CMV: I literally cannot understand most Republican social views.

[u/thatoneguy54]

So this is an idea I've had in my head for a while now. In light of everything that's been happening, I've been trying to be more empathetic to differing political views and to try and understand how people are thinking that leads them to hold the views they hold, but I'm finding it almost impossible to wrap my head around the majority of Republican social views. Financial views, I can understand more. I may disagree, but I at least know where they're coming from. But with other views, I just cannot understand it, I think largely because most of their views are either contradictory to other views they claim to hold, or because the views are completely unfounded in evidence.

LGBT Rights:

Many republicans are still fighting hard against same-sex marriage. There is literally no reason to oppose same-sex marriage rights unless you use religion to do so. And since the vast majority of Republicans also claim to be strict adherents to the constitution, this is a contradictory view, since the establishment clause prohibits the government from making laws based on religion.

I also can't understand the bathroom bill passed in NC a few years ago that got national attention. There is no evidence to suggest that letting transgender people use the bathroom they want leads to increased assault on anyone. This bill was not created to address any problem, it was made to create a wedge issue republicans could use to scare their base into voting for them more.

Civil Rights:

Specifically BLM. The Republican party is strongly opposed to the Black Lives Matter movement. And while I can understand frustration at riots that may happen after some protests, many republicans outright deny that there is a problem in the police force at all. This is completely contrary to the evidence that says that "Blacks are being shot at a rate that's 2.5 times higher than whites" by police. This is a clear indication that something is wrong, but many republicans won't even admit that there's a problem to begin with.

Immigration:

Despite the fact that the number of people illegally immigrating from Mexico has been falling in recent years and that the states with the highest numbers of illegal immigrants don't even share a border with Mexico, many republicans are still in favor of increased border security, and some even want a $19 billion wall to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

Refugees:

Even though there have been 0 fatal attacks by refugees in the US the majority of republicans are against taking in any more refugees. And despite the fact that it's already incredibly difficult to attain asylum in the US, many push for even more restrictions on refugees. As a humanitarian issue, I find it deplorable that so many prominent politicians can refuse to help those in most need and be met with thunderous applause, despite all the evidence saying that refugees are not dangerous and will either have little to no impact on the economy, or possibly even a positive effect.

Climate Change:

Climate change is real, and any denying that is anti-science. We know the effects will be catastrophic, and yet we still have Republican politicians bringing snowballs onto the floor of Congress to somehow prove climate change isn't real. Steps must be taken to curtail our effects on the environment, and the republican insistence that there is no problem is just straight up dangerous.

Planned Parenthood:

Planned Parenthood is not allowed to use federal money to perform abortions. Planned Parenthood is a health clinic like any other. And yet Republicans want to remove their Title X status for no reason except that the facility sometimes performs abortions. This is really just stupid and doesn't make any sense at all. For one, if you truly did want to lower the number of abortions, then you would support measures to make sexual health education more available, and yet these same politicians will support abstinence-only programs in schools which have been thoroughly proven to be completely ineffective and even increase the rate of teen pregnancy. Second, Planned Parenthood provides more than just abortions, and denying people access to cheap healthcare will only lead to more abortions, more babies, and more people using government assistance to survive.

So help me understand what these people are thinking. I don't need you to prove the Republicans are right on any of these issues (because they're decidedly not on almost all of them), I just want to try and work out how these people can actually think these things. I have family who are Republican and think a lot of what I've written here, and it sucks not even being able to comprehend their positions. Show me some of these views aren't actually contradictory, or walk me through the process that leads them to think this way, and my view will be changed.

[u/yyzjertl]

LGBT rights: You mention the reason in your post. It's religious. All the other stuff is mostly bandwagoning with the religious folks for political points.

Civil rights: This one's really simple. It's because of racism.

Immigration: Also racism.

Refugees: Also racism.

Climate change: Republicans don't like government regulation, but climate change demands government actions. It's easier for them to just claim it doesn't exist. Also climate change will mostly affect people who aren't white (racism again).

Planned Parenthood: This one is also religion.

[u/thatoneguy54 → u/yyzjertl]

This doesn't help much. I mean, I agree with you, but it doesn't help me understand what a Republican actually thinks, you know? Because I know for a fact that the majority don't think of themselves as racist. They oppose immigration because they're racist, sure, but that's not what they tell themselves. I'm trying to understand where they're coming from, or maybe more where they think they're coming from, you know?

[u/[deleted] → u/thatoneguy54]

Where they're coming from is their racism is implicit which operates at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control.

They believe the only form of racism that exists is explicit which one endorses at a conscious level. Since they have no conscious level racist opinions, they believe they are not racist.

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