Is it creeping socialism to send assistance to the tornado-devastated communities of Mississippi? After all, the people who live in regions that don’t have tornadoes shouldn’t have to pay to support the rebuilding efforts of communities that are in the path of tornadoes from time to time, right?
Or, alternatively, we could think about it differently. Perhaps we are one nation, a nation of diverse people living in diverse communities, all of which are subject to natural disasters (tornadoes in Mississippi) or man-made disasters (chemicals in East Palestine, OH), and that we should all be ready to help one another in times of need.
That’s what good neighbors do. We help one another in times of need. We help our neighbors whether they are cis-gendered straight white Christians, or, transgendered Queer Hindus or — God forbid — even Atheists (appropriate gasp here please).
I live in a blue state. I pay high blue state taxes. I’m okay with that (and want my wealthier neighbors, and there are many of them in my state, to pay their fair share). And I’m okay with some of my federal tax dollars supporting efforts to help the people of Mississippi in their time of need. Maybe some day those Mississippians who are full of hate will come to recognize that some of the help that came their way came from people who think transgendered people are …. PEOPLE, with human rights, just like cis-gendered people. And the same for people who aren’t white, or who aren’t Christian.