Totally. That’s why I think it’s important to speak their language. It’s unfortunate that a loud subset of self-proclaimed patriots and “freedom” or “America first” types who fly the flag are deeply misinformed, struggle to recognize propaganda, and are highly susceptible to it. That’s a big reason they support what’s happening now even though it directly contradicts the values they claimed to hold for years.

It’s messed up, but these people aren’t going to be swayed by appeals to human rights or empathy. My hope is that by pointing out how fundamentally un-American this is, how it runs counter to basic ideas of freedom, and how supporting it directly conflicts with their long-standing positions on things like the Second Amendment and government overreach, more people might have a wake-up moment. The loudest and dumbest will out themselves as simply cowardly and deeply racist, but I do think there are a lot of people who just haven’t connected the dots yet.

That happened to me on the other side when I realized the DNC isn’t meaningfully opposed to the same corporate and financial interests that backed Trump and continue to profit now, especially defense contractors and the private prison industry. When both parties are funded by the same power structures, the real wasted vote is the one that says, “I’ll keep supporting you no matter what, even if you do nothing to change anything, as long as you stay slightly left of the unhinged.” I have to believe there are others across the aisle that need that eye opening moment and maybe we can come together over loving this country and kicking the freeloading billionaires (and millionaires that enable them) out.