Okay, I get it.
Meidas Touch Network is growing fast, so fast that they may not be able to fully comprehend the magnitude of responsibility that comes with reaching into the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
VIDEO: OPEN LETTER BELOW
I am speaking, of course, of some things that Ben Meiselas, one of my favorite pundits of MTN, says or advocates that could potentially be harmful, even if well intended.
Again, I like Ben—the man also drives me crazy. He is affable, intelligent, legally savvy, and passionate about what he does, but in some of my prior one-on-one phone discussions, he sometimes comes across as a trifle stubborn and know-it-all-y.
A case in point—
a few fans pointed out that forgiving MAGA relatives may not always be advisable for many reasons. Ben recently doubled down on his stance in a recent live podcast, using, IMHO, shaming language.
Check the video out—scrub to about 51 minutes, where he talks about a PA Republican who has decided not to vote for Trump in the 2024 election.
Now, on a level, I agree with some of what Ben says here—we need to be welcoming, to an extent, to all coming when it comes to pushing forward a pro-democracy agenda; however, we also need to be aware of who and what we are dealing with.
Are these folks sincere?
Are we allowing a trojan horse into the ranks?
Can they cause more harm than good?
IMHO his stance is woefully naive
…and, in some cases, dangerous.
I am directly quoting here:
“If you look at cult deprogramming behavior, one of the biggest barriers to leaving the cult is the shame that people were part of the cult to begin with. They don’t want to admit that they hurt their family members and friends, so rather than get out of the cult, so counterintuitive, they go deeper down into the rabbit hole of the cult; so, even if people didn’t leave after the January 6th Insurrection, which should be a moment of leaving, if they decided tomorrow that they would leave, I wouldn’t judge them for it, and I don’t think you should judge them for it…”
Uhm. Yeah—let’s dissect, shall we?
My Primary Objection
Ya know, Ben had me all the up until this line: “Even if people didn’t leave after the January 6th Insurrection, which should be a moment of leaving, if they decided tomorrow that they would leave, I wouldn’t judge them for it, and I don’t think you should judge them for it…”
Felt a trifle finger-waggy to me, and I never liked that, even when I was a devout Christian. Sticks into my craw, so yes, I will admit part of my reaction is a “me” thing.
Still, such a black-and-white statement lacks nuance and fails to account for what these individuals may have left in the wake of their decision to join the MAGA cult. It also fails to consider that even outside of joining MAGA, these people may not have been peaches to begin with.
Why allow abuse back into your life if you don’t have to?
I have always found it a bit morally reprehensible for people to demand folks kiss and makeup in a situation where grievous, irreparable harm was inflicted, and the injuring party has not made amends nor acknowledged that behavior. People have the right to set a boundary when it comes to individuals who may continue their abusive behavior.
Seriously, is it really a good idea for anyone to open the door for individuals who may have been emotionally, psychologically, or even, in extreme cases, physically abusive?
It took me some time and a few posts to hammer out what really, really, really bugged me about the podcast, but I finally figured it out.
I posted this on X:
Open Letter to Ben Meiselas
LuvMultimedia
@PortlazLuv
Something has been really bugging me about the recent MTN call to forgive MAGA relatives and I've finally put my finger on it. it's not about forgiveness itself. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, however, some folks may not have the ability to do so based on a number of factors. That needs to be put into consideration. For example, some people have been groomed due to abusive familial relationships to put their own safety aside and this may make them feel guilty about not accepting people back into their lives who were abusive. This language should be couched within an understanding that not all family dynamics are the same or even emotionally or physically safe. This open letter is from a fan of MTN so this come on the winds of love my friends... peace
Long and short
I hold no cows sacred, and I think we should always speak truth to power, even when we admire those sitting on the throne.
We are all trying our best and fighting to save our democracy—throughout this process, we can all learn from each other—if we have a mind open enough to do so.
