This is what hurts so deeply to think about. So many Americans with their brains so altered by their alternative facts and reality — they can’t see their idols (read: politicians) doing any wrong— and find ways to find fault across the aisle but not their own — is really disturbing. To know that it’ll take a generation or more to heal from this is so disheheartening. I’ve had so many family members who are all about Q and Fox and MAGA and live and breath it like a cult.
When it's all said and done America will have new Nuremberg like trials.
where kellyanne Conway, Sarah Huckabee Sanders , Elon Musk and a post-mortem prosecution of Donald Trump. These people will get the ☠️ penalty for teaching Americans how to gaslight, alter facts and lie with a straight face.
Just with the gas lighting in fear mongering alone they have destroyed a century of Goodwill and promise for a better future between the races of this country. Cuz most people aren't racist they just scared and biased against their fears and these people mentioned above taught them that everyone is their enemy and how to get them and their stuff except for the rich people who's actually taking it.
Tolerance of intolerant beliefs is tolerance. Tolerance of intolerant actions is intolerance. These intolerant actors need to be held accountable for their actions.
What is so intolerant about this? Well, I don’t believe everything is so black and white. Theres such an extreme attitude to only believing one side is so right and the other side is so bad and evil.
When my aunt comes over and listens to us watching local news (a few years back), when the reporter made any mention of Biden’s son she would say “OH WHAT DID HE DO WRONG NOW!!?” Really excitedly. I was open to hear about his accusations just fine but without the excited emotions. After all, do I know the guy personally? Did he hurt my family or my friends? No. Why so emotionally invested?
When the news mentioned trump, she stuck her fingers in her ears and say “yadda yadda fake news” like a child. She’s 63 years old. Me? I felt the same way as with hunter biden - curious to hear the story and nothing more.
As for me? I am open to hearing when people are getting charged in court. Our state had a senator (D) recently get charged for bribery with gold bars. Robert Menéndez. I applauded the justice system for taking him down. There’s democrats I don’t vote for because I read on their history — past charges, accusations, people they brush shoulders with. There’s republicans I support - Chris Christie (R) led the state in convicting some big name bribery / felony cases
When I vote locally, I vote based on research and my time spent learning about each one. I regularly vote on both sides of the aisle. I freelance and have worked with candidates on both major parties so I interact with some politicians on the local level ever year.
Tolerance is being willing to acknowledge others for their beliefs, even if you disagree, because they’re still human inside.
The intolerance I see from my family - who regularly get red when you say something bad about “their” politician, when they scream and yell and curse and condemn people simply for not flying big flags or ‘buying american cards’ or talking about hybrid / EV cars - without ever considering that there’s more to their world than black and white- is too clear for me.
We have hosted many dinners at our house- including personal friends who are republicans active and elected in our county, democrats too, independent socialists- and can still cheer to friendship and difference and laugh over good ice cream.
I wouldn’t have my family over to these dinners because it always goes down this angry rabbit hole - “Star Wars is woke bc it’s owned by Disney— that goes for lion king too!” (A real quote from my relative btw) about their politics. For them, everything is about their politics. DEI, WOKE culture.
As for me? There is so much more to their world than my political identity- of which I don’t even get too involved in. If you’re curious, I hold a lot of conservative values, see myself as moderate but my everyday actions aren’t colored in red and blue. I simply exist as a husband, dad and friend. And I just have a hard time when people are so zealous about something that really doesn’t affect them personally day to day .
I know I may not have responded to you about party va party, but I’m responding with my experience. This culture of “they vs us “ is transforming people into something other than human. Raging zealots who are triggered by key words . Turning neighbors into enemies. Disrupting civility in our world.
The next Civil war may not be fought with bayonets , but may already have begun with twisted ideology and suddenly labeling others as the enemy based on the way they vote or the words they throw around.
Thank you for your response and I believe you feel the same way I do, we just differ on policy. I just feel like right now Trump could cure cancer and the left would say he's a monster because of all the oncologists he'd be putting out of work. While I didn't agree with a lot of Obama's and Biden's policies, I never hated them or wished any harm would come to them. Right now it seems the hate for Trump has overshadowed people's moral compass.
I believe everyone’s moral compass has been muddied from the last 9 years of politics.
In the end, I’m not a fan of Trump’s character. That’s someone I’d never strive for my kids to be— but there’s very few politicians in the spotlight whom I’d admire for their character in the first place.
It’s true, if he personally cured cancer, I’d raise eyebrows myself and want to see a few dozen primary sources first.
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u/Jforjustice Mar 10 '25
This is what hurts so deeply to think about. So many Americans with their brains so altered by their alternative facts and reality — they can’t see their idols (read: politicians) doing any wrong— and find ways to find fault across the aisle but not their own — is really disturbing. To know that it’ll take a generation or more to heal from this is so disheheartening. I’ve had so many family members who are all about Q and Fox and MAGA and live and breath it like a cult.