They see being conservative as being in line with ‘American values’ of patriotism, hard work, self reliance.
I agree with that to some degree. Doesn’t make me a 2023 Republican.
They tend to be isolationists and tend to think any browner skinned than they are person is an illegal immigrant who is collecting welfare and stealing American jobs.
That‘s EVIL.
IMHO of course. You (or Emily’s) mileage may vary.
They see America as abandoning God and the principles which made it great.
There’s the intersection of ignorance and evil.
They see themselves as being very law and order and Democrats as soft on crime. They also tend to believe in corporal punishment and experienced an alarming amount of it as kids.
Excuses for evil don’t make it good.
I think that it’s ignorant and yes, ignorance is an evil. It’s just not the only evil. So is smug self satisfaction, which I sometimes see in Democrats. Maybe myself.
Most or maybe all of these people feel as though they have been left behind, forgotten, treated as unworthy, less than. People like me, we left and did not spare even one backwards glance. I think I would have been turned into one of those pillars of salt. I was one of the ones who could only find herself or be her true self by leaving.
It is important to recognize and remember, it is always more difficult to be the one who left than the one who leaves.
I very much recognize that my strongest values: independent thinking, generosity, courage, honesty, thinking for myself ( something my father drummed into our heads and yes, I get the irony), kindness, hard work: those are values I learned growing up. The same as they did, for the most part. I’m not certain anyone else’s father was so determined they learn to think for themselves as mine was.
Most of my social interactions are with people who grew up with more money, more education than my family had, more urban experiences, more ‘sophistication.’ Quite a large portion are academics. Or otherwise members of the professional class. For about half of them, I’m a little radical and I have to admit a certain conceited self satisfaction in that. Really, I’m an egalitarian. I know where I came from and I respect the hell out of what my family went through to get to the point they could raise a family where all the kids went to college—and did it knowing we might not come back. Fearing that we might look down on them. I certainly do not look down on them. And I am not above going toe to toe in any disagreement over any issue, including whether or not it is ok to substitute Hellman’s for Miracle Whip in our mother’s recipe for potato salad.
I am completely sincere when I say we must look for shared values. And fight disinformation wherever we find it. Frankly I’m getting a bit disgusted by the many pleas for political contributions that really sound a lot like GOP taking points, with some manes and characters changed.
Disinformation is evil. Disrespect is evil. Dehumanizing other people is evil. We see it as evil when our political opponents demonize people of color, foreigners, LGBTQIA+. It’s not less evil to demonize those we disagree with. Disagree and despise some opinions and political stances—but don’t demonize the people.
Look for common ground. Everyone wants families to be stronger. Sometimes we disagree with what makes family. That doesn’t change the principle. Everyone wants their kids to have a better life than they did. Everyone wants their family to be safe, healthy, to have decent housing, food, health care, educational and career opportunities. A shot at a future.
That’s what to focus on.
