The second critique of the "Debunking Liberal Nonsense" series is directed at some uniquely terrible liberal maneuvers that have become increasingly prevalent, both in real-life and on social media.
Labeling yourself as a social progressive does not automatically afford you license to treat others with cruelty, especially under the (truly ironic) guise of "moral superiority." Identifying with a marginalized group does not allow you to use someone else's privilege as an excuse for listless advocacy.
Liberals have become lazy, self-absorbed, and downright mean, and are subsequently undermining their own "righteous" pursuits.
Liberal Mistake #2—Attacking Rather Than Informing
Over the past year or so, liberals have developed a nasty tendency of responding to any offensive act by promptly and publicly humiliating the person who did it. Rather than first trying to earnestly educate people about the damaging effects of say, cultural appropriation or misgendering someone, liberals instantly assume that the “perpetrator” is a morally deficient bigot who deserves nothing more than promulgated degradation. I’m here to tell you all that, contrary to what you may believe, many people are kind and reasonable, and many people would listen and respond positively if you privately, calmly explained to them why their behavior was "problematic."
Do you know what absolutely does not change people’s minds or encourage them to alter their behavior? Public shaming, assaulting them on social media, or ruining their lives via “doxing” (searching for and publishing private or identifying information about a particular individual on the Internet, typically with malicious intent).
A recent mantra that many liberals have adopted is, “it’s not my job to explain this issue to you, and to expect me to explain it to you highlights your privilege.”
What?
When did we decide that educating and informing as many people as possible about liberal ideas was no longer integral to continued social progress? When did we decide that it was okay to accuse someone of “exercising their privilege,” when all they did was ask us to explain an issue by which we are intimately affected?
However much you may hate it, or attribute ignorance to privilege, you cannot expect the average person to have in-depth knowledge of every relevant social issue, and you should not belittle them for asking you (as the expert you purport to be) to elaborate or justify your stance.
You should see it as an opportunity to enlighten others, to refine your belief systems, and to get your ideas out there. Instead of admonishing men for asking women to explain what feminism is, or reprimanding a non-disabled person for asking about the experiences of a disabled person, liberals should be jumping on the opportunity to share their perspectives and their knowledge.
Let’s say you're a student, and you incorrectly answer a question that you probably should have known. Your teacher proceeds to belittle your intelligence in front of the entire class, and then when you ask her to explain the correct answer, she refuses. How would you feel? A few people might go home and read their textbook front-to-back so they will never be embarrassed again, and will try to figure out the answer on their own.
Most people, however, will feel sad, alienated, and resentful. They will never raise their hand in class again, they will hate their teacher and refuse to seek help in the future, and they will definitely not learn or develop as much as they would have had they first been treated decently.
To treat someone with decency is to assume that they are inherently deserving of your compassion, that their offense was not due to moral default, but to rectifiable ignorance. Treating people with decency and assuming that they are uninformed rather than innately odious, should be the first response to any sort of objectionable act.
Are there people who will refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing, despite your diplomacy? Of course. However, treating every single person who makes a politically incorrect mistake as a "hostile witness" only decreases the likelihood of you ever being able to convince anyone to adopt your positions.
Let’s say ten people have used a racial slur in some sort of social media post. Some of those people did it intentionally, some did not. Some will repudiate any attempt to reach out. Some will ameliorate themselves regardless of what you say. What are important are the others—the ones in the middle—who could take either route.
Although they are not apparently recognizable, these are the people whose future behavior will be influenced by your attitude and your forgiveness. These are the people who make decency the inarguable first step. These are the people who deserve an explanation when they ask for it. These are the people that liberals can either push away or bring into the fold.
Even if this method only influences a mere one out of every hundred people, that one alone makes its employment worthwhile.
Liberal Tip #2:
Next time you see someone post something problematic on social media, message them privately, using agreeable language, and tell them that what they did was harmful, explain why, and let them know how they can improve for next time. I promise you, you will change more people’s minds for good by using this approach than you ever will by (lazily) resorting to public shaming.
