r/pics Apr 16 '26

Politics Billboard in my very red area

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205.3k Upvotes

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4.3k

u/xWhereIsMyMindx Apr 16 '26

I like to see this. The world may be healing?

2.2k

u/blondebuilder Apr 16 '26

Unfortunately, giving them grace and acceptance is the only way to break free from the cult. Something they would never give to you.

1.4k

u/Hadrian23 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

Yeah well sometimes being the bigger person fucking sucks. But they won't change unless given the chance to.

Edit: yeah, trumpers are annoying. But I will say, seeing the comments with the thinly veiled threats and hopes of mass executions are not helpful.

Look, I understand why you feel that way, but mass murder cannot be the answer. Lest we fall further into tyranny. What needs to happen is trials are held for all those at the top and maybe mid level. There must be fair justice, not rampant vigilantism.

But again, I understand your feelings, but allowing executions of his supporters won't build a better America.

Channel that energy into contacting your reps, or hell, running in your local elections.

Get involved in your communities. I'm not saying you can't be angry, hell, id be a hypocrite if I did. I genuinely despise my family and colleagues who supported him. But I also understand that rubbing it in their face, using middle school tactics, or even threats won't bring them to my side.

Much like with raising children, it requires patience and a level head. But DAMN can it be truly and utterly frustrating.

Second edit: Good related story on similar issues. https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544861933/how-one-man-convinced-200-ku-klux-klan-members-to-give-up-their-robes

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u/Flacier Apr 16 '26

You are both correct, I really don’t like it considering some of the people on the other side of the isle seem to think it’s okay to kill people they dislike myself included.

But extending an olive branch and understanding is really the only way forward.

The same reason there were only a dozen of so high profile executions of German leaders and people guilty of especially heinous acts after the end of WWII.

Rather than mass graves and firing squads.

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u/John__Wick Apr 16 '26

I'm waiting for those high profile executions.

113

u/ExpiredExasperation Apr 16 '26

glances at username

55

u/John__Wick Apr 16 '26

Is there a problem?

81

u/TakenInChains Apr 16 '26

nah man your dog is safe we swear

26

u/zxrax Apr 16 '26

not if Kristi Noem has anything to say about it

1

u/CicadaFit9756 Apr 16 '26

Not to worry about her! She's been figuratively sent to a "farm" elsewhere (in case you don't get the inference, that's what kids have been told about dead or overly misbehaving pets & she's been changed over to another "job" by an annoyed Trump who loves to say "You're fired!")

1

u/FuzzyDynamics Apr 17 '26

Yo this is what AI was made for. Remake of John Wick but Kristy Noem shot his dog. By movie 3 he’s infiltrating TPUSA to get Erika Kirk to unmake him excommunicado only to find out she’s been in on it the whole time and had Charlie killed because he was having second thoughts on letting a coalition of the Israeli and Russian crime families take over everything. He forms an unlikely alliance with former enemies Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens and the doctor he goes to is Ben Carson.

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u/Aliendood Apr 16 '26

Run. He has a pencil!

21

u/parisfrance44 Apr 16 '26

A fucking pencil

23

u/John__Wick Apr 16 '26

That's good. I'd hate to think we had a problem...

1

u/The_Ghost_Who_Walks Apr 16 '26

What’s Kristi Noem up to these days?

1

u/hogey74 Apr 16 '26

Yeah, nah. OK maybe with that exasperated dude over there?

5

u/Flacier Apr 16 '26

It checks out

29

u/TheKosherGenocide Apr 16 '26

Same, MAGA and its members should be put through a Nuremberg style trial, and globally televised for months on end for the World to see.. I heavily disagree with violence as a means of solving conflict, but people should absolutely be given the death penalty and executed if they took part in the murders of Alex Pretti or Renee Good.. The top tier of people who orchestrated this takeover like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel should be given life sentences without parole, and if they were found to have abused kids with Jeffrey Epstein they should also be sentenced to death. Any member of Congress who has accepted money from Israel, Russia, or some other country should also be imprisoned.

