Then let them think we’re weak. Dehumanizing others goes against my principles, whether or not that person dehumanizes me. I won’t compromise myself to “best” them because doing so would defeat the purpose.
Refusing to dehumanize them doesn’t make us any more exploitable, and I would argue refusal to dehumanize others solidifies trust on the side of those with humanity left.
When I see someone refuse to sink to such low states as calling other humans “cockroaches” i have more respect for them, and that much more faith trust they won’t turn around and call me a cockroach a few years down the line when political tides change.
If you’re out here calling people cockroaches then I really don’t give a fuck what you have to say. Bad faith, emotional based insults get us nowhere. They give us too much ammo to be that lazy.
My response wasn’t particularly emotional but sure.
Keeping my empathy doesn’t preclude me from being discerning, swift and decisive in moments of crisis or high risk. I prefer to be kind, that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to be vicious.
When “prepping for war”, it’s important to consider the non-actors that may get caught in the crossfire. “Conservatives” is a wide generalization, many of them are not only capable of empathy, but dare I say decent people, even if they’re under the spell of propaganda.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a trans woman with a gun and a plan for if/when crisis hits. I’m very aware of the current threats to my life and continued pursuit of happiness. But before that I’m human, and so are they. And as far as I can tell, most of them are as unwilling to participate in this propaganda driven culture war as I am.
So yeah, I’ll keep my empathy.
Don’t let one loud house ruin the neighborhood.