Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdvezjx wrote on March 27, 2023 at 2:15 PM

Reply to comment by senorali in US-Canada agree to turn back asylum seekers at border by nat9191

I grew up in a red state and live part of my time in a deep red area. Respectfully, they do matter. Before this manufactured culture war bullshit, Trans people, my community, made huge inroads towards public acceptance and equal rights through deep listening and outreach. I like to think that the echoes of that effort remain. The more the culture warriors pull this dangerous, pointless and cruel nonsense, the more independents they lose and the worse their chances of a full takeover get. If you’re a Republican and can’t get above 35% approval of your bullshit in Mississippi or Alabama? You fucked up.

I’m not saying there’s not danger. Obviously I feel it more than most. But it’s also important that we recognize the other side of the culture war: Us dehumanizing everyone who lives in an area we aren’t part of because a map says so. In reality, there are good people everywhere just like there are bigots everywhere, and there are far, far fewer bigots than they would have us believe. That’s important to remember.

senorali t1_jdw3xfn wrote on March 27, 2023 at 5:00 PM

I live in a red state as well. The reason I'm reluctant to tell people it's going to be okay is because of the police. If they come to Texas and go to a town like Vidor, which was historically a Klan town, they are not safe calling the police for help if they don't visibly 'fit in'. Even when the attitudes of the general public change, and their voting habits change, the small town red state cops will still be small town red state cops.

Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdwcpqz wrote on March 27, 2023 at 5:55 PM

Oh, 1000% but that also goes for a lot of groups, you know? I wouldn’t call the cops for basically any reason unless I was fully comfortable with people dying, myself very much included. Unfortunately, that’s in issue in blue states as well.

SendGock t1_jdxyq2p wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:26 AM

If public approval polls meant anything, this culture war bullshit would not have been able to latch on and grow.

I mean you yourself are here acknowledging since it started your efforts have all but died and only echoes remain.

Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jdxzu7y wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:34 AM

No, I didn’t say they’ve died. They have definitely changed, but the same seeds we planted at still out there blooming.

Let’s be realistic about this: Bullshit wedge issues like this make very loud, very horrible people money. They give politicians easy distractions. There are a lot of people who have a good reason to gin this shit up. But just because bigots are loud doesn’t mean that’s who we are or how it’s always going to be. This fight has always been ugly, but it’s not hopeless.