Why do we shame Trump supporters? Why feel shame at shaming them? Why are we (by “we” I mean “us NYT reading folk,”) so flummoxed on how to treat the racist, xenophobic segment of the population that just elected a moldy tangerine to the world’s (formerly) highest office?
Read MoreIn the end, then, it is the same belief in our own exceptionalism that will bring that exceptionalism tumbling down. We’re no longer the one democracy that could hold back the tide of tyranny. We’re no longer the singular democratic experiment that kept it’s shit together when the inevitable waves of nationalism and xenophobia hit our shores.
Read MoreLike everything else in the world, this statement has nuance. When protestors fall to violent tactics, we damn our own cause even further. Ultimately, the only way to bring about real change is not through body-cameras or stricter juries, though they will help. What we need is to reestablish the human connection between cops and citizens. Division doesn’t change minds, it entrenches conflicting viewpoints. Of course, reforming the system legally will create more trusting scenarios, but those reforms need to come from within to some extent.
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