Okay. I’ve had enough of seeing this crap on Daily Kos. It needs to stop. NOW.
It’s in the comments all the time. Every time someone asks why voters in red states vote for Republicans, the answer is always the same:
“Racism. Stupidity. Meth.”
“Meth.”
“Probably meth. And racist and ignorant.”
ENOUGH ALREADY. The all caps shouting is for a damn good reason.
I come from what used to be considered a swing state, but is now usually a red one, Ohio. My crystal meth addiction, however, was something that I got introduced to in sapphire blue San Francisco. It took me 23 years, but I finally stopped relapsing and I’m now working on getting 3 years next May 30th, 2021.
Meth isn’t a red states only thing—especially in the gay male community where it’s often described as an epidemic. I can assure you that most of the crystal meth addicts I know are liberal Democrats. From everything I’ve read and seen news coverage on, the bigger issue in red states right now is opiate addiction which is definitely an epidemic.
But that’s not why people use meth as a slur, is it?
No. The point is that it’s name-calling. It’s short hand for insulting someone’s intelligence and denigrating their character.
“Those stupid Republican voters—they’re probably all on meth. Because all people who use meth are stupid and are all total losers. And probably racist, too.”
What those of you who indulge in this behavior are really saying is that any derogatory name or slur you can slap on red state and Republican voters is totally okay and there’s nothing wrong with doing it because “the other side” did it first so that means we have permission to do it, too. Anything we do or say is perfectly acceptable because “the other side” is so much worse than we are.
Do you actually need me to make a list of all the lowlife scumbags and convicted felons who were registered Democrats to show you that “our side” is not entirely pure, noble and blameless? Rod Blagojevich. Anthony Weiner. And there are more.
Pointing at someone else’s sins and then calling them any name you want makes you no better than they are. And saying “Well, they did it first!” is no excuse.
I don’t care if it makes you angry. I don’t care if you don’t like it. Michelle Obama was and still is right: When they go low? We go high. If you disagree? I want nothing to do with you.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris got called “Sleepy,” “Creepy” and “Phony” by Trump. Did they then turn around and attempt to come up with their own libel and slander and nickname him? No, they did not. Because they wanted to be and are better than that.
We should do no less. If you are the better person, then act like it.
And frankly, using drugs and alcohol as short hand for maligning someone’s character and intelligence is what Hillary Clinton I am sure would also find deplorable.
NO—All drug addicts and alcoholics are not stupid, ignorant or conservative. We aren’t all Republicans either.
NO—All voters you hate do not have addiction problems.
And even if someone has an addiction problem, people who are truly a basket of deplorables are those that sink to using alcoholism and addiction as their go-to slur for name-calling when they’re too angry and ignorant to go high instead of going low.
If you are so much more intelligent and so much of a better person than any Republican? Then behave that way. Everyone whose politics and/or character you hate is not an addict or alcoholic. And every addict or alcoholic is not someone who supports the policies and politics of the Republican Party. Someone else behaving badly is no excuse for you to behave just as bad or worse than them.
There are many clean & sober people who work very hard on their sobriety here at Daily Kos. You insult and dishonor them (and me) when you constantly trot out hateful, nasty and ugly stereotypes about addiction. If you want to know the facts about meth addiction? I’ll be happy to clear that up for you—because most of you using meth addict as a slur for voters, for human beings you hate and despise clearly have no idea what the realities of addiction are.
FYI...when you are as addicted as your derogatory slurs imply? You sure as hell cannot get out of bed to vote.
When your addiction is as extreme as mine once was? The last thing on your mind is voting for anyone or what’s happening in an election. You’re thinking about if you can or want to even get out of bed and can you stand up without passing out and falling down in the shower. Or if you can even make it to the toilet or to the kitchen to eat after not eating for 2 whole days. And what is it going to take for you to get to sleep after being up for 2 days or longer? Can you even stand and walk without falling down?
PLEASE STOP USING ADDICTION AS YOUR FAVORITE GO-TO SLUR FOR ANY VOTER YOU HATE.
All addicts are not automatically members of the political party you hate and that you get your jollies from dehumanizing and belittling. The reality of addiction is, most addicts who need serious treatment and recovery don’t have the time, the energy or the well-being to stress over voting and elections. Most addicts are trying to literally just stay alive and not lose everything they have.
You can and should be able to criticize the Republican Party and its base without sinking to the same level as Trump or engaging in the same behavior as Trump. Because if you can’t? You are absolutely NO better than they are.
Rant over. I need to actually do my job so I can have a paycheck. But I’ll be around. Thanks for reading this.