Even if Trump Is the Enemy, His Voters Arent
A few days ago, I blithely tweeted a warning that Democrats often sound patronizing when speaking of Trump voters. That provoked a vehement reaction.
Sorry, Jason tweeted back, but if someone is supporting a racist ignoramus who wants to round up brown ppl and steal my money, Im gonna patronize.
This is normalization of a hateful ideology and its shameful, protested another.
My tone isnt patronizing, one person responded. Its hostile. Intentionally. I wont coddle those who refuse to recognize my humanity.
What a great idea! another offered. Lets recruit a whole bunch of bigoted unthinking lizard brains because we could possibly WIN!
And so the comments went, registering legitimate anxieties about President Trump but also the troubling condescension that worried me in the first place. I fear that the (richly deserved) animus toward Trump is spilling over onto all his supporters.
I understand the vehemence. Trump is a demagogue who vilifies and scapegoats refugees, Muslims, undocumented immigrants, racial minorities, who strikes me as a danger to our national security. By all means stand up to him, and point out his lies and incompetence. But lets be careful about blanket judgments.
My hometown, Yamhill, Ore., a farming community, is Trump country, and I have many friends who voted for Trump. I think theyre profoundly wrong, but please dont dismiss them as hateful bigots.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/opinion/even-if-trump-is-the-enemy-his-voters-arent.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region
Mr. Kristoff, how does this sound: "My hometown, Heggelbach , a farming community on the south of Germany is Hitler country, and I have many friends who voted for Hitler. I think they're profoundly wrong, but please don't dismiss them as hateful bigots.