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[Massive Duck. C.M.]

I do not believe all Trump voters are bigots. I REPEAT, I do not believe all Trump voters are bigots.

However..

He denigrated minorities at every turn. Even when he claimed to be reaching out to them it was always in an insulting manner.
He cap-ended his campaign with an ad saying that his opponent's campaign was controlled by, funded by, and partnered with rich jews.
He opened his campaign by accusing an entire population of minorities as being rapists (furthering the well worn racist attack of darker skinned people being sexual predators) and criminals directed by their state to trespass into america.
He bolstered his campaign by saying that he would block muslims from being able to enter the US.
He chose a known white supremacist as one of his delegates for the RNC.
His children give interviews on white supremacist radio.
He hesitated to denounce the KKK.
He called for the execution of demonstrably innocent black and brown kids.
He started his career off by refusing to rent to minorities.
He questioned the otherness of the first black president for years.
He spread white supremacist propaganda to his followers in the form of made up statistics trying to mislead his followers into thinking they are being hunted by black thugs.
He spread white supremacist propaganda to his followers in the form of spreading a neo-nazi image attempting to link his opponent to Jews.

And that's just a partial recounting.

People within and sympathetic to the KKK picked up on all of these. They endorsed him and frequently praised his presidential run.

And I'm to believe that his voters didn't think any of that was important enough to sway their votes? Either they agreed silently or their indifference to the experiences of minorities in America is large enough that they would elect someone that is openly courting and inciting racists to become their next president. Neither cast a good light on his voters.

I think it is fair to say that Trump supporters are, at the very least, unconcerned with bigotry, to the extent that nebulous promises about jobs, health care, immigration and the like eclipse Trump's well documented bigotry.

With that in mind, do we really need to humor them in discussions of race relations, sexism, LGBTQ issues, islamophobia, and other types of bigotry?

I do think that once Trump's presidency begin and people see how him fail to deliver on a number of fronts that some people will come around, and that some Trump voters can still be reached. This is mainly addressing people who pretty reliably downplay bigotry, who antagonize minorities, and who are repeatedly banned while showing that they've learned nothing in the interim.

 

[geomon]

Well you just said it yourself. They're not interested in having those discussions, so why bother? If you really want to engage them on anything, talk to them about their income/quality of life. That's what they care about and that's what's going to suffer most for them under Trump.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Everybody has to decide for themselves how much they want to engage with people who are bigoted themselves or are unconcerned by bigotry. I've read some disgusting posts on this board, shaming minorities who aren't willing to extend an olive branch to people that see them as inferior. If you have the capacity to do some positive change by taking the moral high ground, that's fine. Not everybody does nor should they have to.

 

[soco]

it'll be fun to see how they feel about bigotry in decades as whites continue to lose their majority.

 

[Steel]

The last person's opinion on bigotry is a Trump supporter. That being said, instantly calling them bigots does not help the conversation.

 

[shattyboombatty]

The only worthwhile opinion on bigotry is that it is wrong. It's going to be tough to illustrate how one can maintain that perspective while still endorsing a bigot.

That said, if they can do it, I'm all ears.

 

[Angelus Errare]

I leave the engaging and educating to my liberal white allies. Trump supporters and I have nothing to talk about. I don't have the time, patience, or energy.

 

[Nanashrew]

Those types are apathetic to bigotry which in turn only helps it to grow. Even now, many show nothing of what's happening right now around them with hate crimes rising. It doesn't affect them unless it does. No sign of empathy.

Even now, how many Trump supporters have bothered to come into these kinds of threads and show a sign of remorse and mourn what is happening?

 

[Eyemus Lutt]

I think a main issue is if a middle of the road voter disagreed on a certain issue they're automatically lumped in with the extreme right and being called a bigot/racist.

 

[Professor Beef]

I leave the engaging and educating to my liberal white allies. Trump supporters and I have nothing to talk about. I don't have the time, patience, or energy.

this, basically

 

[SL128]

That kind of malicious and self-assured bigotry shouldn't be dignified. Those who ignorant and offensive without necessarily having malice (but still open and willing to learn without trying to "win"), however, are important to reach out to. For those with the patience to do so, anyway.

Examples of the former are numerous enough but examples of the latter, I think, include early Jim Sterling, younger Derek Black, and Tynan Sylvester.

 

[Codeblue]

I'll call a spade a spade. I'll tell people when they're being racist or ignorant.

Freedom is not up for discussion. Rights are not up for discussion. We won't be dragged into the past politely. Once was enough.

 

[kobu]

I am never going to engage with and try to educate these people and if that means every president for the rest of my life is someone like trump then so be it.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

The last person's opinion on bigotry is a Trump supporter. That being said, instantly calling them bigots does not help the conversation.

I do not believe all Trump voters are bigots. I REPEAT, I do not believe all Trump voters are bigots.

.

 

[ginger ninja]

No but we still have to listen to what they have say, no matter how stupid or idiotic it is. Putting fingers in your ears won't help anyone. This is our reality now. The monsters are out of the woodwork, pretending they don't exist won't help.

