And I remember Anita Bryant pushing a “don’t say gay” law in Miami-Dade in the 70s and everyone thought that was so mean and hateful (which it was) that the orange-juice people wouldn’t let her do ads for their product any more.
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I remember that. And, it was Bryant who was then made fun of and played as an over the top fanatic. Then, it was like..Anita Bryant, who? But then, her gang thought Bert & Ernie were gay and would make your preschooler gay.
Yep. And it wasn’t about wokeness or political correctness or ideology of any sort. People just understood she was gratuitously mean and weirdly obsessed with a nonexistent problem and that was enough to get people to reject her.
I remember my mother being horrified at Bryant's stance. If my mum were still alive she'd be 106. Lifelong atheist and believer of the Golden Rule and live and let love...
What happened to that thinking?? Now we allow the meanest to govern? In 61 years on this planet, I never could have imagined this country governed by spite, retribution and greed.
Can we take a moment to acknowledge in 2024 RFK Jr advocating "re-parenting" Black children? “Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, on SSRIs, benzos which are known to induce violence and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented" https://wapo.st/4hW2xGI
It’s crazy how we’ve become a more open and accepting society, in many ways, while at the same time allowing for the worst parts of ourselves to bubble to the top.
I witnessed something similar at our local Red Robin a few months ago. Our waitress was Transgender and a group of high school boys were heckling her. If being pro DEI and woke is not being a dick, sign me up. This country is getting uglier/meaner by the day. These people feel vindicated. Sad
I'll give George props for being outspoken and taking the personal risks of such in this era.
Your point however highlights the larger problem of not being able to see something when inside a bubble that becomes much clearer once outside that bubble.
Yeah, so very much. Look at how crippled Trump & MAGA by the people who laid the groundwork, profited from the erosion they caused to the system that led to Trump's ascent & made it possible, now that he goes on Morning Joe & tells us how bad Trump is. What a hero.
I've got more than enough to go around. But Conway, Schmidt, and all the "Project Lincoln" folks deserve the Jose Ferrar CAINE MUTINY drink in the face delivered to Fred MacMurray.
Maybe you were unaware of his taunting billboards and outspoken guest appearances throughout and before the campaign. At this moment we need all hands on deck and should welcome all who oppose trump and his fascist agenda.
I totally get your anger, but we can’t win this fight without allies. George is an ally, and nobody can argue he isn’t fully committed to defeating Trumpism.
And your point in raising this is what? George has put it all on the line and is likely at significant personal risk, as are other outspoken former Republicans.
Hate gets us nowhere good. The Clinton-hate and the efforts made to dismantle a man no more flawed than any other was the beginning of this current path. Now when you have real evil in the WH people think it’s just politics.
My daughter is training with AmeriCorps in MS.This weekend, her team went to a rodeo in Jackson.The emcee made a joke about Trump making sure there are no more trans people. The crowd resoundingly cheered and laughed.The unkindness that repugnant man has unleashed in our country is disgusting.
Seriously, why do so many wage this campaign of hate toward the most vulnerable among us. They are very troubled, psychologically damaged and deeply unhappy with their own lives and selves.
Only a matter of time before the trump regime turns a blind eye to violence against LGBTQ people, claiming it was an understandable response of red blooded American manly males to sinners and evil.😏
The important thing to remember about trans people in the military is that they are willing to fight for their country unlike any member of the trump family.
A lot of people have become under educated and weak minded. We have to find away to punch and kick against the massive social media disinformation campaigns. I'm honestly all for a campaign to limit social media platforms.
Like I've been saying all along...the DEPRAVED tRUMPlethinskin opened up Pandora's Box of Depravity in 2015 and those prone to depravity saw it as their permission to act on that depravity!
Society is less educated. Values have changed. It’s more important to be “liked” on social media than in person. People no longer think for themselves, they follow (ironically)
Those who divide know this & know we have devolved into gullible prototypes & know it takes only words to split people.
A lot of other folks lost their minds and souls in the 90s and early 2000's (I'm looking at YOU George and your Never Trumper pals who caused this catastrophe)
In reality, George, they have lost their souls to hate rhetoric displayed openly on right wing opinion based information stations and media feeds that are supported as freedom of speech but which are really freedom to hate.
And it's mostly because you guys insisted upon letting Rupert Murdoch poison our society with Fox News. Many of us knew that this would be where it leads.
It seems humans, en masse, lose their minds at regular intervals. We seem to be doing the 1930s Germany-style mass insanity. And now we wait for a hero who may never show up.
People have lost their minds because of social media. No media literacy, lack of education and people will believe ANYTHING. And especially if their beliefs are shared by a group.
Younger generations have no social contract. The "Haves" stood on the shoulders of giants and failed. "Have-nots" worked & worked without any gain and are, at this stage, completely disillusioned. There's no going back. Forward is the only option. It's going to be very painful.
