Quit Falling Into the Trap That nazis Set to Normalize Themselves
We need to train ourselves to take better advantage of teachable moments
Hello friends,
I see the same discussion play out in the media all the time and it always makes me frustrated. Somebody says or does something that's absolutely horrific. Perhaps they quote Hitler, or indicate that they agree with Hitler in some way. Perhaps they do any number of rude or racist things. Perhaps they give a nazi salute.
What happens is that good people point at what happened and say, “He just did a nazi salute.”
We keep having this expectation that once you point out somebody is behaving like a racist monster, they're going to feel remorse or shame. You also hope that by raising awareness that white supremacy seems to be the guiding principle behind an ideological movement, people will stop voting for those people.
We've got to get it through our heads that none of that is going to happen. The people out there performing nazi salutes, or covering their bodies with white supremacist tattoos are never going to apologize. They're never going to feel shame. They're never going to retreat into the background. They're never going to willingly go away.
We have to stop hoping that they will.
We have to stop being passive.
At this point, I'm just as frustrated with our side as I am with theirs. When is our side going to learn that we can't let the white supremacists dominate every conversation? When are we going to adopt better tactics so that decency and inclusion are at least discussed in our nation?
We have no representation for decency! This has to change.
We need to accept that our politicians are not going to get this done. Our media is not going to get this done. It has to be us. You need to equip yourself with effective strategies to take back control of these conversations.
Now, I realize that this feels like an enormous task. But like with any enormous task, all we have to do is break it up into smaller components. This email goes out to 5,000 people. If we could get all 5,000 of those people to start using tactics that effectively spread a message of decency, we'll start seeing improvement. If all 5,000 of you could train one or two additional people, we'll be up to 10,000 messages of kindness, then 15,000… you see where this is going.
But it all starts with you, so please feel empowered.
Let me get back to what happens every single time. Whenever some jerk is caught on camera doing something repugnant like giving a nazi salute, what happens?
First, our side says, “That's obscene, your guy just did a nazi salute!”
Then, before that message can find any kind of traction whatsoever, the Republicans jump in and seize control of the narrative. They say, “That wasn't a nazi salute at all!”
Then, because our side is passive, we allow them to control the narrative. We end up in this back and forth.
“It was so!”
“It was not!”
“Was too!”
“Was not!”
The result of this is that the conversation is deflected away from denouncing white supremacy.
Our side has to stop engaging with our adversaries as if they were adults. Instead, we should adopt the mindset like when we're dealing with a toddler. Those of you who are parents or teachers should understand.
When two kids come up to you with a disagreement, they start screaming at each other.
“Billy hit me!”
“I did not!”
“You did too!”
This is a complete waste of time. It's designed to be a waste of time. It's infuriating that our national dialogue takes this form, but there you go. It falls to us to be the adult in the room, so it's up to you not to get caught up in the diversionary tactic.
The adult says, “I don't care who hit who, I need both of you to recognize that hitting is WRONG!”
You have to make this a teachable moment.
You see, this is one of the reasons that decent people feel a sense of crippling anxiety in the United States. It's because there's never any representation for decency! All we ever get is horrible people screaming “did not/did too.” Or they shamefully deny that racism or inequality even exist and we, just as shamefully, let them get away with it. Our opponents are loud, obnoxious, and they create an environment in which abuse and decay is allowed to flourish.
Now, I'm portraying our opponents as toddlers, but that doesn't mean you should underestimate them. Those of you who are parents or teachers will understand. Republicans never have any solutions, but they are very, very good at wriggling out of accountability. They’re experts at this. You have to be prepared for their tactics.
When you say, “White supremacy is wrong,” they're going to respond with “now you're calling me a white supremacist!”
They are world class champions at making themselves the victim and turning the tables on you. What you have to learn is to not make concessions as you would if you were talking to a colleague or somebody who is being intellectually honest.
Their outrage is fabricated. Quit treating it like it’s legitimate.
Instead, talk to them as if you were trying to explain something to a toddler. Teach!
“I said that white supremacy is wrong. Let's join together and denounce white supremacy. It’s time to build a better society from our common ground. White supremacy is toxic and a failed ideology.”
Don't let them corner you into making statements like, “I did not say that...”
You see, as good as our side is, we allow our opponents to dominate active language structure. Our side is always being passive. “Well, I didn't mean...” “What I meant was...” “You're talking that out of context...”
Quit acting like you’re having a legitimate conversation! It’s a debate with the devil, and the soul of the human race is at stake.
They trick us into explaining things to them and that makes us look weak. We have to stop falling for that. We start arguing about what a nazi salute looks like instead of denouncing white supremacy.
Just denounce white supremacy.
Denounce racism.
Denounce hatred.
Those things aren’t denounced nearly enough.
Think about this the next time you leave a comment on a social media post. It's not your job to convince anybody of anything. That's not going to work. It's not going to happen. Instead make declarative statements. “White supremacy is wrong. White supremacy is a problem. We have to oppose white supremacy in all its forms.”
They'll say, “But that wasn't a nazi salute.”
That's the diversion. They want to direct the conversation away from denouncing white supremacy. Don't let them.
“For a strong America, we must eradicate white supremacy.”
“Are you calling me a white supremacist?”
“I'm asking what steps you’re willing to take so that we can remove white supremacy from our country.”
“But I didn't do a nazi salute.”
“That's good, because white supremacy is a cancer that needs to be eradicated.” Don’t ask them if they agree. Tell them what decent people think. “Decent people of America agree with me.”
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Even in writing this, I recognize that I'm going to have to practice it a little more. The reason is that our opponents are very, very good at diverting attention away from things they don't want the voting public to see. That's how white supremacy works. They put hoods over their heads and have secret meetings in the woods. They're cowards. They wriggle out of everything.
What I want all of you to remember is that you shouldn't allow these nefarious forces to control how you interact with people. Make forceful, declarative statements of the positive changes you want to see in the world. Don't get caught in a toddler battle of “did not/did too.” Every time you type a comment or make a statement, it's an opportunity to score a few points for decency.
Decency needs representation. It’s sorely lacking right now.
Don't let the forces of evil transform you from a teacher into a toddler. We need teachers! We need unfaltering champions of basic human rights. Politicians are not going to save us. The media is not going to save us. If you want to see this message represented in our society, then you're going to have to put it out there. Start by being more deliberate in your social media comments. When you become more effective, show up at school board meetings. When that feels more comfortable, seek out a local elected position.
Be a force of representation for decency. We. Need. You.
Most important of all, tell other like-minded people that they can no longer afford to be passive in their communication. We can't allow awful people to effortlessly control every conversation.
Let's find common ground in denouncing white supremacy. If our opponents refuse to do that, we've drawn them out into the light. That in itself doesn't represent a victory, but at least it provides clarity on what we're up against.
At least we become more effective at distinguishing that their side stands for hatred, misery, and cruelty, and our side stands for kindness and prosperity.
We have the winning message, we just have to get better at sharing it.
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How many of todays electorate know the scope, history and effects of historical Nazism? It was drilled into me in 7th grade, in 1962. "We must first put into our schools what we want in our nation." (H. Hoover)
Excellent analysis by Walter Rhein in 'Quit Falling into the Trap ... 'offering clarity on how to engage with slippery, deceitful and manipulative, far from decent people !