Just think that these people have always been there... just waiting, it seems, for a chance to take off their masks.
Kind of cowardly that they kept it hidden so long, isn't it?
Yes it seems like it. Trump did not invent racism, sexism and hate. It has always been there.
But in the age of political correctness people were more reluctant to let it out. Now they don't fear being called out anymore. Now they can show their true faces.
All that hate that accumulated during the age of political correctness. It's like a massive overload that's going to blow off now.
It's like an explosion of hate.
I refuse to blame political correctness. We are talking about basic human decency. The kind of shit you are taught in grade school. Fundamental aspects of respect for other people's space and right to go about their day without being screamed at by a stranger. If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
(careful with that link, it contains a photo that is shocking)
Once again, we have to rely on the foreign media to report our stories (it hasn't penetrated beyond social media here, making it easily deniable). You can say Trump isn't responsible for their actions all you want. The fact is, words have consequences when you are on TV 24/7 for a year running for President. These are the consequences. And the man hasn't said a word, won't say a word. He's sitting in his golden tower.
I refuse to blame political correctness. We are talking about basic human decency. The kind of shit you are taught in grade school. Fundamental aspects of respect for other people's space and right to go about their day without being screamed at by a stranger. If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
Oh yes from my point of view it was.
In my view, there are people, who hate political correctness exactly for that reason.
It prevented them from showing their hate towards minorities without being called out on it.
I've been saying for two years that this is really all the "anti-PC" and the so-called "alt-right" is about. Their ability to say or not say these things to other people wasn't harming them in any way. It had no tangible effect on their lives. It was a supposed violation of their free speech rights only in their own brain. They apparently love freedom so much that the moment they feel the air shift, they immediately start invading total stranger's physical space and start verbally assaulting them. What I always ask them in these debates online is one simple question: What is you want to say that you feel you are being prevented from saying by "PC culture"??
My opinion is I would like it to be irrelevant. They have thankfully never played a decisive factor, but this just goes to show how ridiculous the entire system is. The Electoral College was designed by Alexander Hamilton, and Hamilton and his supporters did not trust a true democracy. That is more evident today than ever. Again, 600,000 votes and climbing. And the media and Republicans are acting like (and will govern like) they have a mandate to do whatever they want. And they will. Even though more than half the country voted against them.
This. is. a. big. problem. And it's going to hang over everything that comes next.
This is just one example of dozens of accounts I have read in the last few days about what is going on around the country. I am not going to plaster them all over this forum, but jesus christ.....
People should be more kind and open-minded, like Hillary's supporters:
If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
It was ALSO (mis)used to prevent honest and open discussions about relevant issues in this country that might've actually prevented much of the disunity and animosity that we're continuing to see.
If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
It was ALSO (mis)used to prevent honest and open discussions about relevant issues in this country that might've actually prevented much of the disunity and animosity that we're continuing to see.
As long as this sort of behavior continues, so will Trump-like backlashes against it.
Prevented how?? What mechanism of the state or law enforcement was used to prevent you from discussing these ideas and using whatever language you saw fit?? Again, you are not pissed because you can't say what you want. You can say what you want then and now. What you are pissed about is that people call you out on it. You want to go back to the days when liberals were timid little flowers who didn't push back. That's what we're dealing with here. Unless, by default, me posting this is some sort of violation of your "rights" to freely engage in debate.
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If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
It was ALSO (mis)used to prevent honest and open discussions about relevant issues in this country that might've actually prevented much of the disunity and animosity that we're continuing to see.
As long as this sort of behavior continues, so will Trump-like backlashes against it.
Prevented how?? What mechanism of the state or law enforcement was used to prevent you from discussing these ideas and using whatever language you saw fit?? Again, you are not pissed because you can't say what you want. You can say what you want then and now. What you are pissed about is that people call you out on it. You want to go back to the days when liberals were timid little flowers who didn't push back. That's what we're dealing with here. Unless, by default, me posting this is some sort of violation of your "rights" to freely engage in debate.
Politically Correctness, I agree, as a term was used derogatorily to define an awakening of humanity's eyes to the harm caused by words.
But just like anything else, the actual awakening itself can be perverted, and it is important for us to acknowledge that, rather than pretend it isn't happening.
For example, saying the word retarded used to be the medical term for people with certain mental conditions, but this awakening ushered in a changing of our language. Suddenly retarded is "offensive" because it had been used as an insult by haters, and people could get fired from their jobs or even ostracized for forgetting to stop using a term that had been used for years by the medical and educational communities.
