Remember during the election, when we first started hearing the term ‘fake news’? Remember when that fake news was primarily aimed at conservatives and Trump supporters, because they were more inclined to believe it? They were upset with how the country was being run, unhappy with their president, and afraid for their children’s future. They were primed for fake news, because they didn’t trust what their government was telling them, and they were ready to take action.
Sound familiar?
Recently a Facebook friend shared a post from a person who was passionately pro-life, and clearly on the far-right. On a whim, I went to that person’s Facebook page, just to get a better glimpse of what that side of the curtain looked like. After scrolling through shared news articles, ‘funny’ memes, and posts warning his friends not to believe everything they see or hear, I felt deeply afraid. Not because of the differences between his page and mine, but because of the similarities. Honestly, his Facebook page looked identical to mine, with key names and faces reversed. He was unambiguously passionate about his values and his ideals, and certain about where he stood in relation to the lines drawn in the sand.
Holy shit, I thought.
Some of you out there may have already had this experience, but I’ve managed to weed out most of the people who vehemently disagree with me simply by being outspoken and clear about where I stand on my Facebook page. I don’t troll conservative websites, and usually only make it a few posts in to any comment feed. Most of the conservatives I know personally are quiet on the political front – they’re content with the current administration, and are therefore free to share pictures of their kids and their meals in peace. So, for me this was a first glance at the Facebook page of ‘the enemy’ – someone equally passionate and politically active, just on the other side of those lines in the sand.
This guy is not going to be convinced of the things I feel are ‘true’, any more than I am going to be convinced of the things he feels are ‘true’. I’m on one side, shouting and stomping my feet, completely baffled at his inability to get what are basic human values. And he’s on the other side, shouting and stomping his feet, baffled at my inability to get what are basic human values.
We are at an impasse.
My first question after coming to this conclusion was, wtf do I do with this information? I mean, I already knew that I wasn’t ever going to get a Trump supporter to change sides, but apparently, I still harbored a tiny flame of hope that some of them – those quiet folk, maybe – would see everything Trump is doing and suddenly wake up. That they’d at least be unhappy enough with the results to want him to change tactics. Or something. I don’t know. But it ain’t gonna happen. The rhetoric being used on both sides is designed to get people fired up, and when you’re fired up, listening to anything the opposition is saying is nearly impossible. It’s also frighteningly easy to feed us fake news.
Look, I don’t know where the truth is anymore – that’s what is so freaking scary. Trump put a gag order on certain federal agencies, so people from those agencies started resistance Twitter accounts. Which sounded exciting and initially made me throw a fist in the air, but now I’m standing back from it and wondering, where does it stop? These rogue twitter accounts begin with a stand for truth and freedom, but how do we fact-check what they’re saying? Especially if the Trump administration is doing its best to curb what the federal agencies are telling us? How do we fact-check anything anyone is saying anymore?
This morning, in response to a legitimate request for a discussion and insight from those who support the current administration, people on my side immediately attacked with words like “racism”, “misogyny”, and “social intolerance”. Yesterday, I read a blog post in response to Chili’s supporting Planned Parenthood, and the blogger used descriptions such as “the Planned Parenthood abortion business”, “infanticide mill”, and “abortion corporation”.
How can a conservative respond non-defensively when we automatically call him a racist asshole who hates women? How can a pro-choice supporter respond non-defensively when we automatically accuse her of being a slut and a baby killer? Seriously?
The right has decided that Muslims and undocumented immigrants are the enemy. That Planned Parenthood is the enemy. That the LGTBQ community is the enemy. People are rallying against these ‘enemies’ now with more fervor than ever.
But guess what? On my side of the battle, Trump supporters are the enemy. Evangelical Christians are the enemy. And based on a blog post being circulated this morning, homeschoolers will soon join the list. And guess what? People are rallying against these ‘enemies’ now with more fervor than ever.
There are people out there whose mission is to hurt others. I will stand against these people wherever and whenever I can. There are policies being put in place that are 100% against my core belief system, and I will stand against those too. But I must take down my armed defenses as often as possible to see that not everyone is the enemy. To see how dangerous it is to label anyone as ‘enemy’, or to assume a slew of things about a person based on four words – ‘I voted for Trump’. It’s no less dangerous than assuming a slew of things about a person because they look differently, love differently, or pray differently.
Maya Angelou wrote in her poem, Human Family, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike”. Head those words when you can. Don’t become the very thing we’re fighting against. Stay awake, stay vigilant, stay vocal – but don’t fall prey to blind acceptance. Even if it’s riding a horse called “Resistance”.