It’s easy to roll one’s eyes as the self-serving dramatics of MAGA voters using false claims of victimhood as cover for their ugly views. But, as the threatening language in Greene’s tweet shows, this “woe is us” act is deeply dangerous. The hyperbolic conspiracy theories and dehumanizing language serve to convince Republican voters that religious liberty and democracy are simply values they can no longer afford to hold. The message is Christians are so “under siege” that the only way to fight back is by stripping everyone else of basic rights.
I was raised right wing, grew up redneck in a small down, dirt roads, everything. But I listen to people.
Last weekend on Saturday, my wife kicked me out (it’s a long story). It was raining and I was alone in my car sad, and trying to find a couch to sleep on. I was messaging everybody I knew. The only person to reply was my female friend, who is lesbian. She had me reach out to her friend who is trans. I called him and he let me know he’s out of town, but his boyfriend might be able to help.
I called a complete stranger, and explained what had happened. He gave me the address and said he’ll have a bed ready. I showed up and he’s also trans as well. He took me in, made me dinner, and we stayed up until 3am talking about everything. He gave me so much advice to try to get through the abuse I’ve been going through, he even took my phone away because I was about to text her.
The next day, I was able to get a hold of my parents so I can stay at their house. When I got there, they immediately started in on “Joe Biden is taking away Easter for the trans people!!” and I absolutely lit them up.
It didn’t matter that the people that helped me were trans, they are people like everybody else. They didn’t care about having a giant cis male in their home, they saw me as a person.
I don’t know where I’m going with this, I’m just frustrated and scared