Upon not negotiating with Nazis

The title of this post comes from the way I misremembered the title of an essay in Rebecca Solnit’s book No Straight Road Takes You There.

For the record, the actual title of the short work is “On Not Meeting Nazis Halfway.”

Similar things, negotiating and meeting halfway, n’est pas?

Now, I haven’t yet read much of this book, including the complete essay title which appears above in italics. Actually, I don’t even own the book. It was shared with me at a place where I grabbed a meal recently and I plan to get a copy to read in its entirety asap.

But, that title, and the paragraphs I quickly read supporting the title, spoke to me and how I’m presently feeling about dealing with people who support the current U.S. regime.

I’m tired of being told about the delicacy of the other side, the MAGA believers, about how I’m supposed to reach out to them to better understand the injustices they’ve suffered and learn what their concerns and objections might be when it comes to forward progress. I must engage them and gently listen to their grievances, I should try to see things from their perspective.

F*ck that.

Why am I being asked to try to find common ground with people who believe they are inherently better than any other person on this planet because of their (fill in your favorite) skin color, religion, income, gender, marital status, education level, and/or nationality?

It isn’t possible for me to elevate my needs above someone else’s or to tolerate the terrible behavior of some while criticizing the very same actions when committed by another. I don’t know how to be that hypocritical and I have no interest in learning.

I am not capable of seeing the world as those people do and I will no longer be indulging these insensitive soulless people – with my time, attention or presence.

In the past decade I have spent countless hours trying to understand the appeal of DJT for his followers. I’ve listened to former friends earnestly explain that the POTUS is a renegade, not a typical politician. I’ve heard about his business acumen, his selflessness in donating his presidential salary, and his ability to negotiate deals.

Here’s the thing – even if all of those things are true (which they aren’t) DJT remains a convicted felon, a serial abuser of women and girls with conservatively dozens of accusations against him and an absolute liability to this country endangering our military and citizens around the globe.

He’s a horrible, horrible person and, if you support him, you are the very same thing.

I am done with humoring the willfully ignorant, with trying to see from their demented perspective. I am finished with debating and attempts to explain and convince and provide unbiased evidence of the actions of this regime.

We are living in a dystopian nightmare and I’m over trying to engage with racist, homophobic, nationalistic assholes who can’t see that this country is being dismantled and destroyed by MAGA.

There’s something weirdly ironic about the childhood guilt I experienced as a first generation German American. I recall being fearful that perhaps my very own family had assisted in the perpetration of crimes against Jews, homosexuals and gypsies. My own children won’t have the same worries or doubts that I experienced as a child because they know that I’ve used my voice to express my concerns and position on vital issues. They know, as I came to learn about my own maternal family, that we were not Nazis, nor were we Nazi sympathizers.

And we’re not going to meet Nazis halfway – ever.