Why MAGA does't understand us

Here's what Renee Good's wife, Becca Good, wrote about her:

[I]f you ever encountered my wife, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, you know that above all else, she was kind. In fact, kindness radiated out of her.

Renee sparkled. She literally sparkled. I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. You might think it was just my love talking but her family said the same thing. Renee was made of sunshine.

Here's what Renee's family had to say about her: 

 

It would be understandable to assume they were exaggerating...until you saw the video of Renee saying "That's fine, dude. I'm not mad at you" to the officer who murdered her seconds later. Calmness and kindness did, indeed, radiate from her.

That didn't stop Trump from describing her as "very radical,” “very violent,” and “highly disrespectful” toward law enforcement. For MAGA, Renee is representative of everything they believe to be true of those who protest: we're paid operatives, domestic terrorists, and radical leftists who hate America. 

Regardless of whether they're intentionally lying or really believe all of that, it is a gross misunderstanding of what is happening. Without empathy, all these MAGA folks have is projections, leaving them clueless about us. That's especially true when it comes to Minnesotans. 

For example, today I saw a gorgeous post on Facebook. Here's a bit of it:

I grew up in Texas. But I’ve lived in Minnesota for more than twenty years, long enough to know what it asks of people and what it quietly gives back.

I don’t love the cold. I especially hate the ice. But I love what the cold has made necessary.

She went on to describe her own personal experiences of getting stuck in the snow/ice and the strangers who came to her aid. Then she wrote this (emphasis mine):

Winter teaches you quickly that survival is collective. You pay attention. You intervene. You do not leave people stranded. Ever.

In Minnesota, ice is something you learn to negotiate together. You slow down. You help. You know how easily things can go wrong if you don’t.

That’s why this other ICE feels like such a violation of who we are.

In Minnesota, we don’t solve danger by making it worse. We don’t respond to fear by escalating it. We show up. We de-escalate. We get each other home.

I was reminded of something that happened about a month ago in a residential area of the Twin Cities when a bus got stuck in the snow. A man who was walking his dog saw what was happening and went home to get his truck and shovel. As he began shoveling, the entire neighborhood showed up to help. 

So is it any wonder that, when our friends/neighbors are under attack from ICE we offer any kind of support we can?

Of course we're angry - even rageful. But here's what Rebecca Solnit wrote about that a few months ago:

[B]ehind that rage is care...you are angry the children are being bombed or the forest is being cleared because you care about them, so it’s not the feelings about the forces of destruction that is primary. It’s the love, and not losing sight of that is crucial.

Stephen Miller, who is obviously the mastermind behind the fascist invasion of my home state, recently told Jake Tapper that "we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power." That is why he and his MAGA followers will never understand what is happening in Minnesota. We know that survival is collective...and we're intent on sticking together.