"... issues of race seem to him to be less about their actual substance than about how he can piss off progressives."
The above is a quote from a story about Robert Kuttner here on BuzzFeed.
Now let me tell you why this is REALLY, REALLY important. Please, listen up!
Many of my fellow progressives are BEING PLAYED. I invite you to AVOID taking the bait. Our tweeting president is an expert at reality television. The only purpose of reality television, besides entertainment, is to get attention (so ultimately they can sell ads). His purpose in getting attention right now is to distract everyone from the good work that we need to be doing and the public policy he wants to change.
This is why I strongly advise you and others to stand calm and not react to all this without thinking things through. Although headlines (and tweets) may seem compelling, calmer heads will prevail if we just remember that this is all from a very noisy minority. I strongly believe that a majority of people here in the USA are good people who are understanding more and more, every day, that diversity is good for the country, not bad.
Remember, only about 60 million people voted for Mr. Trump. Something like 180 million people did NOT vote for him (either voted for another candidate or stayed home in disgust). And, by now, it's likely that fewer than those 60 million still support him.
I will bet you anything right now that the overwhelming majority of citizens of the USA do NOT agree with the racist tripe emanating from the White House and a few other loud mouth people.
I'm not advising that you do nothing! But to me, it's critically important to avoid overreacting, becoming depressed or despondent, or curl up in a ball and hope it all goes away. We have work to do, but that work is best done by people with level heads, making clear calm statements, and reaching across these traditional political, racial, and cultural divides to better understand each other and build the networks of positive action we need for the future. The future is being formed right now at the local level, not in Washington, D.C.
So please, don't take the bait, calm down, and share this post (including my comments, here) as far and wide as you can. Thank you!
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If they carry torches and guns, then show up in much greater numbers and carry flowers and feathers and tea lights. Say nothing to them. Remain as a silent vigil. Carry no signs except specifically about love. Otherwise, just watch them. Make eye contact, perhaps, but do not threaten, shout, shove, restrict, or otherwise harass them. Completely non-violent peaceful witnessing is the very best way for us to assert our position that love works better than hate any day.
The above is a quote from a story about Robert Kuttner here on BuzzFeed.
Now let me tell you why this is REALLY, REALLY important. Please, listen up!
Many of my fellow progressives are BEING PLAYED. I invite you to AVOID taking the bait. Our tweeting president is an expert at reality television. The only purpose of reality television, besides entertainment, is to get attention (so ultimately they can sell ads). His purpose in getting attention right now is to distract everyone from the good work that we need to be doing and the public policy he wants to change.
This is why I strongly advise you and others to stand calm and not react to all this without thinking things through. Although headlines (and tweets) may seem compelling, calmer heads will prevail if we just remember that this is all from a very noisy minority. I strongly believe that a majority of people here in the USA are good people who are understanding more and more, every day, that diversity is good for the country, not bad.
Remember, only about 60 million people voted for Mr. Trump. Something like 180 million people did NOT vote for him (either voted for another candidate or stayed home in disgust). And, by now, it's likely that fewer than those 60 million still support him.
I will bet you anything right now that the overwhelming majority of citizens of the USA do NOT agree with the racist tripe emanating from the White House and a few other loud mouth people.
I'm not advising that you do nothing! But to me, it's critically important to avoid overreacting, becoming depressed or despondent, or curl up in a ball and hope it all goes away. We have work to do, but that work is best done by people with level heads, making clear calm statements, and reaching across these traditional political, racial, and cultural divides to better understand each other and build the networks of positive action we need for the future. The future is being formed right now at the local level, not in Washington, D.C.
So please, don't take the bait, calm down, and share this post (including my comments, here) as far and wide as you can. Thank you!
——————————————————--
If they carry torches and guns, then show up in much greater numbers and carry flowers and feathers and tea lights. Say nothing to them. Remain as a silent vigil. Carry no signs except specifically about love. Otherwise, just watch them. Make eye contact, perhaps, but do not threaten, shout, shove, restrict, or otherwise harass them. Completely non-violent peaceful witnessing is the very best way for us to assert our position that love works better than hate any day.