Spirited Dialog, Not Rote, Unquestioning Loyalty
The defining difference between MAGA and everyone else?
In the past few weeks I’ve been getting many comments, often lengthy and impassioned, about my wanting Joe Biden to step away for the good of the country. And I understand both sides, though recent events have reinforced my conviction.
But those comments defending the President have been civil and thoughtful and they make many great points, just as those who share my views have been equally thoughtful. I’ve been thinking about this dialog in the context of the rhetoric we are hearing at the Republican Convention.
The MAGA version of the Republican Party has no tolerance for dissent on any level and if a person dares to express an opinion that disagrees with their candidate, they are immediately marked as a traitor, a RINO, Republican In Name Only. And if they stick to their guns they are ostracized or even kicked out of the party.
And God forbid they should deviate from the norm in any way. We had two glaring examples this week. A Sikh woman delivered a speech on unity and was blasted with religious intolerance because she wore a headscarf and is not a Christian. And there was shock when it was discovered that J.D. Vance’s wife is Indian and a person of color.
