Mediaboss Marketing

Andrew Redlawsk, Opinion Contributor Published 8:15 a.m. ET July 23, 2017 | Updated 10:40 a.m. ET July 23, 2017

Protest on June 4, 2017.(Photo: Ariane Kunze, AFP/Getty Images)

The other night, I had an amazing conversation with a friend who admitted he was a Donald Trump voter. Having known him for most of my life, I was shocked. But as a result, as a proud member of The Resistance, I'm even more certain that we progressives are largely responsible for the rise of Trump's America.

My typical response to conservatives who see me as a smug, elitist hypocrite for not being tolerant of their beliefs is that I'm "intolerant of intolerance, but Ive realized that that mistake is the issue. No, we don't have to accept and respect others' bigotry or ignorance, but it's incredibly important that we understand where it comes from and why it exists. There are millions of people in this country who, when they think of America, think of it like a Norman Rockwell painting. White Picket Fences, Suburbia, Baseball, Apple Pie and the American Flag. In capital letters.

They dont just think it, they feel it. Deeply.

If I'm honest, those are the same images that were burned into my brain as a kid growing up in Iowa. The folks who voted for Trump are by and large people who see progressivism, and specifically concepts like political correctness and intersectionalism, as an attack on all of those deeply held feelings of what America "is." To them, our movement is an assault on their Field of Dreams. They're afraid of losing their (yes, white and Christian) America in the tidal wave of cultural shifts that have occurred over recent decades.

Is calling them racist going to change that? Is calling them bigots going to do it? Hateful? Monsters? Ignorant? Uneducated? Privileged? We dont have to agree with it, but we have to attempt to understand it.

I voted for Donald Trump to save lives: Response to Redlawsk

Trump voters and foes can seek common ground on life: Response to Buono

The only way The Resistance succeeds is if we fundamentally change our tactics. We must realize that the way into these hearts is to respectfully suggest that the causes we fight for actually align with their deeply held patriotism and love for America. That yes, our marginalized communities may look different and speak a different language, but they want all the same things you do, and they want to have them in this incredible country we've built together. They also want to have their Field of Dreams. Thats why they came here in the first place! And isn't it the American Way to do everything we can to give them that opportunity?

But what this also means is that we as progressives need to stop getting so offended by everything and learn to put ourselves in others' shoes. All of our experiences conservatives and progressives alike give us unique perspectives, and it is absolutely unhelpful to say things like "it's not our job to teach you" when someone comes to us with questions.

Actually, it is our job.

If we're waiting for people who hold a different view to change their minds without being guided through that process, we'll be waiting an awfully long time. I think progressives would all agree that time is not something we have to waste. It may not be fair, but progressives must be willing to put aside their anger and hate and take responsibility for creating the change they wish to see in the world. To vilify, shame and condemn only causes those who don't understand to dig in their heels. If we are the ones who want change, the responsibility is ours to do what it takes to encourage it.

To summarize: Progressives, stop insulting, stopshaming, and stop condescending. Start listening. Start teaching.

When we have that gut-check moment like I had the other night, upon finding out my friend voted for Donald Trump, we have to find the strength to overcome it, not let it get the best of our emotions. We must endeavor to listen.

Andrew Redlawsk is a Democratic organizer and activist and is currently pursuing his Masters in Political Management at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Read a response from Trump voter Sophia Buonohere.

You can readdiverse opinions from ourBoard of Contributorsand other writers ontheOpinion front page,on Twitter@USATOpinionand in our dailyOpinion newsletter.To submit a letter, comment or column, check oursubmission guidelines.

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2uV5SlX

Read more from the original source:
Progressives must preach understanding, not shame, to be effective - USA TODAY