Don’t Be Who You Say You Hate
NY Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof offers a perspective on the tendency of some Trump detractors to paint with a broad, angry brush.
As a result of growing up in Trump country, NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof still maintains friendships with people who voted for this polarizing president, and assures us they’re not all hateful and closed minded. From the article:
“Hundreds of thousands of those Trump supporters had voted for Barack Obama. Many are themselves black, Latino or Muslim. Are they all bigots?”
Probably not. Instead, he sees frustrated people taking a chance on a “silver-tongued provocateur” because they don’t see any other option.
He also suggests liberals need to act… well, more liberal:
“Tolerance is a liberal value; name-calling isn’t. This raises knotty questions about tolerating intolerance, but is it really necessary to start with a blanket judgment writing off 46 percent of voters?”
It warrants mentioning he’s not asking anyone to roll over when it comes to Trump’s (or his administration’s) words or actions. He’s on board with the resistance, but he’s simply questioning the ultimate benefit of indulging in emotion-fueled attacks.
“…demonizing Trump voters feeds the dysfunction of our political system. One can be passionate about one’s cause, and fight for it, without contributing to political paralysis that risks making our country ungovernable.”