So we socially changed it to mentally handicapped, but then that started being used as an insult by haters. Then the term was changed to mentally challenged. Now I think the correct term is "intellectually diverse", or something like that. Pretty soon, people will use their hatred to channel that into their offensive language.
Political correctness as a term, yes, is used to refer to what you are describing. But it is also used to refer to the corruption of our language and an entirely different form of hatred: the kind of hatred that comes from being unable to forgive, the hatred that comes from having the alleged "moral high ground".
The moral of the story is that people can disguise their hatred as love, and feel good about their hatred, even when it measures out the same results. But it is still hatred.
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." -Nietzsche
I think a lot of people convince themselves they're not prejudiced because it's those other people that are the intolerant ones. I personally know two people who, with little sense of irony, regularly stereotype large groups of people as being bigots.
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." -Nietzsche
I think a lot of people convince themselves they're not prejudiced because it's those other people that are the intolerant ones. I personally know two people who, with little sense of irony, regularly stereotype large groups of people as being bigots.
Ironic, isn't it. Yeah, all those people are total morons.
If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
It was ALSO (mis)used to prevent honest and open discussions about relevant issues in this country that might've actually prevented much of the disunity and animosity that we're continuing to see.
As long as this sort of behavior continues, so will Trump-like backlashes against it.
Prevented how?? What mechanism of the state or law enforcement was used to prevent you from discussing these ideas and using whatever language you saw fit?? Again, you are not pissed because you can't say what you want. You can say what you want then and now. What you are pissed about is that people call you out on it. You want to go back to the days when liberals were timid little flowers who didn't push back. That's what we're dealing with here. Unless, by default, me posting this is some sort of violation of your "rights" to freely engage in debate.
Politically Correctness, I agree, as a term was used derogatorily to define an awakening of humanity's eyes to the harm caused by words.
But just like anything else, the actual awakening itself can be perverted, and it is important for us to acknowledge that, rather than pretend it isn't happening.
For example, saying the word retarded used to be the medical term for people with certain mental conditions, but this awakening ushered in a changing of our language. Suddenly retarded is "offensive" because it had been used as an insult by haters, and people could get fired from their jobs or even ostracized for forgetting to stop using a term that had been used for years by the medical and educational communities.
So we socially changed it to mentally handicapped, but then that started being used as an insult by haters. Then the term was changed to mentally challenged. Now I think the correct term is "intellectually diverse", or something like that. Pretty soon, people will use their hatred to channel that into their offensive language.
Political correctness as a term, yes, is used to refer to what you are describing. But it is also used to refer to the corruption of our language and an entirely different form of hatred: the kind of hatred that comes from being unable to forgive, the hatred that comes from having the alleged "moral high ground".
The moral of the story is that people can disguise their hatred as love, and feel good about their hatred, even when it measures out the same results. But it is still hatred.
How is the term "retarded" becoming offensive not then the fault of the people who started using the word with malice, rather than the people who looked to protect those it would harm from those who started to use it maliciously?? I have never once in my life heard the word "intellectually diverse", much like I'd never heard the phrase "SJW" until the whole "Siege of Dragonspear" controversy took over these forums when the expansion came out. It was my introduction to this whole Gamer-Gate, Alt-Right movement, and I discerned pretty quickly what it was all about.
And I'm sorry to say this, but it must be said. Not being fired from you job or ostracized in public are not rights granted to you by the 1st Amendment. There are no protections against that. Under the law, you are entitled to protection from retribution or punishment by the State for what you say (we'll add the caveat of "for now" given recent events). There is also no protection against a mentally handicapped person being called a "retard" on the street. No one is getting locked up for that. But count me among those who damn sure am going to call out the person who is saying it, and they will not escape the social consequences of their actions.
If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
It was ALSO (mis)used to prevent honest and open discussions about relevant issues in this country that might've actually prevented much of the disunity and animosity that we're continuing to see.
As long as this sort of behavior continues, so will Trump-like backlashes against it.
Prevented how?? What mechanism of the state or law enforcement was used to prevent you from discussing these ideas and using whatever language you saw fit?? Again, you are not pissed because you can't say what you want. You can say what you want then and now. What you are pissed about is that people call you out on it. You want to go back to the days when liberals were timid little flowers who didn't push back. That's what we're dealing with here. Unless, by default, me posting this is some sort of violation of your "rights" to freely engage in debate.
