Republicans feared Obama because they believed he would enforce the separation of church and state, take their guns, and ruin the economy through Obamacare. The sorts of things that were outrageous to their political sensibilities.
We fear Trump because he presents a clear and present danger to the livelihoods of real people. He wants to erase protections for LBQT+ folk, criminalize equity movements like Black Lives Matter, suppress reporting factual information that portrays him in a negative light, revoke women’s right to bodily autonomy, deport all undocumented immigrants, and legislate discrimination against Muslims. These aren’t just “bad political views,” they’re human rights abuses that he is championing.
Fear of Obama is symbolic of white fear: not getting their way.
Fear of Trump is symbolic of the fears of the marginalized: being subjected to regular harm.
you’re still bigoted if you’re indifferent to the pain and suffering of people different from you though.
it’s not just “i hate Brown/Black/lgbt/Muslim/Jewish people”; it’s also “I’m able to turn a blind eye to their suffering because i don’t consider it important. i only recognize and care for the pain of others like me”.
When good people do nothing to combat evil, they become a part of that evil.
Good morning, America. We have another white supremacist in the White House. Steve Bannon, head of Breitbart Media, a known alt-right organization, has been appointed as Trump’s top advisor. He is a known anti-semite, sexist, and racist.
So we’re going to call our elected officials until they speak out against him. If you can’t call, use the phone script and send an email instead. But I really urge you to call. Calls are much harder to ignore than emails.
“Hello, my name is (NAME), and I’m calling from (CITY) to urge Senator/Representative (NAME) to speak out against the appointment of Steve Bannon as President Elect Trump’s top advisor.
Steve Bannon is a known white supremacist, whose organization, Breitbart Media, promotes openly racist and sexist ideologies. He is proud of his connection to the alt-right movement, which openly campaigns for an “Aryan Homeland” and white ethno-nationalism.
He promotes Anti-Semitic and Anti-Muslim ideologies and harrassment of women. His appointment has told white supremacists throughout the country that their hatred and actions are justified.
This is not normal. We the people will not stand for this. It’s time to take a stand against racism. Speak out against the appointment of Steve Bannon and show America we will not allow the white supremacy movement to have the ear of our president.
I hope you will address this glaring issue. Thousands have already pledged their distrust of this man. I hope you will do the same.
Thank you for sharing my message.“
Don’t forget that Breitbart was instrumental in perpetuating Gamergate, a harassment campaign that targeted women, people of color, and LBQT+ folk in the gaming industry. Milo Yiannopoulos, arguably the public face of the alt-right, was instrumental in this, and is a contributor at Breitbart.
If you need to reference specific events or details in your phone call, this is the one to make note of. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced anti-harassment legislation in response to Gamergate, and this connects Steve Bannon to Congress in a tangible way. Steve Bannon and Breitbart Media encourage the harassment and online violence so much so that it led to legislation being introduced to Congress to put an end to it. Mentioning this is more effective than simply calling him a misogynist—you now have evidence of his misogyny in a way that relates to your Senators’ and Representatives’ area of expertise.
I have to ask, at this point, if you still refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton, what the fuck is wrong with you?
Seriously, do you not understand what’s at stake in this election?
A man who is ignorant in the ways of science, economics, social progress, and basic human decency, could very well become the next president. The most powerful individual in the world.
This man presents a clear and present danger to marginalized people across the nation. And you are going to use your vote to tell your friends of color, your LBQT+ friends, your differently-abled friends, that their livelihoods mean nothing to you?
And you aren’t going to vote for the one person who can stop this evil because of some bullshit argument that you’ve whipped up so you can continue to pout because your ideal candidate isn’t going to win?
Fuck you.
And if you are even considering voting third-party, that goes double for you. A third-party vote is not only wasted, it’s a way of saying that your moral grandstanding is more important than the lives of people who have the most to lose in this election. It is the ultimate act of selfishness.
This election is not about “the lesser of two evils.” There is a clear divide between the two candidates. This is objectively a battle of good vs. evil.
Vote for Hillary Clinton. Vote for Democrats down the ballot. Don’t reward hate. Save the nation and its people.
Delaney Robinson, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill alleged Tuesday that a football player at the school raped her in February and that UNC has done nothing about it. In a powerful personal statement she explained how “she did everything a rape victim is supposed to do.”
Tell me again that rape culture is nonexistent.
Tell me again that there’s no crisis on college campuses.
Tell me again that justice will be served if victims “just go to the police.”
TELL ME AGAIN THAT OUR SOCIETY DOESN’T PROTECT RAPISTS AND SPIT ON THEIR VICTIMS.
Don’t forget that in the past you had fucked up views and had soaked up oppressive ideology, including self directed and that you’ve said things or possibly even did things based on those views.
Don’t forget that it’s a constant lifelong process to defeat that in yourself and that you aren’t done yet, any more than anyone else.
Don’t lose sight of your issues, past or present or future because you think you’ve become ideologically pure. Avoid the trap of self righteousness and hypocrisy
Please don’t lose perspective. It’s important.
You must continue to decolonize your mind. It is a lifelong process.
Sometimes, we don’t know who is oppressed in our society until someone with privilege finally speaks out against that oppression. Because of that, we need to understand that there are things that we may say or that we may believe that were contributing to oppression, without us realizing it. Most of us have gone through this process already in learning about our own privileges. But you will never be fully freed from oppressive thinking.
We may strive to create a just and equitable world, but until the end of such a revolution, we must understand that there will be someone who is oppressed. There will be someone whose identity is invalidated, who is looked down upon for their physical appearance, who is treated unfairly because of their mental state, who is seen as “disgusting” because of who they love. We may not always see it, and that’s why there is value in paying attention, at noticing oppressive attitudes and structures, and working to tear them down.
You cannot champion equity when you do not look for inequities to correct.
A gun rights group in North Carolina is raffling off an AR-15 rifle that comes with a photograph of Hillary Clinton that is “very popular at the range,” calling the raffle the “Hillary Clinton Special.” The raffle winner will receive the AR-15, 1,000 rounds of ammunition and the portrait of Clinton. All of the proceeds from the raffle will be put to unsettling use.
How is this not an endorsement of violence on their part?
I was scrolling and expected the names to stop….but they just kept going…and going…
When this is a list of men, I usually recognize more than half. This list, I’m ashamed to say, is mostly unfamiliar to me. That needs to change.
Stop the misconception that Black Men are the only ones killed. Saying protect our Sons leaves our Daughter vulnerable because their is no one to protect them. These deaths are barely mentioned. And most people can’t name at least five of these names.
My stomach just kept getting tighter and tighter the more I had to scroll, with most names unrecognizable, this has to end.
The reason Trump received this advertising is because the media would actually be okay with a Trump presidency. They would benefit from it.
Think about it: The media thrives on controversy. It spent a ridiculous amount of time on the manufactured debate that was Obama’s citizenship status. Why? Because people pay attention to controversy.
Trump is a controversial figure because he’s a misogynistic, racist, homophobic xenophobe, and is not afraid to announce that to the world. He’s a goldmine for media coverage. People will always pay attention to the things he says, to the point where minor comments would become breaking news. And the public would be exposed to and desensitized to his bigoted ideas along the way.
That is why we cannot allow ourselves to have a Trump presidency.
I’ve been inspired to write an essay about this. Sorry for everyone wondering where the follow-up to “Abridging the Freedom of Speech” is, that will be put on hold for this.