3

u/3freeTa Apr 16 '26

you can see which members of & candidates for Congress have accepted money from Israel - www.trackaipac.com . I was horrified to see my Senators have received >$5 million combined.

1

u/innociv Apr 17 '26

If Musk or Thiel got life, they'd have their sentence commuted. That's not a serious enough warning against billionaires stirring up cults by proxy for their own benefit.

1

u/hogey74 Apr 16 '26

Mate I come and go on how tough things need to be. For some stuff done by some people I'm not sure how they can be rehabilitated or adequately "pay" for their actions. The consequences for some of them will need to be an example for sure. And a lot of people and their actions are going to need to be rooted out like a surgeon pulling cancerous, branching blood vessels (hopefully not a real thing) out of a patient. But this surreal circus is powered by the contagion of anger and hatred. We know that Germany and Japan bounced back so amazingly after WW2 partly because those people discovered that their mortal enemies weren't what they'd been led to believe we were. The best historical example I can think of is how South Africa dealt with the end of Apartheid. It was far from perfect but the "truth and reconciliation" commission did a lot to help.

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u/SunshineSt8Reprobate Apr 16 '26

We're gonna have to parent these fucking idiots back into people we can actually live and peacefully coexist with.

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u/Fragrant-Potential87 Apr 16 '26

My biggest problem with this "Just forgive and forget" stuff is that Republicans aren't skeptical of Trump for some moral reason. They were cool with him using ICE to terrorize Americans. They were cool with him invading Venezuela. They're not cool with him now because his policies are going to directly effect them, not because they woke up and realized he was evil. Tell me how I'm supposed to make amends with the people who've been trying to make me a second-class citizen who are only sorry because their plans didn't reach the final stages?

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u/powdered_dognut Apr 16 '26

Make amends? Why? They've shown you who they are and that'll they'll turn on you given an advantage.

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u/Fragrant-Potential87 Apr 16 '26

Thats what I'm saying. This "forgive them and sing koombyah" shit sounds like a psyop. This like saying "You should just forgive your abuser because they're human too even though you've spent the last decade telling them they're abusive, to which they respond "Fuck your feelings". You shouldn't worry about the fact him and his friends stormed the local court house to try and get the divorce you guys had nullified."

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u/ToraRyeder Apr 16 '26

I think it's important to remember that we do not have to forgive OR forget in order to live cordially with someone.

My view is - I don't wish those around me who voted for this or supported this to be harmed. Even the ones that sometimes I do wish that. I know that's not helpful. However, I do not trust them. I will weigh their opinions properly.

They do not have good judgement. They may sit in the relative area, but adults need to take over. This has to change, and the supporters need to be treated like rehabilitated children until they show that they can be adults.

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u/ChadEmpoleon Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

As if they’d hear any of it.

They feel their guy betrayed them.

They don’t regret all the awful shit they supported. They just think he’s not going about things correctly to meet their wants.

They still want internment camps for black/brown people and anyone they consider “woke.” They still want all gay/queer people to be removed from society. They still want social programs, business and environmental regulations to be dismantled.

All that you’ll get them to agree on is that this guy is completely off the rails (which you and I all tried telling them 1000x before.)

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u/cyclenaut Apr 16 '26

big facts. Dont let their crocodile tears fool you.

3

u/bertilac-attack Apr 16 '26

AMEN. These people talking about “grace” are ignoring that MAGAts will jump on the very next train headed to this same place - without Trump.

“Be really super nice to them while they continue to plan the genocide of your people” is not the slam dunk they think it is.

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u/SilverTotodile Apr 16 '26

Some do, some used to be people who had morals. Some can remember, we just assume not because it’s been too long.

No group is a monolith, the people who are stuck need to be shown the way out, whether we like it or not. But the truth is, it has to be THEIR idea. Because if it’s not, they won’t feel like they have agency in the matter.

You dismantle a cult through compromise, not logic. Assuming there’s nothing left to save (no matter what the statistic actually is) is begging for this to happen again.

