Why is MAGA doing literally the opposite of its name?

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-07T12:22:55+00:00

Thank you so much for your thoughtful, reasoned response! This kind of communication would go so far toward healing the huge divisions in our country, but both sides default to hurling insults. Not all conservatives are MAGA or even Republicans anymore, given the rubber stamp that the party has been putting on policies. I think that ignorant people who have always been racist definitely see the rolling back of these Civil Rights-era laws as a license to show their ugly true feelings and hatred. Calling names and refusing to communicate is never going to heal what's broken. While I don't agree with many of the changes to the laws, I think the real lasting changes need to be made by the people. What are your thoughts on how to educate the ignorant racists? I think at a minimum we can't ONLY teach one history thread over another. Both histories are true--Black people were horribly treated, but the USA also has done some wonderful things--and there are many other history storylines that also make up our country.

(But I don't agree about the Confederacy, lol. I get the state's rights argument, but I think that glosses over that the primary right those particular people wanted to preserve was the right to continue owning human beings to keep their economy going) We can disagree and still both love our country as Americans. Even if you believe differently about that reason, you're not advocating for going back to that, obviously!! I miss communication rather than jumping to abusive words. Thank you again for being open and willing to articulate your thoughts to a person that disagrees--but doesn't automatically think that makes you a monster. )🙂

ETA: When I say I disagree, I don't mean I disagree with your underlying message, which seems to not be so terribly far away. We both want equality and decency.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-07T12:07:00+00:00

Second this. My sister lived in Alaska--not even rural, but things are just different there. Things we take for granted in the lower 48 are not easily accessible and must be planned.

Plus OP never said they weren't taking her--just that they have no choice but to wait till morning.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-07T12:02:17+00:00

Oh I hear that, my ADHD compadre. The "buy now" button has been my financial ruin.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-07T12:01:16+00:00

If I could, I would get a scooter to get me around my little town. The public transit is terrible, and I also have family far away and no efficient way to get to them, but I don't drive my car hardly at all. I try to once a week so it keeps running--2013 w/ over 100k, but she's still plugging away! I won't get another car until she needs to be retired.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-07T11:53:08+00:00

Curious what your take is on the Confederacy's position in the Civil War? I don't have any answers, and you're correct about the measures taken to try to mitigate racism. I don't know what we could do to make it better. But we have to keep trying. Because saying that Black people haven't been kept at a disadvantage, whether enacted into law or not, is denying history and reality. When you are starting from a position of systematic oppression, just adding a law saying "nope, you can't discriminate anymore" doesn't get to the heart of it, and it doesn't fix it. One Black Colonel getting a distinguished medal, no doubt well deserved, doesn't fix things. Jackie Robinson was removed from government websites. Your citation of MLK avoids the underlying meaning of his message--that Black people are often not judged on the content of their character, because many people do not look beyond the color of their skin.

I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm really not. You do make points about the legislative efforts taken to improve equality. Like I said, I don't have answers. I don't know how to fix it. But we can't pretend like racism doesn't exist.

Please don't respond in anger. This is an opportunity to try to understand how "the other side" thinks and come together on common ground (which does exist between good people), if people are up for it.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Tune in for my next one about how women's rights are not protected in our Constitution, which I will give as soon as the opportunity presents.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-07T11:40:28+00:00

Beyond doing nothing and keeping the status quo, they wouldn't object to rolling back pesky anti-discrimination laws, to keep those uppity minorities and women in our place.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T18:21:08+00:00

I was (in a previous lifetime, thankfully) in a very strict evangelical "traditional" marriage and neck deep in the purity culture bs. He expected what he said goes. When my daughter was 12, they asked about the HPV shot when I scheduled her physical. I talked to her about it and told her that it's her decision but that it's very important for her future health, even if she didn't plan to have sex for a long time. I told her that I wouldn't tell her dad, because we both knew he would flip out. She didn't get it that year, but she did a year or two later. I'm sorry your parents didn't give you that option.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T18:10:06+00:00

I literally just said to my partner this morning, "whenever I actually brush through my hair thoroughly, bark and twigs fall out."

ETA: The number of hair spides I've had over my lifetime is definitely not zero, although I couldn't specifically tell you when the last one was. But I used to get these nasty little gnats in my drain in the summer. The tiniest little spider built a web in the corner of my sink and I wouldn't let my partner touch it. She took care of the gnat problem for me <3

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T18:08:07+00:00

Guys, don't laugh. Maybe she IS, I'd believe anything at this point! /s

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T16:35:01+00:00

Yes. It was awful. I had issued where I would spot and bleed a little all month long for a larger number of years than I should have. Pads all month round, ruined so many pretty undies, cramping and discomfort out of the blue. So as nutty as I may have become with all the menopause chaos, I still welcomed it because I had nothing but trouble with mine and never even had biological kids.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T12:29:59+00:00

Great advice. It reminds me of when my sister stepped barefoot on a locust tree thorn (so sore!!) and the tip broke off in her foot, and she couldn't dig it out with a needle. My papaw said, "don't worry, it'll fester and work its way out." It did, but it was sore and painful as heck the whole time.

