I've been told that calling racist, fascist, misogynistic, Trump-worshiping, white supremacist hate-mongers "idiots" will never get them to change their minds. Guess what? Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING will ever get this human refuse to change what they laughingly call their "minds". No amount of hand-holding, no amount of "positive regard", no amount of "restating the argument" will ever pierce their armor of ignorance and hatred.
Long before Donald Trump ever crossed their radar, this lower rung of the evolutionary ladder had already been indoctrinated into the Cult of Stupid. They learned to spew their garbage at the knee of a Father, Grandfather or Uncle who possessed decades of experience in believing the most ridiculous rumors, conspiracies, and lies about anyone or anything "not like us". And as the years went by, they became vaccinated against things like facts, truth and common sense. And by the time they arrived in the social media universe, they had full immunity.
But while this scum stayed in the swamp, the rest of the world started to grow up. We eschewed our own latent racism, sexism and ethnocentrism and began to look beyond the surface. We realized that those "not like us" were merely different, not evil or inferior. And those differences were fascinating. We saw in "the other" an opportunity to learn, a chance for enrichment. We discovered that the inclusion of the person of color, the Gay, Lesbian and Transgendered person, the woman, into our very big world didn't make it smaller, it got even larger...and far more interesting. It was the swamp that was shrinking and becoming more isolated. That was until.....
Donald Trump came along and reached into the swamp. As Robert Graves gave voice to Roman Emperor Claudius, Trump told the swamp, "Let all the poison that lurks in the mud, hatch out!" The monsters roared back with a vengeance. The old hatreds, hidden away for decades were given license; they were given a legislative avenue. In just one election cycle, social justice warriors became "snowflakes". Programs encouraging inclusion and security for kids became "safe places for the weak". Opportunities to recognize everyone's contribution became "participation trophies". And the monsters ate all this up with an extra large spoon. They were back, and this time they weren't going away so easily. Trump was the new messiah and he had a ready-made support base that had been wandering in the wilderness for years, ready to build their altars and golden idols.
And so these are the "idiots" I'm being asked to treat with the respect that every human deserves. Does anyone think that's the answer for Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan or my Trump-flag waving neighbor? Will any of these Cro-Magnons take even a millisecond to consider even a scintilla of what I have to say? They won't. I believe in this case that the best defense is a good offense. My voice may not have much reach, but what volume I have I intend to use. I will call out every lie, I will challenge every conspiracy. I will bolster my arguments with research and fact-checking. Yeah, I know, that won't make them change either. But at least I won't have an ulcer and my blood pressure will stay a little lower.
Don't let the bastards win!