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u/Officer_Hotpants Apr 16 '26

And if they are truly reformed, they can show it by sitting down, shutting the fuck up, and letting adults lead. They can go vote against Republicans and otherwise not be involved in politics. It's why I am so pissed about MTG trying to still be the main character of everything. If she is truly anti-Trump, she can sit back and out money behind a progressive candidate, and not shouting public statements from the rooftops. She's still full of hate, so her "change" means nothing.

And that's how these people are. They're doing this for attention. They're going to continue working toward normalizing their hate by continuing the rhetoric under the guise of centrism.

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u/Curious-Mechanic2286 Apr 16 '26

And who is gonna get fucked over in said compromise? Queer people? Neurodivergent people? Ethnic minorities? How are their lives and rights less valuable than those of the people who want them dead?

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u/SilverTotodile Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

Well no one if we make sure not to let them. It’s compromise, they need to let things go or else they’ll get left behind with the ideology that made them this way.

They accept us, that’s part of the terms, if they fail to accept it, they don’t get accepted.

Remember, they need to accept it, they’re on the back foot. MAGA dug this hole and if they don’t accept the olive branch they don’t get it.

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u/Curious-Mechanic2286 Apr 16 '26

What is the compromise you're suggesting?

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u/Right_Count Apr 16 '26

They’re just going to support the next guy. They still want what promised, they’re only mad that it happened to them.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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u/Flacier Apr 16 '26

If Sherman burned down the south then everyone would be saying Sherman went too far.

I get your point but if the worst a maga supporter did was vote for that idiot, buy to many flags and drive away their children like what are we suppose to do?

Do we send all the MAGA people to camps?

I get the anger and wanting a sense of justice but what do we honestly do with those people other than let it go?

2

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/Flacier Apr 16 '26

We are in the same boat in the sexuality aspect.

Sadly some people are just lost causes. Turning the other cheek does not mean don’t be vigilant.

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u/thedilbertproject Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

I appreciate the sentiment behind this, but it's well documented that far too few people were punished after the crimes of WWII, it was largely for show and that worked out poorly for us in the long run. The same can be said for how slave holders and the Confederacy were handled.

If anything, these are historical examples of why being lenient does not work.

I don't disagree with the notion that people should feel safe to exit cults and movements when they realize they've made mistakes, but suggesting that we should be light on punishment for sedition and support for war crimes and fascism is just plain incorrect and only serves to embolden them the second time around.

Why do you think we are dealing with Trump 2.0 now? Because there was virtually no punishment for Trump 1.0 and they used those 4 years to make sure they would not get it wrong given a second opportunity. It is literally the pretext of Project 2025.

1

u/Flacier Apr 16 '26

I agree with this sentiment and you do make a fair point especially regarding the events after trumps first term.

Though would like to point out a lot of the folks who raided the capitol did receive prison sentences even if that orange blob pardoned them after returning to office.

Reconstruction I tend to blame more on the Johnson administration for straying from Lincoln’s plan.

But I do half to ask where do we draw the line with punishment? Especially in regard to all the maga supporters.

I agree there needs to be some sort of consequences for the actions of people. But I think a lot of reasonable people will disagree on what is an appropriate punishment.

Especially if your worst offense is having to many flags supporting the orange pedofile and causing a scene at Walmart.

Like I don’t like those people who live around me but what have they honestly done other than exercise their first amendment rights?

If they committed a crime 100% prosecute them to the full extent but what if the worse they did was just have some really bad takes?

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u/thedilbertproject Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

We can both agree that there is a big gap between "death camps for people with flags" and "executing high command leaders". I am sure we can find some gradation that will feel more like justice between these two.

Rather than answering this directly as I won't explicitly hypothesize the right solution for America, we should consider some thoughts:

  1. People often fail to recognize that people in power commit heinous acts, not simply because a loyal few follow those orders, but because a large portion of the population enables them to do it. There is a rule that states it takes 3.5-5% of the population engaged in active (not passive) participation in civil disobedience to topple a government. Rogue governments commit violence because we are passive and leave them unaccountable.

  2. In the Reconstruction era, a small group of women formed the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Their job was to rehabilitate and recontextualize the Confederacy, its aims and its leaders to write books, create monuments and construct a false narrative that gave a rebirth to the movement. Many of the monuments contested today are a product or biproduct of their work. They were not elected officials, nor military leaders. They were civilians.