Politically Correctness, I agree, as a term was used derogatorily to define an awakening of humanity's eyes to the harm caused by words.
But just like anything else, the actual awakening itself can be perverted, and it is important for us to acknowledge that, rather than pretend it isn't happening.
For example, saying the word retarded used to be the medical term for people with certain mental conditions, but this awakening ushered in a changing of our language. Suddenly retarded is "offensive" because it had been used as an insult by haters, and people could get fired from their jobs or even ostracized for forgetting to stop using a term that had been used for years by the medical and educational communities.
So we socially changed it to mentally handicapped, but then that started being used as an insult by haters. Then the term was changed to mentally challenged. Now I think the correct term is "intellectually diverse", or something like that. Pretty soon, people will use their hatred to channel that into their offensive language.
Political correctness as a term, yes, is used to refer to what you are describing. But it is also used to refer to the corruption of our language and an entirely different form of hatred: the kind of hatred that comes from being unable to forgive, the hatred that comes from having the alleged "moral high ground".
The moral of the story is that people can disguise their hatred as love, and feel good about their hatred, even when it measures out the same results. But it is still hatred.
How is the term "retarded" becoming offensive not then the fault of the people who started using the word with malice, rather than the people who looked to protect those it would harm from those who started to use it maliciously?? I have never once in my life heard the word "intellectually diverse", much like I'd never heard the phrase "SJW" until the whole "Siege of Dragonspear" controversy took over these forums when the expansion came out. It was my introduction to this whole Gamer-Gate, Alt-Right movement, and I discerned pretty quickly what it was all about.
And I'm sorry to say this, but it must be said. Not being fired from you job or ostracized in public are not rights granted to you by the 1st Amendment. There are no protections against that. Under the law, you are entitled to protection from retribution or punishment by the State for what you say (we'll add the caveat of "for now" given recent events). There is also no protection against a mentally handicapped person being called a "retard" on the street. No one is getting locked up for that. But count me among those who damn sure am going to call out the person who is saying it, and they will not escape the social consequences of their actions.
I have family members who work in the educational field, so I am on the "cutting edge", as it were, of the evolution of acceptable professional language, so that is how I know about "intellectually diverse". It just "came out" a year or so ago. Many parts of the country still use the term "retarded" though as a medical diagnosis (mostly in the Deep South).
It does not excuse malicious language, or hatred in the hearts of anyone. But the lesson stands to illustrate that people who hate will use whatever form of language they want to, from "retarded," to "mentally handicapped," to "mentally challenged," to, eventually I'm sure, "intellectually diverse." And the lesson also stands that you can use the higher ground to hate as well, by hating against someone who uses a term without malice in their hearts.
The problem is trying to use regulations and policies to identify And control language as the culprit, when it is really the person. Using that strategy will always keep you one step behind the game, and just distracts from and even adds to the actual problem: anger and hatred.
And, no, you're right, our jobs are not protected by the constitution and neither is our language. I didn't bring up the constitution and I must have missed the point of why you brought it up, but I agree with what you said about it.
If this is what so-called "political correctness" was preventing, then so be it.
It was ALSO (mis)used to prevent honest and open discussions about relevant issues in this country that might've actually prevented much of the disunity and animosity that we're continuing to see.
Again, you are not pissed because you can't say what you want. You can say what you want then and now. What you are pissed about is that people call you out on it. You want to go back to the days when liberals were timid little flowers who didn't push back. That's what we're dealing with here. Unless, by default, me posting this is some sort of violation of your "rights" to freely engage in debate.
I didn't even vote for Trump, and I supported Bernie Sanders. You have absolutely no idea who or what you're criticizing - you just rush to criticize it and shut down any discussion as quickly as possible.
So is it wrong to assume that the person who just parked their untagged car in the handicapped spot was mentally handicapped?
Love it! Just don't say it out loud.
Also, the new correct term is the "Physically and Mentally Diverse, But Otherwise Accepted By All of Us, So Don't Say Something That Might Offend the Person in the Car, or Rather the People that Came Up with This Name, As a Matter of Fact Just Keep Your Mouth Shut" parking spot.
Again, you are not pissed because you can't say what you want. You can say what you want then and now. What you are pissed about is that people call you out on it. You want to go back to the days when liberals were timid little flowers who didn't push back. That's what we're dealing with here. Unless, by default, me posting this is some sort of violation of your "rights" to freely engage in debate.
I didn't even vote for Trump, and I supported Bernie Sanders.
Again, case in point.