It serves their financial and political interests to dehumanize us. The trouble with dehumanizing is that there is really no grey area. Once you dehumanize people, anything is on the table - from eliminating political and human rights to killing. And it never stops with one group.
It started when Bush Jr. killed the GOP and we as a nation elected the first Black president. Trump lead the birther people against Obama the TEA Party and conspiracy theorists (Alex Jones types).
But they are “good Christian’s” abiding by the loving values taught by Jesus right? I swear if I ever see this hate when I’m out in public…it will not go physically well for the hater.
So very true. When public figures normalize abhorrent behavior, that abhorrent behavior becomes normal. Luckily there are still people like me who think people should be decent and mind their own business.
As woman starting her career in the eighties and starting a family in the nineties, the world was WAY more hospitable and open for my choices than it is now. It's been backlash after backlash with the worst impulses legitimated and amplified by social media.
In part because there was not and is not sufficient accountability. As a society, we made a big mistake by tolerating a festering villainy vibe.
When Ivanka's NYC social circle gave her the cold shoulder after 2016, they had the right idea. That idea should have been magnified around the country.
I'm of a mind that social media has an awful lot to do with it. Lots of keyboard warriors out there who have no problem saying hateful things when they don't have to be face-to-face. Now, even the face-to-face is horrific!
It started with Reagan… then HW threw the door wide open for religious groups to start attacking education. Trump ‘16 and ‘24 is the final result of 30+ years of dumbing down our society.
I think it's still all comes down to having the internet. People have found others with like Minds and have momentum. In the old days they would have been alone in their opinions locally
Yes, they have. But that's true of every decade of every century. What is also true is that many people have gained their minds & souls, too. And that, I think, is what yhe journey is all about.
I'm Jewish and I see this as "Trans are the new Jews." There are so few of them that trump and his hateful group can somehow get away with it. I also think he wants to screw some of them (Bruce) and it conflicts with his hatred.
Musk and Zuckerberg rage profit machines are responsible.... They better have the ability to get the Mars pretty soon or they could ,"go through some stuff".
Yep. Millions of Americans have become weak minded and have give into fear. They’re showing no courage and compassion during a time when life in America is better than 90% of our existence. It’s pathetic. Call them out. Our politicians need to look into the camera and demand MAGA grows a spine.
It's not just old folks, though. My kid is Gen Z and I see it from ppl the same age on social media and hear and see them out in public being douchebags. I know one that seems laid back and liberal as any of us, but looks down on white women being with black men. Voted for Harris. It's just weird.
Completely explainable in back lash and front lash.
Whiteness tolerates, even supports diversity as long as it stays in its lane and is not a threat to its supremacy, if it suffers a severe setback it works to restore its law and order, sometimes it does this quietly with new laws, or w/ violence.
Back then Anita Bryant got backlash from the public at large too.
We taunted "Squeeze a fruit for Anita", and it became a widespread meme, before anyone knew what a meme was.
It really is disheartening to be going backwards like this. Feels like a real thing. FYI, here's my attempt to explain at least some of why it's happening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gtvLeXbdnk
It’s the wealth inequality. Empathy is a luxury for those who are well off.
in our new world of robber barons and conspicuous consumption, where kids can’t do as well as their parents, everyone feels victimized, and they look to fight back where they can.
The longer it goes, the crueler it gets.
No offense to your successful 2nd career, or me playing around here, but we have social media to thank for that. Until that goes away, charlatans and fear-mongers will continue to incite hate through misinformation. Sadly, and rightfully, we won’t ban it. Is what it is.
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And republicans cheered it on.
It was always there….but apparently en vogue to show the symptoms in public now
Your point however highlights the larger problem of not being able to see something when inside a bubble that becomes much clearer once outside that bubble.
https://youtu.be/Jw6gwGawbXA?si=rnP7Dqt--WWdJKry
Let's hope more people like George, wake up.
Those who divide know this & know we have devolved into gullible prototypes & know it takes only words to split people.
@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social @schumer.senate.gov
When Ivanka's NYC social circle gave her the cold shoulder after 2016, they had the right idea. That idea should have been magnified around the country.
No need for a soul anymore.
Evangelicals were the only GOP constituency showing significant growth and unity.
Half of the American electorate didn't lose its mind; it surrendered it freely.
https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/history/timelines/entry?etype=3&eid=17
They warp how we see the world
Even Orwell would have found it difficult to imagine these times.
Whiteness tolerates, even supports diversity as long as it stays in its lane and is not a threat to its supremacy, if it suffers a severe setback it works to restore its law and order, sometimes it does this quietly with new laws, or w/ violence.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/02/17/elon-musk-x-target-critics-federal-employees/
We taunted "Squeeze a fruit for Anita", and it became a widespread meme, before anyone knew what a meme was.
in our new world of robber barons and conspicuous consumption, where kids can’t do as well as their parents, everyone feels victimized, and they look to fight back where they can.
The longer it goes, the crueler it gets.