So, there’s an idea that has been circulating since the election that has recently gotten even more steam about why this president won the election–it’s because liberals were mean to the base of the Republicans, and if only we were nicer, then they wouldn’t have had to lash out like that. This is not a new idea as it’s repeated every time the Democrats lose. Funnily enough, when Dems win, then the mantra is, “This doesn’t give you a mandate to skew left; you have to govern all of America.” It would be hilarious if it didn’t have such dire consequence, the underlying thesis that no matter what, we have to be concerned about disenfranchised white people’s feelings. It’s something I’ve heard before, but it’s redoubled after this president’s was elected. If liberals had been nicer to Trump supporters, so the story goes, then they wouldn’t have been forced to vote for a fearful, narcissistic, ignorant, childish, and spiteful asswipe like Trump. This narrative continues as a cautionary tale against the protests–be careful. You’re pissing off Trump supporters, therefore, making them more likely to support Trump.
If you’re a member of a minority group, you hear this rhetoric all the time. “Bring up your concerns in a polite and considerate way lest you upset the people you’re talking to.” It’s always baffled me how the main concern is for the comfort of the oppressor. I do understand that it’s hard to change someone’s mind by yelling at them, but that doesn’t mean you should swallow your anger and acquiesce to whatever bullshit is heaped upon your head. In addition, one of my problems with the angst over someone like Richard Spencer, the white supremacist, getting punched is that he gets portrayed as the victim who has been punched unprovoked. I won’t tread that ground again, but I would like to expand on it in the light of this meme.
Conservatives like to think of themselves as victims or martyrs. You can see it in their belief that Christians are being persecuted in this country because someone has the audacity to say ‘Happy Holidays’ to them instead of ‘Merry Christmas’ or because they can’t refuse to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. They think it’s persecution if someone calls them a bigot for not supporting marriage equality, and nothing anyone can say to the contrary can move them from their self-righteousness. I understand as it’s human nature to get defensive when you perceive something as an attack, but it’s also the tactic a tyrant/dictator/bully uses in order to keep their victims in line. A certain type of abuser abuses their victim repeatedly until the victim snaps and fights back. Then, the abuser reacts as if they’re the one who has been victimized, which further keeps the victim under their thumb.