A couple of diaries have highlighted Republican women who have rejected Donald Trump in response to his recent misogynistic comments. Many comments were supportive but quite a few were judgmental and condemning. A couple even suggested that these ladies should burn in some religion-inspired mythological location where one is horribly tortured for eternity for such crimes as denying the existence of one’s preferred diety, eating meat on Friday, or being a member of an opposing political party.
The ladies who rejected Trump are charged with lacking empathy because they only care when they or someone they know is impacted. What took them so long?
"Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers— or even like this tax collector. ” Luke 18:11
I realize that there are some here who are so virtuous, so extraordinarly perfect, that they do what is moral and just at all times. The rest of us are ... how do I convey this … we are human.
I will use myself as an example. I fight against racism and sexism. I supported gay rights long before either Obama or Hillary did. I oppose war, support social justice and labor unions. I am such a swell guy … or am I?
I was raised in the 1950s and 1960s in a home that emphasized acceptance and tolerance. Ethnic slurs, common in some other homes, were verboten in mine. Many people didn't have that advantage.
In high school, I fell head over heels for a beautiful girl … who just happen to be Mexican-American. Naturally I took offense at comments that denigrated Latinos. It was personal. I subsequently learned the history our neighboring countries in the Western Hemisphere, and became an outspoken critic US imperialistic policy there.
My younger brother became involved in he Civil Rights movement and dragged me along during my junior year in high school. Thus I can’t claim that I came to the movement on my own. I made connections in high school that would continue as I worked for racial justice during my college years.
While in college, my youngest brother came out as gay. This was the 60s and he was the first openly gay person I knew. I can’t deny that it initially bothered me, but he was such a wonderful, kind and genuinely good young man. What could I do? I became an advocate of gay rights. It was personal.
I accepted the conventional wisdom regarding war and peace in high school and didn’t think too much about it until the Vietnam War came along. I questioned whether the war was justified. How could I justify killing another person. It was personal.
I was fortunate to have a couple of college instructors who veered from court history and taught me the value of thinking independently, and my father had instilled in me the importance of standing on principle. Add the influence of some of my radical friends and I can't claim to have arrived my anti-war positions independently.
I needed to work to pay for college. I worked in foundries, factories, and on road and building construction. In all of these jobs, I had to join the union. I had to pay dues even though I was a seasonal employee. My full time colleagues helped my understand the importance of unionism. While it helped to be involved in progressive, even radical, politics while in college, working at these blue collar jobs made it personal. (Quite a few of my college friends loved to speak of th “working classes”, but in reality didn’t actually care for real working people.)
Unable to find a teaching position in an urban area, I accepted a position in rural school district. It certainly was not in my comfort zone but I came face to face with rural poverty and learned to respect folks who too many refer to as “trailer trash”. It became personal.
So there you have it. I would love to tell you that because I am such a good person, because I had such empathy, I came to my present values by myself. In truth in many instances it was personal, and in nearly every instance my eyes were opened with the help of others.
Even so I still had much to learn. I was a bit righteous in my attitude. In the late 1970s I believed that I was a flaming feminist but I remember being confronted about my sexism. A friend of mine, who incidentally was rather conservative, suggested that I didn't hold women in the same esteem as I did men. When I objected, she said that I interupted women but listened to men. Sound familiar? I was so certain of myself I asked that she point out the next time I interupted a woman. After a week, I had to cry uncle. It was a humbling experience and an excellent lesson in subconscious prejudice.
With due respect to those who are without sin and who have all the answers, the rest of us are in a state of becoming. We are continually learning, continually needing to deal with our weaknesses. It’s difficult to overcome ingrained beliefs and admit that one may be in error. Sometimes one reaches a tipping point where the preponderance of evidence dictates that one must change their viewpoint. More often, IMHO, people react when it becomes personal.
As for these Republican women, I can’t really comment on their character. I really don’t care what motivated them to oppose Trump. I don’t care if they vote third party.(I’ve persuaded a few Trump suppporters to vote for Johnson.) I am simply pleased that Trump will not get their vote. That is sufficient for now.
In the mean time, I will continue to work for justice and peace, one person at a time. I will do so respectfully because I have found that people can change but they don’t respond well to a condescending, arrogant approach. Treated with respect, many are willing to listen.
And I will also listen, for I still have much to learn.