This is probably a bad time to write about it because everybody is devastated and needs to grieve. But I grieve through intellectualizing and making lists. So let’s try it out.
Racists and sexists, yes. They obviously exist. There are clearly many of them. Trump’s unshakeable base was 3 0- 3 5%. Where did the rest come from? You can decide the whole 47% are racists and sexists. But there’s nowhere to go from there. Let’s just give up on the spot, then.
Here is what I think really happened. There are things in the Liberal movement that put many people off. Instead of looking for flaws in the individuals who ran for office and lost or in the procedure, let’s talk about flaws in the movement.
1. Democrats are not doing as well as they need with immigrants. Example. Remember that family of immigrants from Mexico that I keep writing about? Hard-working, wonderful people with 4 amazing kids? I’m yet to spot a single non-immigrant Liberal who wants to be friends with them. The only people who come to their parties, who have them over, who babysit their kids, etc are ultra-conservative Republicans. Who do you think they will vote for?
I’m an immigrant, too, and every single instance of being treated like crap I have experienced came from a Liberal. And every single instance of asking me about the place I came from, instead of lecturing me about it, came from a conservative.
To many immigrants, the idea of a wall (real or metaphoric) is appealing because it will underscore their achievement in getting citizenship. It’s important to understand that and acknowledge it as a valid position. It’s important not to lump all immigrants together. It’s important to stop lecturing. It’s important to recognize that people are entitled to their own history and their own concerns.
Example. Lecturing somebody from a 3rd world country on environmentalism and the importance of using less plastic is extremely off – putting. If you are talking to an immigrant , forget the word ‘ recycling ‘ aaltogether. Yes , it’s a trivial little thing but it’s one of a thousand.
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