Facing intense backlash doesn't automatically prevent anyone from saying anything. The reason some people are criticizing Oprah is because she herself is a billionaire who will likely never face any repercussions in Trump's America. She among the richest women in the world, who can fly off to any corner of the globe on a whim. The problem people have is her telling people who WILL be affected by Trump's Presidency to basically "chill out". People who don't have means or the luxury of doing that. Many of us leveled the same criticism at Susan Sarandon, who vigorously opposed Hillary and was essentially rooting for Trump because of her "burn it down" theory, in which Trump gets elected and things get so bad people finally wake up. Except, while things are burning down, real people who don't have unlimited resources like her actually get hurt in the process. So these attacks, so to speak, are coming from a real place. There is a reason for them.
"you just rush to criticize it and shut down any discussion as quickly as possible."
The conversation was not shut down, as evidenced by the fact that it is still happening at this very second. This is something else I see in these discussions. An obsession with being entitled to a dialogue, no matter what the topic. And I'm not referring to this one specifically, but a general attitude that the debate MUST be conducted on certain terms or it is invalid.
I have family members who work in the educational field, so I am on the "cutting edge", as it were, of the evolution of acceptable professional language, so that is how I know about "intellectually diverse".
I work on behalf of Social Security disability applicants, and the "official" term that the SS Administration has adopted to describe such applications is "intellectually disabled." But as you say, the change was made in response to a concentrated effort to deem the term retarded as being "offensive" even when it was used in a non-offensive, factually accurate manner.
Also, if anyone is illegally in another country they should be punished by that countries laws. I waited years and went through hell to get in. Why should people like me be punished by doing things by the law.
Ask the haters out there bashing anyone who looks remotely like an immigrant
What I never understood was how Trump wants to build a wall across Mexico but we have a huge northern border too. Why u no wall on Canada? How is that explained without racism
I have family members who work in the educational field, so I am on the "cutting edge", as it were, of the evolution of acceptable professional language, so that is how I know about "intellectually diverse".
I work on behalf of Social Security disability applicants, and the "official" term that the SS Administration has adopted to describe such applications is "intellectually disabled." But as you say, the change was made in response to a concentrated effort to deem the term retarded as being "offensive" even when it was used in a non-offensive, factually accurate manner.
@SharGuidesMyHand Thanks for the correction! I am not savvy enough to keep up on the actual language. As you can see, I don't work in a field that requires me to watch my language.
I actually work in the trades. Some of the language in that field would make most people squeal with indignation in the right circumstances. But it is usually good natured, which is the difference; most of the people I work with are very very "politically incorrect," but don't have even a drop of malice in their hearts, and would do anything for anyone, regardless of their race, disability, sex, or whatnot, and would be heart-broken at themselves if they knew they had had caused someone distress. Such is a simpler life.
I'm going to tell a story and then bow out of this. It's not to garner sympathy for my cause or to persuade anyone of anything. It actually pointed out a flaw in my own thinking when it happened, BECAUSE I'm a white male.
The night after Trump's election, I was, like many people of my political ilk, shell-shocked and dejected to the point of feeling physically ill. I told my GF I couldn't talk that night, and that I had to be alone with my thoughts. My GF is apolitical for the most part, it just isn't something she follows more than casually. She had certainly heard SOME things about Trump, but with everything else going on in her life, was simply tuned out from most of it.
Once I started venting about why Trump was such a disaster, she started to look into more of what he'd done and said during the campaign. Now, the thing is, my GF was raped by her friend's father when she was in high school. During the course of our phone call, her voice got lower in tone, she didn't talk as much, she started to sound upset. But of course, I was ranting on and on about how this was going to affect Latinos, African-Americans, Muslims, what it meant for them. She at one point mentioned that, as a woman, she didn't feel comfortable in his America either, but I basically just DISMISSED her while continuing to go on my tirade. It wasn't until I hung up the phone that I'd realized what happened. Reading about what Trump had done to his accusers had (and I'm going to use a word that is now used in a negative connotation almost universally, and I now think this may very well be the reason why that particular word was chosen) had TRIGGERED memories and feelings of what had happened during her own sexual assault. That a man who did these things and got away with it was now the most powerful man in the country (or world). And that this was his America.
