Awareness of the dangers of going to rhetorical extremes is absolutely important. Often, passion for an crucial issue blinds you to how you’re actually harming the causes they hold most dear. I do, however, disagree with the following premise:
Bill Maher made the scathing case recently that democrats have gone from being the party that protects people, to the party that protects feelings.
The idea that people and feelings can be cleanly decoupled and that feelings are somehow inconsequential is unrealistic and rather patronizing. It’s akin to a man saying, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” Attempting to protect feelings shouldn’t be devalued — it’s a sign of empathy. Anyone who would write off emotions as unimportant (or at least less important) probably has the privilege of not experiencing microaggressions on a daily basis (nor the impactful mental and physical issues they can cause).
It’s a false dichotomy to assume that a political party can’t care about and protect people as well as their feelings. Yes, democrats should absolutely be concerned about jobs and wages and healthcare. That doesn’t mean that racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and their impact are any less valid. The Left should be able walk and chew gum at the same time.
Yes, of course there is always the possibility that an individual may be overly sensitive or that they are interpreting someone’s words or actions in a way that no reasonable person would. However, our default should be to give each other the benefit of the doubt and be humble enough to explore the possibility that perhaps we have more to learn about one another or the world.
