Jeffrey Rasley's Blog - Posts Tagged "2020-election"
Anarchist, Republican... Assassin
The President held up a Bible, an assassin aimed a gun. What happened next?
https://www.amazon.com/Anarchist-Repu...
https://www.amazon.com/Anarchist-Repu...
Polarized! The Case for Incivility in the Time of Trump
Posted on my Facebook page today
Confession, but not an apology...
After the 2016 election of Trump I was so concerned about extreme polarization in the US, I began hosting an open discussion forum on my Facebook page. I was disappointed that several Clinton-voter friends refused to participate in any discussion with people “on the other side”. Two college friends unfriended me for “giving Trumpers a platform”. But I forged ahead and during the 3 months the forum lasted up to 80 people, including pro and anti Trump friends, participated in weekly issue-oriented discussions. The only rule I imposed was that personal attacks against participants would not be allowed. It worked so well, I wrote a book and several articles about how Americans could work at depolarization through civil discussions. I did warn in the book that I thought Trump’s narcissism and authoritarian tendencies were major contributors to the polarization crisis. But the mutual participation of Clinton and Trump voters in civil discussions left me feeling optimistic that Americans would survive Trump and we could work together toward a better future despite our disagreements.
My optimism waned as the months/years passed and Trump supporters accepted and embraced his lies and disgusting behavior. Instead of recognizing him for the narcissist, demagogue, and wannabe fascist that he is, most of his supporters became even more enthusiastic about him and voted to reelect him in 2020. Thankfully, more votes were cast for Biden. But, instead of accepting their Great Leader’s defeat, many of his supporters chose to believe the election was stolen. Why? Because Trump said so. And then he incited his fanatical followers to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempted coup.
How do we come back from that? Unless all the reasonable and decent people who voted to reelect Trump have awakened from the spell he cast on them, I don’t think there is a bridge across these troubled waters.
So, I confess that I will now break the rule I imposed on others and myself in our civil discussion forum. Anyone who still supports Trump is supporting a fascist and a traitor. And so, that is what you are too. If that offends you, unfriend me and get the hell off my page.
Confession, but not an apology...
After the 2016 election of Trump I was so concerned about extreme polarization in the US, I began hosting an open discussion forum on my Facebook page. I was disappointed that several Clinton-voter friends refused to participate in any discussion with people “on the other side”. Two college friends unfriended me for “giving Trumpers a platform”. But I forged ahead and during the 3 months the forum lasted up to 80 people, including pro and anti Trump friends, participated in weekly issue-oriented discussions. The only rule I imposed was that personal attacks against participants would not be allowed. It worked so well, I wrote a book and several articles about how Americans could work at depolarization through civil discussions. I did warn in the book that I thought Trump’s narcissism and authoritarian tendencies were major contributors to the polarization crisis. But the mutual participation of Clinton and Trump voters in civil discussions left me feeling optimistic that Americans would survive Trump and we could work together toward a better future despite our disagreements.
My optimism waned as the months/years passed and Trump supporters accepted and embraced his lies and disgusting behavior. Instead of recognizing him for the narcissist, demagogue, and wannabe fascist that he is, most of his supporters became even more enthusiastic about him and voted to reelect him in 2020. Thankfully, more votes were cast for Biden. But, instead of accepting their Great Leader’s defeat, many of his supporters chose to believe the election was stolen. Why? Because Trump said so. And then he incited his fanatical followers to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempted coup.
How do we come back from that? Unless all the reasonable and decent people who voted to reelect Trump have awakened from the spell he cast on them, I don’t think there is a bridge across these troubled waters.
So, I confess that I will now break the rule I imposed on others and myself in our civil discussion forum. Anyone who still supports Trump is supporting a fascist and a traitor. And so, that is what you are too. If that offends you, unfriend me and get the hell off my page.
