Please Stop Giving Trump Supporters a Stupidity Pass

[babylonsister]

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2017/11/28/please-stop-giving-trump-supporters-stupidity-pass/

Please Stop Giving Trump Supporters a Stupidity Pass
November 28, 2017 / John Pavlovitz


Ignorance is not a compelling argument.

snip//

It’s time we stopped giving adult human beings the benefit of the doubt, simply because we think they’re not smart enough not to be fooled by religious shysters, fake news peddlers, and political snake oil salesmen. If that is true, then they’re also not smart or mentally available enough to be presented with objective data or compelling argument and to filter them responsibility. They are practically speaking, unreachable with rational measures.

I’m tired of having to treat people like children, when they aren’t capable or willing to see what even a child can see, what my children can see. They know hatred and bullying without needing to read a think piece or do online research or unpack layers of religion and history.

I’m over justifying bigotry and racism and the horrible stuff happening in the country, and giving people who perpetuate it a pass because they supposedly don’t realize they’re supporting a monster,—when most of the watching world seems to get it.

In a time when information is available at our fingertips and when conversation and study and exploration are limitless, I’ve through excusing adult men and women for not being able to make a decision that is based in reality, simply because they’re in some hateful, self-righteous, nationalistic bubble. That’s their fault, not ours. I don’t hate these people but I’m also not going to coddle them and encourage their ignorance anymore because lots of people are damaged when that happens.

Sooner or later we adults all have to own our stupidity–and choose to be wiser.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Totally agree. We have an obligation as citizens to make the best informed decisions when voting.

To do otherwise is irresponsible and unfair to the rest of the country.

[Wounded Bear]

2. I know Bill Maher isn't a fave around here but he said it years ago...

He basically said:

The Repub Party is supported by a bunch of rubes.

I know we have a lot of liberals out there in the hinterland, but they have had trouble getting traction. The dominant memes coming out of our rural population have been the worst caricature of the old "country bumpkin" immortalized by Al Capp.

It's not all on them, there is another big chunk of Trumplodytes that grew up playing video games in their mother's basement (as another caricature goes) and have learned nothing about interpersonal relationships beyond Internet bullying.

[Gothmog]

3. Trump supporters are racist ignorant deplorables

[Orrex]

17. Or "Idiot racist fuckheads" as I always call them

I invite you to add the phrase to your anti-Trump lexicon!

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[el_bryanto]

5. I do wonder what we'll be saying about this era 20 years from now.

Assuming we are still a united states and haven't balkanized or fallen into anarchy.

Bryant

[mopinko]

6. amen.

i have a trumpkin in my life, and he is one of the more intelligent people i know. unfortunately he has put that to use delving into every stupid conspiracy theory ever invented.
i wouldnt say he is a bigot, but he def has anger issues that tinge his opinions on everything.

like so many, he is not as successful as he thought his intelligence guaranteed. blames the whole world, when his own stupid side is what led him to where he has landed.

nothing rational gets further than his nose.

[czarjak]

7. Two kinds of republicans...

Rich ones and dumb ones.

[GoneOffShore]

14. Saw this elsewhere

Three types of Republicans that I loathe:
1) Libertarians
2) Movement conservatives
3) Moderate republicans who have ceded their party to radicals (See #s 1 and 2)

[azureblue]

22. the cons and the rubes

NT

[bluestarone]

28. YEP dumb ones that

keep the rich ones rich

[yuiyoshida]

8. K&R and Tweeted

[ismnotwasm]

9. Many of them are not stupid

Last edited Tue Nov 28, 2017, 03:31 PM - Edit history (1)

They are bigoted, and occasionally honestly ignorant. They have access to the same information I do.

I come from bigoted, ignorant people, and I learned. Interestingly, it was 1974, at the start of middle school when “forced busing” happened, when I was brought into contact with African American children for the first time, (and no, we didn’t become instant friends, segregation had powerful roots in our psyche’s) and the school curriculum including “black history”, when I, a voracious reader, read books on Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, and Sojourer Truth, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Black like Me, The Diary Of Anne Frank—-oh so many books available. And because I was NOT stupid, I processed that information in the way it was intended, got in huge fights with my parents who would make me cry on purpose by saying words like “Jigaboo”, and tell me blacks were good at sports because they ran through the jungle—saying These things when I was learning about the ancient African Dynasties and things like the Library of Alexandra—all because they were afraid I would find a black boyfriend. (The “N” word was de rigueur around my house since I could remember, except from my Swedish grandparents, who had a softer bigotry)

Those people are me. I know them. I understand them. They don’t get a pass from me because if I know better, and I hope, continue to learn better, all it takes from them is willingness. They are not willing.

[Raine1967]

21. This sounds like my childhood.

I started Kindergarten in 1972, on Long Island, NY. We were taught about progressive issues back then even before they were thought to be progressive.

My family moved to upstate NY in the 5th grade and I went into a classroom of people who didn't know the things I was taught at my previous school.

I became a bane of my father's racist existence, and my teacher at the time.

Thankfully, I had pretty progressive teachers in Jr/Sr high. Most of them graduated from College in the late 60's and 70's.