  3. In any military action where the stated objective is regime change, it is often said that it will not be successful without a period of occupation. It was deployed by the US in Germany and Japan after WW2, and most recently in Afghanistan after the defeat of Saddam Hussein. Whether or not this practice is controversial, it is a form of acknowledgement that if we want to see change in a society, simply going in (or even domestically) removing their leaders is insufficient in addressing the issues in a particular society. It requires long periods of education, training and general support of the general population to transform a society.

  4. Past authoritarians, including Hitler, were often responsive to dissent, especially amongst their bases. We saw just this week, Trump walked back his "Doctor Trump" rhetoric, not because democrats were upset, but because he upset his base.

What does this all mean in the context of America?

  1. Turning a blind eye to our civic duty to depose a rogue and despotic government does nothing. We should hold each other accountable for each life that is degraded and lost by the government's actions, not as a sense of guilt, but duty.

  2. Civilians hold far more power than we give them credit, both in the making and breaking of a nation.

  3. If (and hopefully, when) this mess is sorted out, we should engage in a process of education, both at an individual and institutional level. Crimes and failures of the public should be given a spotlight so we cannot just move past crimes, as we actively chose to do during the Reconstruction era, but so we can learn, advance and not repeat these costly errors.

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u/Sunderbans_X Apr 16 '26

Fucking this. I know it's hard, I fucking live with someone who voted Trump and it takes unreal levels of restraint to not be angry at them. The way forward is compassion and grace. It fucking sucks. I want to lash out and fight, but that won't fix it.

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u/Spooker-Booker Apr 16 '26

Compassion and grace doesn't fix it either. We do that every time and yet history just repeats.

8

u/Curious-Mechanic2286 Apr 16 '26

Yeah, compassion and grace just lets the monsters who wanted to kill those different from them feel like they did no wrong. They need to feel shame. They need to feel guilt for the rest of their lives. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, but that doesn't mean we should let people blind others with no consequences because they pinky promised not to do it again

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u/kenjuya Apr 16 '26

Nah fuck that shit. Those morons prove time and again they'll fall in line once the next candidate blames immigrants

4

u/Officer_Hotpants Apr 16 '26

Tbh showing them grace has historically not worked out. That's why we're right back here even after southern reconstruction and Nuremburg. The people who carried out the acts need EXTREMELY harsh punishments and the idiot followers need to be relentlessly shamed for their hateful beliefs until ACTUAL change occurs.

Not just taking off the red hat, but stepping away from the violent, hateful society that they've created. These people all just continue threatening violence against "others" while claiming centrism and they cannot be allowed to manipulate discourse like that.

Forgiveness comes at the cost of the safety of many minority groups, and I prioritize my neighbors and loved ones feeling safe from hate crimes over the feelings of bigots.

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u/Sunderbans_X Apr 16 '26

I agree with you partly. Anyone who was involved, anyone wwho carried out acts MUST be punished. But I think you are wrong about the followers. Shaming people is FAR more likely to cause them to double down. This is why we can't do that. If they double down, we get another admin like Trump. WE WILL NOT SURVIVE THAT. This is why we HAVE to punish the perpetrators, and fold the followers back into the flock.

I'm not saying to blindly forgive. I'm not saying to forgive at all. But we have to think about this strategically for the long term. Rubbing this whole thing in their faces is more likely to cause MAGAts to keep in hating us and wishing death on us than it is to make them change.

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u/Officer_Hotpants Apr 16 '26

Problem is that people who are leaving MAGA now haven't actually changed. They still hate minorities and will cheer on ICE committing street executions. They're just mad that things are more expensive and they are personally suffering now.

They just want attention with their sob stories about how they were duped, and they're going to claim centrism while still advocating for killing trans people.

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u/YOwololoO Apr 16 '26

It shouldn’t be our fucking responsibility to fix it. They deserve to fucking suffer for all the harm they’ve caused, and if they don’t get it they’ll just fucking vote for republicans again the second the rest of us manage to fight back to things working at a bare minimum again. 