I immediately sent her a text asking if this was the case and profusely apologizing for dismissing what she had been saying. She confirmed that was in fact exactly what had been going on. And this is why Trump getting elected matters. I'm a white male, I would guess most of us posting here are white males. The worst thing anyone is ever going to say to us is that we are being insensitive, or maybe once or twice in our life a minority will get a job we might have gotten. Not a big deal. My (yes) privilege of being in this demographic group, someone who will never experience a sexual assault, or the threat of it, blinded me to the idea that reading about it would upset someone I care about. What we are dealing with here is a fundamental, ingrained lack of empathy for those who's shoes we will never walk in. For the Muslim children who have never done anything wrong who will get harassed in school. For the Latino children who were born in this country who have parents that weren't and their fear of losing their family. For the disabled person who gets stared at everywhere they go having to feel even MORE insecure about their life. If we were in their shoes, we'd be scared to. This is why Trump matters. This is his real danger.
Facing intense backlash doesn't automatically prevent anyone from saying anything.
I didn't say it prevents people from saying things, I said it prevents "honest and open discussions." Oprah's case just happens to be the most recent of countless such examples.
This is something else I see in these discussions. An obsession with being entitled to a dialogue, no matter what the topic. And I'm not referring to this one specifically, but a general attitude that the debate MUST be conducted on certain terms or it is invalid.
By "terms" you mean not wanting to be bulled into being silenced? - sorry, but that IS one of the requisites of an open and honest discussion. And people in a discussion ARE entitled to a dialogue - otherwise it ceases to be a discussion.
What I never understood was how Trump wants to build a wall across Mexico but we have a huge northern border too. Why u no wall on Canada? How is that explained without racism
How are you guys gonna get your hands on that good ol' BC Skunk?
Comments
This. is. a. big. problem. And it's going to hang over everything that comes next.
On a lighter note, it looks like Christopher Nolan is already in talks to direct a movie about Trump's victory:
Case in point: OPRAH, of all people, is now facing an intense backlash from fellow liberals because she had the audacity to simply suggest that everyone "take a deep breath": http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/oprah-winfrey-faces-backlash-about-her-comments-following-donald-trumps-win/ar-AAkcaUt?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout
As long as this sort of behavior continues, so will Trump-like backlashes against it.
Incoming retort: triggered, safe spaces, PC, SJW, Cuck
And no, I'm not talking to them, those people that are disagreeing with you, those people on the "other side."
I'm talking to YOU.
If you attack your fellow forumites, your posts will be subject to deletion and your account will be subject to disciplinary action.
I will not issue this warning again.
But just like anything else, the actual awakening itself can be perverted, and it is important for us to acknowledge that, rather than pretend it isn't happening.
For example, saying the word retarded used to be the medical term for people with certain mental conditions, but this awakening ushered in a changing of our language. Suddenly retarded is "offensive" because it had been used as an insult by haters, and people could get fired from their jobs or even ostracized for forgetting to stop using a term that had been used for years by the medical and educational communities.
So we socially changed it to mentally handicapped, but then that started being used as an insult by haters. Then the term was changed to mentally challenged. Now I think the correct term is "intellectually diverse", or something like that. Pretty soon, people will use their hatred to channel that into their offensive language.
Political correctness as a term, yes, is used to refer to what you are describing. But it is also used to refer to the corruption of our language and an entirely different form of hatred: the kind of hatred that comes from being unable to forgive, the hatred that comes from having the alleged "moral high ground".
The moral of the story is that people can disguise their hatred as love, and feel good about their hatred, even when it measures out the same results. But it is still hatred.
I think a lot of people convince themselves they're not prejudiced because it's those other people that are the intolerant ones. I personally know two people who, with little sense of irony, regularly stereotype large groups of people as being bigots.
Yeah, all those people are total morons.
That was a joke, people.
And I'm sorry to say this, but it must be said. Not being fired from you job or ostracized in public are not rights granted to you by the 1st Amendment. There are no protections against that. Under the law, you are entitled to protection from retribution or punishment by the State for what you say (we'll add the caveat of "for now" given recent events). There is also no protection against a mentally handicapped person being called a "retard" on the street. No one is getting locked up for that. But count me among those who damn sure am going to call out the person who is saying it, and they will not escape the social consequences of their actions.
It does not excuse malicious language, or hatred in the hearts of anyone. But the lesson stands to illustrate that people who hate will use whatever form of language they want to, from "retarded," to "mentally handicapped," to "mentally challenged," to, eventually I'm sure, "intellectually diverse." And the lesson also stands that you can use the higher ground to hate as well, by hating against someone who uses a term without malice in their hearts.