[ismnotwasm]

24. I bet there are a lot of us

It’s so easy to forget that racism and bigotry was the accepted norm for a very long time. Seeing it crawl back from the rocks we shoved it under is disheartening and disconcerting although people of color always knew it was alive and well.

[lostnfound]

25. Reading develops empathy - high correlation. Nt

[maddiemom]

31. Absolutely. Developing critical thinking is crucial, as well.

[maddiemom]

30. As for your Swedish grandparents, my maternal grandfather was Norwegian.

It seems that that side of my family was very liberal and not bigoted or judgemental (not that the other side of my family WERE, for the most part). Most of those of Scandinavian background that I've known over the years have felt the same growing up.

[LiberalLovinLug]

11. I think we give them a "stupidity pass" because the alternative is more frightening

That half the country actually DO keep informed. And that they STILL side with racism, fascism.

I think its a mixture. With varying degrees of stupidity. Its a fact that Republican voters are, in general, less educated. And I also think that years, decades, of RW hate radio pounding into their heads, even if they only hear snippets of Fox News in restaurants bars or radio segments while driving home etc.. I think it works on the subconscience over time if that is the only viewpoint they get.

So its not really "stupidity" but it is a kind of intellectual laziness to just accept what you hear and listen to all the time...simply because that is all you hear and are too lazy to make the effort to find and listen to other points of view.

[Liberalagogo]

12. They are cultists.

n/t

[Duppers]

15. Indeed.

That's it.

[paulkienitz]

13. it's time we stop treating intelligence and wisdom as if they were random gifts

and started treating them as personal virtues which you are expected to cultivate. Keeping your mind sharp, understanding the world, and recognizing the smell of bullshit are a responsibility. Being smart and intellectual is not a random gift of the gods bestowed at birth -- a strong mind is not accidental any more than a strong bicep is. Learning to understand stuff and think about what it means is part of adult responsibility.

That said, it's very hard to hold someone responsible if they grow up in an intellectual desert. If they are subjected to childhood malnutrition we can't blame them for not being basketball stars, and the same goes for mental nourishment. That's why it is very strongly in the interests of the nation as a whole to vigorously support good education for all citizens in all areas. Those who oppose this, and work to keep the populace stupid, are perpetrating an evil on everyone for the benefit of themselves and their cronies, and should be called out as enablers of fascism and other evils.

[azureblue]

18. I believe it started

with the glorification of sports over intellectual accomplishments. Geek. Book worm. nerd. Pointy head. etc. Look at how intelligent people are portrayed on TV. Look at how TV has been dumbed down to the level of sixth grade humor, especially on sitcoms and adult cartoon shows. Look at the forms of entertainment that promote violence. Gawd, when I worked for a sub contractor for the armed forces, I was told to keep it stupid, that the manuals were geared towards a 7th grade education level. And some of the manuals were almost comic books... This is America.. And this is the result of the dumbing down of education. You produce un educated people you're going to get incurious uneducated voters. Duh

One of the hallmarks of British culture is the constant stream of superlatives directed towards smart people: Clever. Brilliant. Top Drawer. The admiration of a person who uses his intelligence to prevail.

[Paladin]

16. K&R.

One or another of the Bushes made a point of "the soft bigotry of low expectations." With regard to the trump rubes, we're affording them the subtle-but-real advantage of low expectations. Enough, already.

[azureblue]

19. I don't

I tell them: "you had a chance to learn about him before the election. You had a chance to do your research and see if was really teh person you saw on TV. You ignored the clues that he was a spoiled brat, a con man, a grifter who will steal you blind. You ignored the fact that he had some 3500 non payment lawsuits against him. That he was a sexual predator. But you voted for him anyway because you bought his con. You pay the consequences."

[samnsara]

20. im over giving them a pass of any kind and consider them traitors..

[certainot]

23. most of the alternate reality these ignorant dipshits spout and use to enable them

comes from repetition and contant reinforcement on 1500 radio stations.

if 300 lying twits on 1500 radio stations can say it all day to 50 mil a week without even being noticed by the left, much less challenge or protested, who's to say it's not true?

those are the 'facts' that put this shit in the white house and get 50%of the seats in the medi just because of the the sheer unchallenged volume.

until the prog orgs pull their ipods out of their asses and stop wasting donations an do some talk radio monitoring and protesting and boycotting this is going to be the state of the union for a while.

[underpants]

26. As someone who consumes RW media I fully agree

They have this crap drilled into their heads all day. From Fox & Friends giving them their marching orders each day to getting it backed up on their way to work to listening in at lunch time to again the drive home to getting home and having yet another re enforcement at night.

Take the "Pocahontas" thing, that has been around for years. They think it's their GOTCHA on Warren. Usually that's left to their inane radio fools but when Trump started saying it as a candidate everyone in the crowd knew exactly what he was talking about. They love their little inside jokes.

[certainot]

27. all liberals have to do to end this crap is acknowledge the source

media seems shocked, even though limbaugh's probably called her that thousands of times to tens of millions for years.

they need to give him credit for that, and put the RUSH tattoo on trumps forehead. that's the only reason trump calls her that. and that's a good eg of something fox people could not repeat very often, not anywhere near as often to as large an audience as limbaugh and sons.

[RainCaster]

29. I love his writing

Perhaps the most down to earth pastor I've ever heard.