- cross-posted to:
- lemmybewholesome
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- lemmybewholesome
- [email protected]
I usually avoid politics on this community but thought this article kinda fit
I usually avoid politics on this community but thought this article kinda fit
Hate to break it to you. But that’s not a republican trait. That’s a human trait.
It’s why you’ll sooner donate to support the hospital stay of a person in your hometown than you would to a earthquake in zimbabwe. It’s the reason we don’t sit in a corner catatonic with grief at every little thing that happens in the world. Proximity bias is necessary. While it’s not meant to replace empathy, pretending that these people are somehow shittier than every other human in nature just perpetuates a hate cycle that keeps us where we’re at.
They didn’t believe in Trans people. Than their grandkid came out and they changed their mind. But it’s disingenuous to say ‘Oh…now that it affects them.’
What’s more likely is, being actually personally exposed to something forces you to re-contextualize your beliefs. That’s not a bad thing and it’s not to be derided.
This, right here? Is making an assumption that doesn’t necessarily hold true. I’ve made donations to DOZENS of world-wide charities and never once even thought of donating to a person in my hometown. It’s not because I’m callous… it’s because my hometown has a system in place to help people with medical needs.
It’s not about helping who you know or have a personal connection to… it’s about helping people who NEED the help. It’s one of the reasons I find this “pay it forward” crap at restaurants so egregious. You know who doesn’t need their coffee paid for? The person who’s already in line to buy a coffee at Starbucks. If they couldn’t afford that coffee they wouldn’t be there. If you’re itching to spend money on someone else, put it in the tip jar.
So yes, it’s completely fair to judge people for this. If you are completely unable to conceptualize people’s needs or suffering until it’s shoved in your face in a way you can’t avoid, that’s not human nature - that’s a character flaw.
This change of heart is laudable, but do they still carry the other abhorrent views of the GOP in their hearts? Do they want the wall and deadly force on immigrants until one of their grandchildren marries an immigrant? How many personal connections does it take to finally become a good person?