complete lack of self awareness and can't read a room to save their lives. Shit just gets old after awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bloodporne

Bloodporne

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, CayceG said:

 

 

This is as good a distillation of the way forward as I can imagine. 

I personally believe that's the only realistic and thought-out way forward myself. It's fun to gloat for a minute but ultimately the last thing this country needs is more eye-for-an-eye shit. The last four years especially have made an olympic-level sport out of finger pointing that would make a kindergarten sandbox blush. I can't watch it anymore, it's exhausting and counterproductive and needs to change. I mean I'm not stupid and realize all politics are an exercise in all the aforementioned to a certain degree but good god, shit needs to just move forward from this seeming breaking point already.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bloodporne

Bloodporne

Posted
Posted

And y'all don't need Jesus, y'all need more users, seriously. Getting a bit tumbleweed-ish here and I don't post anywhere else so I'm getting tired of seeing my own stupid avatar and rambling every other post!

 

And I'm being forced into typing 'y'all', I fucking hate that term. 

 

Edit: This 'ya'll' type-o is possibly the worst thing I've seen since 'their/there', jesus I hate this word.

  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
CayceG

CayceG

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Bloodporne said:

And ya'll don't need Jesus, ya'll need more users, seriously. Getting a bit tumbleweed-ish here and I don't post anywhere else so I'm getting tired of seeing my own stupid avatar and rambling every other post!

 

And I'm being forced into typing 'ya'll', I fucking hate that term. 

 

It's spelled "y'all"

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
skillzdadirecta

skillzdadirecta

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Exactly what the hell am I supposed to do?  I can't be everywhere at once.

 

And for Christ's sake - many of us are damned well old enough to have some self-awareness that there's a time to grow the hell up and stop repeating shit that grew tiresome ages ago.

 

 

Seriously. It's not on you...no need for you to babysit. Most of us are adults here... my suggestion is for folks to just stop feeding the trolls. If that doesn't work, the ignore button is your friend. They'll get the hint when people stop giving them the attention they seek.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
finaljedi

finaljedi

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said:

You do not, in fact, need to read hillbilly elegy, written by an American Enterprise Institute private equity guy from suburban ohio

 

A couple of my friends went to high school with the guy who wrote that and they both have very different opinions of him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ShreddieMercury

ShreddieMercury

Posted
Posted

Ok looks like it's finally time for me to fucking step in up to make up for the lost users!!  CONSIDER ME ACTIVATED.

 

In all honesty, arguments on the internet are 99% ineffective, so while it sucks that people leave, often the best strategy is to just not engage.  Almost everything is declarative in these argumentative posts, and the points are just made over and over again circuitously.  It becomes obvious when someone is not going to listen/read actively and challenge their own assumptions about whatever information is presented, so in those cases I do think its best to purely disengage.  While it really sucks to lose great posters, it's not Wade or anybody else's responsibility to react with infinite sensitivity to every perceived slight or disagreement unless it's really severe or violates the TOS, like in some other recent examples.  The internet is bullshit, and I think we just have to recognize where our effort is best expended and where it's not, and that's an individual calculus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...