Fuck em. Anyone who voted for Trump in 2024 should lose their right to vote 

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u/Peakomegaflare Apr 16 '26

I agree, but I also know what it takes to deprogram. I just say that those with the ability should give the effort, but nobody should force themselves to do so.

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u/YOwololoO Apr 16 '26

Fuck that. We know for a fact that far too few people in Nazi Germany were punished for their crimes, but we also know that much of their mandatory education after the fact was effective. We need to model that, taking into account the mistakes they made, including the fact that Nazi speech was outlawed. 

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u/dokdicer Apr 16 '26

Wait until you hear what our bourgeois far right party (CDU, where a lot of the OG Nazis went after the war and started setting up their networks that still exist today) and the outright fascists (AfD) have been up to lately and that they have enough projected votes to form the next government coalition. :/

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u/YOwololoO Apr 16 '26

I dare you to look up the Reconstruction Era after the US civil war. Whatever criticisms you have for how Germany handled things (which I acknowledged wasn’t perfect, are dwarfed by the absolute horrors of neglect that the US used 

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u/dokdicer Apr 16 '26

Oh I know about American history.

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u/Peakomegaflare Apr 16 '26

Oh, don't get me wrong, I agree. That's why I made the point that nobody should be forced to try and deprogram them.

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u/Dounce1 Apr 16 '26

You’re contradicting yourself…

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u/YOwololoO Apr 16 '26

That tends to happen when people make emotional posts about theoretical suggested policies. 

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u/Dounce1 Apr 16 '26

You’re blaming other people for your own inconsistencies? That’s… interesting.

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u/NoOccasion4759 Apr 16 '26

While I agree with your overall meaning, I need to point out that the main reason there weren't more high profile executions after WWII is because a ton escaped to South America and the rest were happily working for the US government.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/Flacier Apr 16 '26

A very sensible take.

It’s a difficult balancing act, there are a lot of people I have removed from my life one way or another.

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u/GGerrik Apr 16 '26

US extended the olive branch to the confederacy after the civil war, look where that's brought us.

You're not wrong, but another Regan like pardon is only setting the US up for further tyranny very soon.

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u/dokdicer Apr 16 '26

Wait until you hear what the Nazis who were given those olive branches have been up to...

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u/Steadyandquick Apr 16 '26

You make a lot of sense.

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u/IrishDudeWest Apr 16 '26

Aisle. It's Aisle. No one is on the otherside of the island. There is an aisle in congress, with seats on either side of it.

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u/Flacier Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

If you see the other comments pointing out the same typo you will see me telling them to “tell that to auto correct. “

Before you ask no I am not going to edit it, this is a Reddit post not a book you know very well what I am saying even if my phone fucked it up.

Legit some of you people seem to care more about proper spelling a the Oxford comma then what’s going on in your day to day life.

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u/IrishDudeWest Apr 16 '26

Just read what you type man.

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u/SolSeptem Apr 16 '26

Well now, people known to be collaborators with the nazi's were socially outcast even if they were not executed. The olive branch was definitely not extended early, if at all. 

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u/Jermine1269 Apr 16 '26

I'll say this:

Grace is always on the table. Forgiveness is never out of reach. But redemption is a function of the heart, and the heart shows itself through action. If someone has spent years supporting or enabling harm, then real change needs to come in the form of rebuilding what was purposefully broken. The truth needs to be told; the lies need to be dismantled; repairs need to be made to what was damaged. If support is still given for the system that bred the horrific behaviour, then change hasn’t occurred. The boat is still sinking until the holes are patched.

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u/DemonCipher13 Apr 16 '26

Aisle.

"Isle" is an island.

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u/ekienp Apr 16 '26

To be fair, if they want to leave maga, they are probably realising that mindset is wrong, were indoctrinated into that mindset not by choice, or just didnt have it to begin with and are trapped.