 

[collige]

I don't think his voters are homogeneous enough in their beliefs that I can answer this in any way apart from "it depends on the person". If you're talking about as a whole from a political standpoint I would say that doesn't fucking matter until 2018 at the latest cause we just got stomped.

 

[Somnid]

You humor it by systematically dismantling it, in a clear way that's (to the best of your emotional ability) not overly patronizing. There is no fact-based foundation for any of it so you have the upper hand. If you can't explain to someone else then you should probably start researching and asking questions. It's possible they don't want to work with you and they are the ones that shut you down, at that point you tried and there's no shame in walking away, but maintain your composure and you'll gain allies.

Note in cases of violence or harassment, this is not acceptable no matter what you believe and is not to be tolerated at all.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

They're a large stubborn voting block. Don't expect them to have empathy for you. It's why candidates campaign so they can try to win them over and hopefully put in policies that help everyone. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to but they're still the giant elephant in the room and someone has to talk to it without upsetting it.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

I'd like to repeat that I'm only questioning the idea of taking their beliefs on bigotry seriously, not advocating for ignoring them or their concerns on issues that they placed above bigotry.

Hell, if anything actually addressing those issues would probably help reduce that gap to some extent.

 

[Steel]

.

Saw that.

 

[Dixon's Jet]

Michael Moore was right about many of Trump's voters. The disappearing middle class decided this election. Donald Trump won because establishment politicians like Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama have forced the middle class to compete with sweat shop slaves in Asia.

What the fuck were they all expecting? The middle class loses that one. It's cheaper to build it in Asia so the jobs go there, people are screwed, they get angry and then vote for a guy like Trump. Capitalism is destroying the country. We're in uncharted waters now.

This was predictable a year ago.

 

[Fox Mulder]

The last person's opinion on bigotry is a Trump supporter. That being said, instantly calling them bigots does not help the conversation.

I have no interest in trying to educate or debate them. I don't want to understand them. Theyre the bad guys and it's us vs them. Their beliefs and views of other people are evil.

If more dems voted these fucking people can't win.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

The last person's opinion on bigotry is a Trump supporter. That being said, instantly calling them bigots does not help the conversation.

Fit a definition then claim it isn't true

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

Michael Moore was right about many of Trump's voters. The disappearing middle class decided this election. Donald Trump won because establishment politicians like Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama have forced the middle class to compete with sweat shop slaves in Asia.

What the fuck were they all expecting? The middle class loses that one. It's cheaper to build it in Asia so the jobs go there, people are screwed, they get angry and then vote for a guy like Trump. Capitalism is destroying the country. We're in uncharted waters now.

This was predictable a year ago.

How is Trump the cure to any of this. He is part of the business establishment that sends these jobs overseas for cheaper labor. He is not middle class and was born into wealth. If you say capitalism is destroying this country. trump represents every ounce of that.

I don't how the devil did it, in which they fear the "government establishment" and fall into supporting the "corporate establishment". If anything, these 2 are tied together.

 

[wildfire]

Their opinions on bigotry shouldn't be entertained at all.


What lefties on gaf need to do is so making am argument always about bigotry. To those who are indifferent that focus doesn't reach them or shame them easily.

Besides there are other topics worth discussing.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Their opinions on bigotry shouldn't be entertained at all.


What lefties on gaf need to do is so making am argument always about bigotry. To those who are indifferent that focus doesn't reach them or shame them easily.

Besides there are other topics worth discussing.

I'm not even talking about making other arguments into arguments about bigotry.

I am specifically talking about conversations about bigotry that people join.



I know people don't actually read OPs but come on son

 

[Professor Beef]

How is Trump the cure to any of this.

He isn't. It's The Dark Knight all over again, except Trump is The Joker, and the middle class is the mob.

"You squeezed them, you hammered them to the point of desperation. And in their desperation, they turned to a man they didn't fully understand."

 

[mr2xxx]

What actual beliefs? That white people are the most oppressed group in this country? That minorities have it easy because somehow they get a diffirent type welfare that let's them live the high life, while they are the hard working ones supporting that lifestyle? That minorities who succeed ahead of them only got there because of AA? That it's racist that BET exists?

I'd take them seriously if they had opinions that were in the ballpark of reality.

 

[Shaanyboi]

They may not all be active bigots, but they sure as fuck are permissive of it.

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

He isn't. It's The Dark Knight all over again, except Trump is The Joker, and the middle class is the mob.

"You squeezed them, you hammered them to the point of desperation. And in their desperation, they turned to a man they didn't fully understand."

Wait a minute.

Will Trump fuck them all in the end.

Nolan, you damn nastradamus.

 

[Kinitari]

I don't know what sort of opinions they even really have on bigotry - most of what I see about American politics and culture comes filtered through GAF - I can't remember the last time I even had a full on discussion about race with a conservative from the U.S, let alone a Trump supporter. I remember we had some really intelligent conservatives posting on here back in the day - if any of them voted for Trump, I'd be really curious about how they would justify their vote against his blatant bigotry.