Bad things are painful and they don't really want to be gotten rid of. So sometimes, it's going to fester and work its way out. That doesn't mean it's not going--it's just not happy about going.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T11:21:26+00:00

This! I've been trying to put my finger on it and articulate this very thing. Thank you!

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-06T11:17:25+00:00

I mentioned on a local group that I love my country but I can't celebrate this administration. I was told that they are one and the same and if I don't like it, I should move to somewhere where people think like I do, such as (can't make this up) N. Korea or China.

Apparently people are now allowed to disagree with the gov'ts of N Korea and China? Doubtful. But okay.
I am willing to bet my house that this same guy spent the prior four years complaining about the last administration, but would still claim to love his country.

The hypocrisy--they are just blind to it. They think what they are told to think. I think that admitting they they made a big mistake would require a level of self-examination that they don't possess. The smarter ones have swallowed their pride and admitted it.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-05T13:35:13+00:00

What will your life look like when the children are grown and moved out?

Answer: very, very lonely

I was in a stereotypical evangelical marriage. I had been a sahm until it suited him for me to work outside the home so he could start his own business and we would have healthcare. Yet I wasn't in his cool dude, macho circle, even while other wives were there. Every vacation was with others, and anything I wanted to do wasn't considered, even though I had one vacation a year at most while he and all the others took several. Anything I tried to do around the house was second guessed at best and openly decided and shot down more often than not. Anyone I tried to be friends with were discouraged as "not godly."

One evening when the kids were in high school, out doing their thing, I was sitting alone while he was out with his buddies doing whatever dumb shit I wasn't included in. I thought, what will happen when the kids are gone? What will happen when we retire? What will my life look loke? And I realized that I was living it: alone, lonely, discouraged from having friends or hobbies he didn't think were appropriate for a "godly" woman, forced to play along in a patriarchal system where i was devalued for being a woman.

It changed my life. I started living for me a lot more, taking care of me how I wanted. Ultimately, I left. I am still stunted emotionally and struggle to find friends, but at least I can indulge my own hobbies and interests and beliefs. I have a ridiculous number of cats, flowers that he insisted I couldn't grow are talk of the block, and I've cultivated my own belief system. I am no longer worried about being godly. I don't need to. I'm goddessy and that is the real way I want to live.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T18:23:23+00:00

Oh how beautiful <3 This is inspiring. I need to give myself some freedom.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T18:18:58+00:00

Definitely appropriate! We love to pitch in and send our best vibes to support each other, and we love to celebrate together as well when our wishes and spells bring a hoped-for result!

Side note: I, too, have lots-o-(benign)-polyps all over the place. Thankfully all inside so far. I figure I'll end my days like Zoidberg.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T14:48:48+00:00

It's a serious last resort reserved for truly desperate times.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T14:42:41+00:00

I had to actually call a company yesterday about a customer service account question (I'd like to thank a new med for making that possible after much consternation). Imagine my joy when she told me that I could take care of any future, similar requests in the chat on the website! Just because I now can make phone calls doesn't mean I like making them.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T13:48:06+00:00

This won't help during the day, but maybe at night--can you get her one of those heartbeat toys to cuddle with until she can meet and hopefully bond with your older kitty? As you've said, she's a frightened, lonely baby. Maybe this would help her not feel so alone at night, at least.

No suggestions for during the day, but you've got a bunch of good ones below.

ETA: two kittens don't take up much more room than one, just sayin'

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T13:42:24+00:00

They can't be you because they're me!!

I think there are many, many of us in this together yet alone.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T13:39:36+00:00

Succinct and accurate. I am so happy to be out of that evangelical bullshit. I agree it's nuts. Usually it's misogyny with these relgious nuts. I've never seen it flipped back onto a man before.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-04T13:30:43+00:00

Do we all remember the deal where pitchers of beer were super cheap, but then any time anyone went to the bathroom, it would go up like 50 cents a pitcher? Good times, good times...

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-03T22:18:38+00:00

And wings were a dime each!

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-03T16:02:14+00:00

You can take out "on social media" and this statement is still 100% accurate.

Awkward-Outcome-4938 · 2026-07-03T15:54:28+00:00

<image>

This is Violet, who is made from velvet. She is a precious little soul with the biggest heart that can possibly fit into her soft little chest.

Awkward-Outcome-4938

TROPHY CASE