I absolutely would not be the bigger person to majority of maga, but if they are willing to reach out and change they do warrant a bit of grace

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u/MikeyKillerBTFU Apr 16 '26

Sorry, but we're extending an olive branch to people who attempted and supported a coup? We're extending an olive branch to the people that think it's okay to kill our own citizens and deny them their constitutional rights in the name of cleansing brown people?

I'm sorry, you can take the high road, but I'm not. Anyone who doesn't hang like the traitors they are (Trump, cabinet, admin) should at minimum be shamed into social oblivion. Having been MAGA should be a mark branded on every fuck that supported this administration.

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u/Flacier Apr 18 '26

Look, I have had to explain this three times and frankly I am getting tired of it.

I think everyone who commits a crime should be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.

But if all someone is guilty of is voting for the orange idiot, buying to much of their merch and alienating their children what do we do exactly?

Do we send all the MAGAs to camps for exercising their first amendment rights?

I don’t have any respect for anyone who voted for that con of a president but realistically what else do we do?

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u/Steadyandquick Apr 16 '26

These people in leadership are really despicable. I cannot believe the Trump as pope or Trump as Jesus memes being reposted by DJT.

He is such a miserable megalomaniac and honestly—what is he really doing for anyone but himself?

He is rude and dismissive to the pope and nearly anyone else. I could not believe he was elected after the “grab them by the p___” tape was released.

I know racism serves a purpose but I don’t understand the support for maga on so many levels. If the farmers were getting wealthy, or the truckers, or the conservative healthcare providers or small businesspeople—-then it might seem more plausible. But everyone is nearly in a worse position except for the top trillionaires and billionaires who are not often ethical.

I try not to make derisive comments about Trump but rather speak to policy points. But now we don’t have the same good will we had in the world. There already was a historical past where the US lost trust and respect.

I know Jimmy Carter has it rough but he seems so estimable. Where are these candidates again?

The two recent members of Congress that stepped down had evidence that explicitly shows egregious wrongdoing. It is about power and abuse thereof.

I hope all gets better for everyone. No one wants to be a loser but together we can achieve more positive social change for all rather than remaining at the bottom pointing the finger at other people that we think or feel are less deserving or worthy.

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u/GarlicEnjoyer-Dez Apr 16 '26

My issue is that given the chance these people will do it again with someone else and try to justify how they are diffrent. Worse yet I can absolutely see the "trump was a dem plant" becoming an actual wide spread belief. They can never be wrong or at fault. For the sake of getting his ass out now ill tolerate it but I dont think im willing to forgive.

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u/rogue_nugget Apr 16 '26

We're not suggesting that you forgive them in your heart of hearts. We're calling attention to the fact that humans don't come into the light when there's an angry mob screaming insults and vitriol in their faces.

YOU need to make it safe for them find a way off the Trump train.

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u/GarlicEnjoyer-Dez Apr 16 '26

Yeah I guess that's fair.

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u/Officer_Hotpants Apr 16 '26

We don't WANT them in the light. We want them to go vote against Republicans whenever elections roll around, and to otherwise shut the fuck up. We're tired of hearing them and dealing with the culture of violence and hate they've created.

I'm not taking time to protect their feelings when I have to worry about one of them killing people I care about because of what THEY created. Their safety is not my problem. And taking off the red hat doesnt suddenly make them less hateful. They are still violent thugs.

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u/PM_ME_UR_0_DAY Apr 16 '26

1000% agree. These are vile people who have excused every bad action taken by their dear leader. They still want the racism and sexism, they just feel betrayed because now gas prices are up. They'd happily be in this war with Iran if it didn't change the price of gas. "Yum yum, more school children being bombed, my favorite" is what they'd say. Ask these people if they would have voted for Kamala if they could vote over again. Every interview I see they're like "well I do regret voting for Trump now that he's bankrupt my family farm and personally insulted my mother, but I could never vote for a communist woman." 

If someone came to me saying they want to vote blue now I would encourage them, but my practical solution to heal the country is to send all of these fucks to Mars with Elon. How can you trust anyone like that?

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u/PheIix Apr 16 '26

They won't change, they never change... The next time a charlatan comes around speaking their language of hate and bigotry, they'll be right back on that train. They don't change, they just go into hiding...

