Would it help if we were gentle with the old racist?
No.
Is he just ill-educated?
No.
Is he just behind the times?
No.
Does he just not understand queer folk?
No.
Grandpa is an asshole by choice.
If your “defence” or JAQ-ing about fascism, racism and all those other well-trodden paths to being a dick, sounds like the above, don’t be surprised if it ends up here.
My uncles on my mom’s side were Goldwater Republicans who both swore MLK Jr was a communist and that her unforgivable miscegenation (in having us kids) was going to be her downfall.
(She’s outlived them both.)
‘Just being nicer’ to fasscholes doesn’t work; it’s why we had two world wars.
Notice the common threads of false equivalency and victim-blaming progressives and liberals for criticising and mocking those who are calling for their elimination.
Could also fit in the “both sides” topic, but I’m putting it here because it so blatantly includes only examples of “the left” refusing to engage. Like refusing to engage with racists or fascists is at all on par with refusing to engage with a human being trying to save their life.
In Dallas, the buckle on the Bible belt, the hostility was a toxic mix of racism, anti-communism and religious bigotry aimed at America’s first Catholic president – some feared that Kennedy was being controlled by the pope. Extremist groups such as the John Birch Society and the Minutemen were small but vociferous.
Mike Rawlings, a Democrat who was mayor of Dallas from 2011 to 2019, said: “There was definitely a very conservative bent. The John Birchers were the worst of it but still there was a lot of folks that were that way. It was the Tea Party and Maga [Make America great again] before the Tea Party and Maga.”
…
And on the day of the president’s arrival, the Dallas Morning News newspaper contained a full-page, black-bordered advertisement that included 12 rhetorical questions that accused Kennedy of being soft on communism and betraying US allies. Kennedy reportedly read the ad and remarked to his wife Jacqueline, “we’re headed into nut country”.
But oligarchs in Dallas, aware of the dangers, had called for a dignified reception for Kennedy and tried to tighten security. About 200,000 people came out to watch the motorcade and give the first couple an effusive welcome, waving signs and flags including the Confederate flag. As they neared Dealey Plaza, Governor John Connally’s wife, Nellie, told Kennedy: “Mr President, you can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you.”
The presidential limousine turned off Main Street at Dealey Plaza at around 12.30pm. As it passed below the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire suddenly erupted from a window on the sixth floor, sending onlookers diving and running. Bullets struck the president’s neck and head and he slumped over toward Jacqueline. Governor Connally was shot in the back but survived.
No, fascist Grandpa doesn’t need a hug.
All fascist Grandpas and everyone enabling them need to be held accountable.
every Hispanic family I know appreciates the value of a good fight.
I grew up in a house that valued avoiding conflict. When I was in my early 20s I had Greek friends, and going to their homes was an eye-opener. After I got over the shock, I noticed that I was more relaxed with them yelling at each other than at some relatives’ homes where nobody raised their voice. There was a distinct vibe of “I’m shouting because I care about you and me”, and I grew to like it very much.