 

[NimbusD]

Trump fucking rallied these people and now there here and they don't give a shit. They've realized there's more of them than they thought, and judging by the turnout, there's really not that many of them in total (no, not all supporters are racist, but insanely low turnout shows that even if they were, it's not a lot).... however there's enough people who don't give a shit, and racist rhetoric just isn't a disqualifying trait. THAT'S the problem. People will allow a small minority of shitheads to harass, or worse, our minority citizens. It's not their problem and they don't care.

And Donald doesn't just not care about it, he actively fed on it and relied on it for his campaign. Racist people exist, and have existed, and he's let them out of their cage and will continually deny it.

Have been catching bits about trump supporters on the news now calling the Dems all racist. Very much looking forward to the projecting continuing into his presidency where all this shit he's started somehow become the Dem's fault.

 

[Baki]

Well you just said it yourself. They're not interested in having those discussions, so why bother? If you really want to engage them on anything, talk to them about their income/quality of life. That's what they care about and that's what's going to suffer most for them under Trump.

I hope they get their just deserts.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

I don't know what sort of opinions they even really have on bigotry - most of what I see about American politics and culture comes filtered through GAF - I can't remember the last time I even had a full on discussion about race with a conservative from the U.S, let alone a Trump supporter. I remember we had some really intelligent conservatives posting on here back in the day - if any of them voted for Trump, I'd be really curious about how they would justify their vote against his blatant bigotry.

I remember who you're talking about, and I can't really see any of those dudes pulling for Trump. They were generally pragmatic and financially conservative, not gullible.

 

[Daingurse]

The last person's opinion on bigotry is a Trump supporter. That being said, instantly calling them bigots does not help the conversation.

They still voted for someone who publicy perpetuated bigotry during their entire campaign. That's what gets me. There is no getting around that fact. I will hold Trump supporters to this shit. They get no pass from me. They're the last fucking group I want to hear from on the subject bigotry and discrimination.

 

[Linkura]

My thought is that many aren't overtly bigots, but that they just don't care about anyone but themselves and people in their circle. So they just didn't pay attention to it because they have no empathy or selflessness outside their own little worlds. They don't know any minorities or immigrants, etc, personally, so they just don't care about how negatively a Trump presidency would affect those groups and thus vote only for their perceived self-interests. And then of course plenty of them are overt bigots and racists.

Either way, these people are selfish ignoramuses at best. And unfortunately, they're a pretty sizable percentage of this country.

 

[Anarky]

Well most of their opinions are shit like "White people are the real oppressed" and they just elected a bigot sooooooo no.

 

[Squalor]

Well you just said it yourself. They're not interested in having those discussions, so why bother? If you really want to engage them on anything, talk to them about their income/quality of life. That's what they care about and that's what's going to suffer most for them under Trump.

If they actually cared about those things, they wouldn't have voted Republican since Nixon.

Republicans (including Trump) don't care about them. They care about their votes.

 

[MUnited83]

No, not even remotely. They lost that right the very second they elected this piece of rotten shit for president.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

They co-signed it in the voting booth. Act accordingly.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

They're a large stubborn voting block. Don't expect them to have empathy for you. It's why candidates campaign so they can try to win them over and hopefully put in policies that help everyone. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to but they're still the giant elephant in the room and someone has to talk to it without upsetting it.

If anything, they're no longer in general as stubborn as they would have been 10, 20 years ago (which we saw as recently as 2008). That plasticity is what was Trump struck for: economic desperation, crappy Democratic leadership, and a looming death of white exceptionalism. Pick some nebulous phantom goals that are difficult to judge on efficacy with baggage tossed in about a "dangerous other".

Next thing anyone knows it's random policy fiats and defacto bigotry, and we don't have many opportunities to shine the light on this upcoming parade of failures before the party leadership falls in line with him and the random hooligans get comfortable.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Trump supporters AT BEST are absolutely appallingly ignorant. Willfully, I might add, most of the time. I'm done giving ignorance a pass so I'm going to erase the extremely thin line that already existed and just continue to label them bigoted.

Now with that aside, the only thing that should be taken serious about them is the threat they pose. Everything should be done going forward to prevent the current state of the US. We have a man who sees women as meat or toys for him to play with. One who sees Mexicans as anything from house servants to rapists. Our supreme court is likely to regress. The whole world might have to suffer at the hands of these mouth-breathing yokels with the threat of conflict, not to mention global warming.

So yeah, sadly we do have to entertain these wastes of human life, because unfortunately they get to vote. At least enough to make them pretend we actually care about their petty concerns.

 

[TheStruggler]

 

[RainForce]

I don't think "Trump supporter" and "educated on racial inequality" are mutually exclusive. However, I don't think they see it as a priority except in VERY rare cases.

So for the most part, I might not dismiss their opinion outright but there will definitely be a caveat with listening to it.

 

[geomon]

If they actually cared about those things, they wouldn't have voted Republican since Nixon.

Republicans (including Trump) don't care about them. They care about their votes.

They've been sold a bill of goods since the 80's about how foreigners are taking their jobs and Dems are responsible. This is utter bullshit of course but that's the story they've been told. We need to rewrite that narrative.