The problem is trying to use regulations and policies to identify And control language as the culprit, when it is really the person. Using that strategy will always keep you one step behind the game, and just distracts from and even adds to the actual problem: anger and hatred.
And, no, you're right, our jobs are not protected by the constitution and neither is our language. I didn't bring up the constitution and I must have missed the point of why you brought it up, but I agree with what you said about it.
It takes TWO to make a discussion - if one side is persisting in shutting it down, then it won't happen, even if the other side still wants it.
I didn't even vote for Trump, and I supported Bernie Sanders. You have absolutely no idea who or what you're criticizing - you just rush to criticize it and shut down any discussion as quickly as possible.
Or to put it another way, case in point.
Also, the new correct term is the "Physically and Mentally Diverse, But Otherwise Accepted By All of Us, So Don't Say Something That Might Offend the Person in the Car, or Rather the People that Came Up with This Name, As a Matter of Fact Just Keep Your Mouth Shut" parking spot.
"you just rush to criticize it and shut down any discussion as quickly as possible."
The conversation was not shut down, as evidenced by the fact that it is still happening at this very second. This is something else I see in these discussions. An obsession with being entitled to a dialogue, no matter what the topic. And I'm not referring to this one specifically, but a general attitude that the debate MUST be conducted on certain terms or it is invalid.
For example this: Go back to Asia!’: Trump supporter grabs woman–police arrive and handcuff the victim
https://usuncut.com/news/go-back-asia-trump-supporter-grabs-woman-police-arrive-handcuff-victim/
The answer is there are irrational hateful people out there. With guns.
Thanks for the correction! I am not savvy enough to keep up on the actual language. As you can see, I don't work in a field that requires me to watch my language.
I actually work in the trades. Some of the language in that field would make most people squeal with indignation in the right circumstances. But it is usually good natured, which is the difference; most of the people I work with are very very "politically incorrect," but don't have even a drop of malice in their hearts, and would do anything for anyone, regardless of their race, disability, sex, or whatnot, and would be heart-broken at themselves if they knew they had had caused someone distress. Such is a simpler life.
The night after Trump's election, I was, like many people of my political ilk, shell-shocked and dejected to the point of feeling physically ill. I told my GF I couldn't talk that night, and that I had to be alone with my thoughts. My GF is apolitical for the most part, it just isn't something she follows more than casually. She had certainly heard SOME things about Trump, but with everything else going on in her life, was simply tuned out from most of it.
Once I started venting about why Trump was such a disaster, she started to look into more of what he'd done and said during the campaign. Now, the thing is, my GF was raped by her friend's father when she was in high school. During the course of our phone call, her voice got lower in tone, she didn't talk as much, she started to sound upset. But of course, I was ranting on and on about how this was going to affect Latinos, African-Americans, Muslims, what it meant for them. She at one point mentioned that, as a woman, she didn't feel comfortable in his America either, but I basically just DISMISSED her while continuing to go on my tirade. It wasn't until I hung up the phone that I'd realized what happened. Reading about what Trump had done to his accusers had (and I'm going to use a word that is now used in a negative connotation almost universally, and I now think this may very well be the reason why that particular word was chosen) had TRIGGERED memories and feelings of what had happened during her own sexual assault. That a man who did these things and got away with it was now the most powerful man in the country (or world). And that this was his America.
I immediately sent her a text asking if this was the case and profusely apologizing for dismissing what she had been saying. She confirmed that was in fact exactly what had been going on. And this is why Trump getting elected matters. I'm a white male, I would guess most of us posting here are white males. The worst thing anyone is ever going to say to us is that we are being insensitive, or maybe once or twice in our life a minority will get a job we might have gotten. Not a big deal. My (yes) privilege of being in this demographic group, someone who will never experience a sexual assault, or the threat of it, blinded me to the idea that reading about it would upset someone I care about. What we are dealing with here is a fundamental, ingrained lack of empathy for those who's shoes we will never walk in. For the Muslim children who have never done anything wrong who will get harassed in school. For the Latino children who were born in this country who have parents that weren't and their fear of losing their family. For the disabled person who gets stared at everywhere they go having to feel even MORE insecure about their life. If we were in their shoes, we'd be scared to. This is why Trump matters. This is his real danger.
Sorry, but you DID shut it down - the only reason you responded again was because I happened to mention that I didn't vote for Trump.
By "terms" you mean not wanting to be bulled into being silenced? - sorry, but that IS one of the requisites of an open and honest discussion. And people in a discussion ARE entitled to a dialogue - otherwise it ceases to be a discussion.