There's a post that conservatives are sharing on Facebook that aims to make it seem like they are tolerant people, but they've been pushed to the point where they've decided to become a bigot.
Who pushed them too far? The LGBT community, people of color, liberals, and immigrants.
The post is clearly a total "Sorry, not sorry," post that attempts to have things both ways. It essentially says, "I was tolerant of those who aren't white, straight, and conservative, but I've become intolerant of them because they are destroying my way of life."
[Note: There are different versions of this post that say: "I have never cared if you were well off, or poor, because I've been both, until you started calling me names for working hard and bettering myself" and "I've never cared if you don't like guns until you tried to take my guns away."]
Who in the world is calling people names for working hard? Also, it's a little self-aggrandizing for someone to pat their own back by bragging about working hard and bettering themselves. But, hey, puffing yourself up is what Facebook is for.
Whoever shares the post is also looking to be praised for their toughness, "my patience and tolerance are gone." Congratulations on being so thin-skinned.
The post is also inadvertently funny because it says, "I never cared you were gay until you started shoving it down my throat." Now, what exactly was shoved down this person's throat and did they enjoy it or not? That reveal would make for a much more entertaining post.
So, what happened now grandpa?
The post also assumes that the LGBT community, people of color, liberals, and immigrants are all fighting against straight, white conservatives in an attempt to ruin their lives. When, in reality, most of the activists are simply fighting for equality.
There are extremists in all movements, so to paint each group with such broad-strokes shows a real lack of experience.
via Netflix
via Netflix
LGBT people aren't trying to turn straight people into drag queens. Protesting against systemic inequality isn't about blaming others people for your problems, it's about highlighting inequity and attempting to correct it.
And where does the original poster get the idea that immigrants are trying to erase anyone's history?
Someone came up with the perfect response to the "I don't care" post by pointing out the fact that the person who wrote the manifesto probably has supported Republican policies that have oppressed immigrants, people of color, and the LGBT community.
Naturally, these policies have encouraged liberals to fight back.
via Reddit
The poster does a great job of explaining how the person who "never cared" really does care about the rights of people who aren't like him or her.
People on the right love to talk about freedom, but it's more like, "freedom for me but not for thee." They are vocal about the freedom to own a gun, run a business without interference, and pay less in taxes to the state.
But they conveniently neglect the freedom for people to love who they choose, live where they want, and do what they wish with their bodies.
People who truly value liberty want it for those they disagree with as well.
In today's politically divided America, tolerance is a value that we need a lot more and more of, regardless of one's political affiliation. So, how about an "I never cared" post that goes something like this?
"You know folks, I never cared you were gay until I saw that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide, compared to heterosexual youth. So I stood up for your rights.
I never cared what color you were until I learned that Black people are up to six times more likely to be killed by police, so I marched alongside you.
I never cared about your political affiliation, until I realized it is a reflection of your values, so I listened. I also appreciated it when you listened to me when I shared my views.
I didn't care where you were from until I learned you were a refugee that came to America to provide your family with safety and opportunity.
I am not alone in feeling like this, there are millions more of us who feel like this, and we are going to change the world so it's a more tolerant, safe, and free place for all of us."
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Image courtesy of Letters of Love
Image courtesy of Letters of Love
Image courtesy of Letters of Love
Image courtesy of Letters of Love
Image courtesy of Grace Berbig
An abandoned 747 rests in a Bangkok lot. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