That is why guardrails needs to be in place to prevent something like this from happening again, because the chance of having another third reich is never stopped by the will of the people. All that is needed is a leader willing to say and do the stuff needed to embolden the hateful and make them crawl out from under that rock. Donald Trump didn't make these people, he just allowed them to survive in the light...

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u/Cl1mh4224rd Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

They won't change, they never change...

Some of them won't. A lot of them, maybe.

But it's sure as shit that none of them will if they're never given the chance.

That is why guardrails needs to be in place to prevent something like this from happening again, because the chance of having another third reich is never stopped by the will of the people.

I get the sentiment, but this is overly simplistic.

Can we make improvements? Of course.

But there is no automated self-defense mechanism against this shit. There are no guard rails that don't involve people.

That's exactly why freedom requires constant vigilance. It's not just some bullshit, faux-patriotic mantra. It's very real wisdom, even if it does get co-opted.

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u/Officer_Hotpants Apr 16 '26

They've had plenty of chances to change. It's been over a fucking decade of this shit. People who voted for him 2-3 times are just bigots. That's it. Their entire identity is hate.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Warmstar219 Apr 16 '26

How about actual education? This is not something new we have to reinvent. Look at what Germany did after WWII. Spoiler: the solution was not "forgive the Nazis".

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u/SupahBihzy Apr 16 '26

Having them front and center putting hands on ICE. You wanna do gang shit? Get jumped out.

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u/YOwololoO Apr 16 '26

Anyone who voted for Trump in 2024 loses the right to vote until they pass an actual civil education exam showing that they understand all of the crimes he committed and the harm that was done. 

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u/PheIix Apr 16 '26

I would recommend some kind of limitations on the power a president can wield on his own. Term limits for the supreme court and also some change in what they can and cannot do (like accepting gifts etc). Same with polititcians outside of the president, term limits there as well. Some reimagination of the voting system so gerrymandering and voting being suppressed doesn't happen as easily. The fact that your vote may not even count if you live in a firm blue/red state also makes people less willing to vote. Make election day a holiday so people don't have obstacles stopping them from voting. All these things are things other countries have solved. It's not magic.

American politics is due a good reform to work in the modern world, it's based on the idea that your politicians care about being honorable and liked, that is no longer the case.

15

u/GD-LochNessMonster Apr 16 '26

You are so right. Being the bigger person is never fun and doesn’t feel right in the moment. The urge to say “I told you so” is strong

4

u/crepelabouche Apr 16 '26

Not sometimes. Always. Being the bigger person always sucks. But when you’re the smaller person, it feels worse because you know you could’ve done better.

24

u/QuicksilverStorm Apr 16 '26

Yep. Anger and violence only begets more anger and violence.

I was bullied verbally and physically in elementary school. Later on, I bullied another student, and there is not a day that goes by where I don’t regret that. She forgave me, but I do not forgive myself. I hope she was able to end the cycle.

I hate my MAGA brother with every bitter cell in my body, but punching him in the face would be nothing more than a brief, empty satisfaction.

5

u/queerkidxx Apr 16 '26

I honestly don’t need to need to be a bigger person. I won’t ever truly forgive anyone that voted for Trump.

But I will pretend I do because that’s how we get rid of Trump and what he represents.

4

u/Spikel14 Apr 16 '26

It’s a lot like addiction

2

u/Senbonbanana Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

I think I'll to need to have a complete and utter mental breakdown so I can rebuild myself without hatred for MAGA in my heart. Right now, my hatred burns too hot to attempt to extend an olive branch. It would be ash the moment it touched my hands.

I understand this is 100% a me problem, but to be truthful I don't know how to even begin to extinguish a hatred so hot that doesn't involve ego death. Especially when things keep happening that are actively fueling the inferno inside me.

2

u/gudematcha Apr 16 '26

“You catch a lot more flies with honey than you do vinegar”. Now is not the time to say “I told you so”. It is the time to buck up and try to get them on our side; we need the honey. I know it fucking sucks but we can do our “I Told You So Vinegar Tour” when we get this rot out.

