As kids, we learn that bullying is wrong. We are told that repeated, targeted harassment of a fellow classmate/neighbor is not okay and that it will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, in this day and age, we see bullying being used as a weapon by different groups who seek to control language, stories, ideas, and narratives with threats and intimidation, all while telling themselves they are doing it for the greater good.
That they are JUST.
That they are FIGHTING the good fight.
Because those of us on the Right have it coming for daring to disagree with them. That is our biggest crime. Disagreeing. And for that crime, they will torment and try to take us apart while silencing us along the way as much as possible.
We've been told over and over and over again that it is the Right who acts as authoritarians and fascists when we're clearly NOT the ones forming groups and organizations targeting the Left. It would be hilariously ironic if it weren't so damn scary.
And it is scary. They know it's scary and they know they can intimidate people on the Right, especially in conservative media because so much of our reach and our ability to continue doing what we do relies on others. Our readers, our advertisers, search engines, social media - literally our ability to even be seen are being taken away because bullies think it somehow makes things better.
When in reality, it only makes things worse.
Not to mention that in most cases we're not allowed to actually take the bullies head-on because it's impossible to fight an enemy who so desperately wants you to fail ... they know corporations and other organizations are scared of them and will do as they're told. So what can we do? What should we do?
I think ultimately this was why (and is why) so many people like Trump. For the first time in a long time, someone was on our side, someone was standing up to the bullies and punching them back after they'd spent years (decades) punching the rest of us. Was it pretty? No. But was it what we needed? Yes.
But then you look at what they did to Trump ...
Bullies.
The lot of them.
And they tell themselves they're the good guys so they feel justified in what they're doing knowing if any of us dare push back they'll just make our jobs that much harder ... and the country that much more divided and angry. Then they'll blame the Right for making everything so crappy.
Which they'll use as another excuse to continue targeting and bullying in a vicious cycle.
Something has to give. Right?
