Long gone are the days that political ideologies or identities were perceived as chatty or characteristic, the days that debates about reoccurring history and current events don’t turn completely maddening. Honestly, do we read books about the concepts and structures that is modern political identity? Or do we just frame a sense of myopia as virtue, and praise figureheads who represent strong political opinions that are nothing but an emblematic, fiery tweet?
In politics, in culture, in media and just about every inch of society where there is room for political opinion, there is a new reigning level of unapologetic speculation that results in more fire and more fury. The result? Absolute retrogression as a society. Unequalled, terrifying debates fueling that larger fire that is a civil war called political opinion.
On the right, there’s the Kavanaughs and the Trumps… Misogynistic, questionably racist, objectifying to womem, just to name three qualities. Three qualities that are not even perceived as a right off, or a disqualifier to run for a position that bares leadership in a political party. Perhaps, these qualities have become almost a selling point to some? As it reverberates, and fails to face any formal punishment or thorough investigation.
This is when politics meets civil rights. You would think that politics and civil rights would meet and prosper, work together and maybe even change things… however, the war that is political opinion has caused such movements like the #MeToo movement to find nothing but absolute destruction. If you want to know why women in the past, and present, do not come forward when they have been victims of sexual assault, it is because on national television we all watched a panel of political Senators hire a prosecutor to try and lacerate the credibility of a victim, rather launch an actual investigation – one that would not just merit recognition before the midterm elections. Followed by the President of the entire country mocking and debilitating the victim.
Is this biased? I often refrain from speaking so personally about my own political views because of the war that is political opinion, but to be quite frank, this has nothing to do with choosing between red or blue anymore, but everything to do with morality. I’m tired of investigations that yield no real results and predict the impulses of the rich and corrupt, who only have their own interests at heart. We didn’t even need the New York Times investigation to know that these are the kind of men who dodge taxes, build estates only for the elites and hide money in Panama. We don’t even need to watch CNN to know that these are the men who verbally, unprofessionally and frequently slate minorities, women, mental health and many more groups or movements that make their own ego feel interrogated.
When you fight fire with fire, there is simply just no winning. There is no winning in democracy or morality. It doesn’t even matter what happens at this point, in the Kavanaugh trial, the Trump trial (s) and whatever is next to come, because what has already happened has just gone way too far.
