"Snowflake." How it is "meant to be" and how I have witnessed it used in the public forum... An observation.
It was the evening before the presidential inauguration, 2017. There was only a short half a day to go before Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States. The "Deploraball"-- a conservative event, which took its name in mockery of Hillary Clinton's outlandish, "basket of deplorables," comment was taking place in Washington DC. Certainly applicable to many, but a sweeping generalization that contributed to her loss. Socialites in tuxedos and women dressed in furs and pearls were arriving at the National Press Club, which is where the event was to take place. Outside the building, there was a massive police presence, presumably to protect those in the tuxedos and furs from the protesting rabble-- as Bill O'Reilly would say, "the guttersnipes" in the streets.
A couple buildings down, the elite of the elite had gathered at a swanky hotel for what appeared to be a pre-party for the Deploraball. I saw Sheriff David Clarke, Geraldo Rivera and Sean Hannity all gathered nearby. Vermin Supreme, (who was not a guest), got the attention of Geraldo Rivera with the floppy boot on his head and cheers for free ponies from afar. From across the velvet rope, Geraldo and Hannity went to shake Vermin's hand. Vermin, being the prankster that he is, gave Geraldo one of Donald Trump's patented power handshakes and nearly yanked him over the table.
A man wearing a tuxedo with a flower in his lapel was high-fiving with Sean Hannity. We'll call him "Flowerman" for simplicity. What struck me as being peculiar about Flowerman was that he could not stop screaming, "go home snowflakes" at the top of his lungs. It was constant. It was simultaneously an existential cry of pain, and a call for the allegedly "Clinton-voting" onlookers to conform, presumably with those on his side of the velvet rope. Oddly enough, (in my observation), most of the people who protest at these things are decidedly not Clinton supporters-- which illustrates a certain disconnect by Flowerman with what's taking place in the world. By and large, the people he was shouting at are just as vehemently opposed to Clinton as the folks from FOXNews in their tuxedos.
When I saw Flowerman shouting "snowflake" over and over and over again at the protesters-- to the point where his veins were popping out of his neck, I couldn't help but laugh-- But then when I had a little time to think about it-- it occurred to me that this guy is truly sad. First, because his candidate had just won, and he's still deeply angry, screaming at every "lay-about" who wandered by in tattered clothes. Second-- because he reveals that he wishes he wasn't a plain ol' drone of a person as he stood next to Sean Hannity-- a man who does stand out and is unique, (regardless of whether one agrees with him). Lastly, Flowerman seemed sad because as a man who will never be as great as Hannity, (in his own mind), he wanted to browbeat into conformity anyone who showed any kind of individuality. Of course, the exception being those like Sean Hannity who he holds up to be one of the chosen ones.
And no, Flowerman is not unique in this sad existential cry. I have witnessed plenty of others screaming out like this in anger. Having observed it over and over and over again, perhaps I can see something that they cannot. Perhaps I am just going out on a snowy limb, but it feels like weak, fascism light-- Impotent and sad. And they don't have to be. Sure, we are free to try and blend in with the crowd, and think the way others think-- but freedom means that we too can aspire to be snowflakes.
Sadly, as I have observed that out in the world, "Snowflake" is nothing but the rallying cry of the self-neutered, so afraid of freedom for themselves that they want to crush those who have any freedom at all...
Just an observation.
@RodWebber