on respecting conservatives
I'm concerned that, when we refer to "republicans" or "conservatives", we are casting too wide a net.
It's frustrating that my neighbors or family members vote for people and party whom I vehemently oppose.
But I don't oppose my neighbors. They are my friends, in a way. We chat and get along well and are kind to eachother.
And I think we want similar things for this country. Financial stability for ourselves and others. Safe neighborhoods, good schools, affordable groceries & goods, things to do, clean air & water, health care.
So when we talk about how bad "conservatives" are, I think we should say "conservative politicians".
Because the conservative voters living next door to me treat me with respect, they work hard, they're good neighbors.
We are eachother's community. We live under the same government, with the same police force, the same judges.
So we ought to be united in all of our common goals. We ought not love our politicians or see them as part of our team.
Every politician holds power over someone. And we, republicans, socialists, democrats, libertarians, and others all need to hold strong together to keep that power in check and hold them accountable.
To respect our conservative friends, we should listen to them & understand their perspective. And ask if we can push back on a couple things.
Don't force it. Don't go after everything they said. Treat them like they're smart enough to understand your view.
Our focus ought to be on sharing our own perspective - not tearing down theirs.
And we ought to be able to judge people on their actions, more than their opinions or words (unless they are maliciously hurtful).
And at the end of the day, the only thing it's about is policy and how we treat each other.
I don't want policies that ban non-binary people from being identified as non-binary in history books. I don't care if someone thinks gender fluidity is bullshit, as long as they agree with me about that policy point. (I care a little if they're mean about it though.)
I don't want history to refer to me as "he" and "him" and "Mr". I want reports to say "they" and "them" and "Mx".
(I don't know how to pronounce "Mx". emmex? Mix? Mixter? Idk it all sounds forced)
And even if I'm misgendered, I want history to show that I lived as a non-binary person.
I want history to know that meant I wore dresses and carried a purse and kept a beard. But that's just the outward expression of something very deeply meaningful to me.
More on being nonbinary
Note: The linked post was previously at the end of this post.