I went to a Trump rally in my hijab. His supporters aren't just racist caricatures

[Matariki]

Great article from Kaddie Abdul

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/13/i-went-to-donald-trump-rally-in-my-hijab-supporters-arent-just-racist-caricatures

<snip>
I attended Sunday’s rally with the intention to educate myself and, hopefully, to educate others. I didn’t go to shout at Trump’s supporters, no matter how passionately I feel about some of their claims. And it was interesting to hear Trump and his supporters’ viewpoints for more than just the few seconds offered by most soundbites.

His supporters are people, not caricatures. They feel marginalized economically, politically, and socially; they see a world different from the one they think should exist. Many non-Trump supporters are also concerned about the current economic and political state of our planet and its implications for a stabile future for our children.

What differentiates me from many of the Trump supporters I met this weekend is that their concerns for our future have led to an overwhelming need to see all of our problems as someone else’s fault.

To Trump and his supporters, Asian countries have “dumped” their goods in America and almost bankrupted our country by causing our trade deficit; Mexico won’t keep “illegals” (who are the “source” for Americans’ drugs) on their side of the border; and, of course, Muslims have “always” been fighting us, and come from countries populated by ingrates who are unwilling to pay for the wars that we started on “their” behalf.

more at link

[Rex]

1. Republicans are brainwashed lost causes.

The only thing they care about is themselves.

[daleanime]

2. Brainwashed, yes....

lost cause, let us hope not.

[randys1]

3. Certain types of folks are ALL OF A SUDDEN passionate about politics for a variety

of reasons

Teaparty because they really really hate Obama and only because he is Black

But others are passionate because they see economic unfairness and want someone to fix it.

Some of these folks, well all of them on the right, focus on this to the exclusion of all else.

Some on the left, as well.

Many dont really think racism or climate change is as immediate a problem as economics.

They are wrong.

[mwrguy]

4. There is no shortage of people on here that disparage women who choose the hijab

It's sad to see that sort of Islamophobia and xenophobia.

[Skittles]

5. are they actually disparaging the women

or are they really concerned about the misogyny?

[Matariki]

7. I think you might find the issue is more with burqa than hijab

insomuch as it erases the humanity and renders faceless the women wearing it. I find that sad. It arises out of sexism and dehumanization of women.

And the objection to that is the equivalent to finding any fundamentalism objectionable.

[mwrguy]

8. I take them at their word, which is 'hijab'

Perhaps they don't know the difference, but I think that many deliberately conflate the two.

[Matariki]

10. well to be fair

I've seen DU peeps make fun of and object to this as well

[BlueJazz]

6. My main gripe is that they're such low-information people. They spout off facts and figures...

...ANY Duer would rip to threads. I hear most of their ridiculous "ideas" during my visits to their home and workplace (Computer and infrastructure).

It's rather depressing to hear. I'm silent (of course) but truly want to say: "My God, you know absolutely nothing about everything..I'm quite surprised because I didn't think that it was humanly possible"

[gratuitous]

9. No fault - it's not just for divorce!

If there's any hope for reaching some of these people (and I think there is), it's to engage them on their grievances, and scratch a little deeper than the surface. For example, the ingrates who are unwilling to pay for our wars: Let them express their opinion fully, then start back-tracking to how and why the United States got involved in Iraq or Afghanistan in the first place. Walk through the timeline together so the discussion doesn't degenerate into squabbling over facts or what happened when. Compare U.S. military activity in those countries, perhaps ask "Now, what would your reaction be if another country occupied your corner of the U.S., ordered your comings and goings, blew up some buildings, and killed some of the locals? Is it really that hard to imagine that others are similarly resentful toward our presence in their countries, even when we assure them it's for their own good?"