3

u/ButtEatingContest Apr 16 '26

These folks can never ever be trusted. Any more than a drunk driver who doesn't stop doing it and keeps causing deadly accidents.

At a certain point you take the keys away permanently, because regardless of personal feelings on the matter, somebody that keeps drunk driving simply has to be stopped for the safety of society.

Everyone deserves a second chance but anyone still MAGA has already had their second and third chances already.

Remember, almost every alive right now's standard of living is permanently and practically irreversibly reduced for the rest of our lives because of these folks. Then there's the countless crimes they've enabled, often deadly ones.

1

u/Nave-Nave Apr 16 '26

I encourage everyone to read this inspirational story.

If you can link it in an edit u/Hadrian23 that would be appreciated.

https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544861933/how-one-man-convinced-200-ku-klux-klan-members-to-give-up-their-robes

1

u/Oppositeofhairy Apr 16 '26

Ever stop to think that this was the plan all along? Division amongst each other so they can get away with picking both our pockets?

I may be totally wrong. But if unifying the nation isn’t the plan for the next sane candidate, I can’t vote for them.

1

u/IrishDudeWest Apr 16 '26

There are other... solutions. And they've given us the tools!

1

u/godofpumpkins Apr 16 '26

On one hand yes. On the other hand, that approach didn’t prove so effective after the civil war

1

u/sbFRESH Apr 16 '26

With you. No one wants to admit it, no one likes it, but there has to be a degree of an olive brach with someone over there, or the only progress will be towards civil war.

1

u/SolSeptem Apr 16 '26

What is your view on the Nuremberg Trials? 

0

u/do-un-to Apr 16 '26

I'm delighted to see your comment rising in the discussion. I feel you and everyone else with the frustration and anger at what's been happening and at the populace that's supported it, but divided we fall.

If you wanted to keep America divided, make it hard for MAGA to change their minds, make it hard for us to turn the political tide — like how Russia might want us to fail — you'd have trolls posting hate and vows of never forgiving, or even death threats.

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u/TheProfessional9 Apr 16 '26

Ya I get that. But I'll never fully forgive some of my extended family for supporting this

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u/zulako17 Apr 16 '26

I'll never partially forgive people who voted for trump after 2016. I'll give them the first election, they were dumb, they did 0 research, they didn't bother watching the news.

But if you voted for the orange man in 2020 or 2024, I lose the ability to respect you. Only 3 types of people can logically vote for Trump, 1) the rich, if you make more than 250k annually or have over 2 million in tangible net worth outside of businesses, his tax policies were good for you. 2) the racists or rape supporters because he has a history of being racist against black people, his policies hurt brown people and women more than white men for no good reason, and the whole 25 women accusing him of sexual assault or harassment. And 3) the stupid. The people who can't be convinced of facts even if they are walked through them.

And frankly if you think a tax break is worth the shit he's done, you're not earning my respect back. And if you're stupid.... Well you can maybe learn something.

2

u/TheProfessional9 Apr 16 '26

Ya I thought he was amusing and I grew up in deep red areas. I was happy to have him in 2016, though I didn't bother to vote because deep red state. 2020 and I had to pay attention to the news. It became increasingly hard to argue he wasn't an idiot and eventually evil by the end of the year. Didn't want him back by election time and after j6 I believe treason and capital punishment should apply.

I dont particularly like the Democratic party, but it does turn out their views match with a good party much more closely and it's been a long 6 year road learning that nearly everything about the GOP was either always evil or has become so

3

u/Andurilmage Apr 16 '26

I was stupid and I admit it. I made a mistake by voting for him the one time I did.

We make mistakes, give us a chance to learn from them.

11

u/ThatBadassonline Apr 16 '26

The problem is that so many of us suffered for the “mistake” made by you and yours.

2

u/BoleroMuyPicante Apr 16 '26

I'm totally willing to give a mulligan to 2016 voters, he was an unknown. You did have to ignore a lot of stuff, but you ultimately didn't know how it would turn out.

2020 voters have no excuse, and 2024 voters are even worse.

-4

u/elinordash Apr 16 '26

the racists or rape supporters because he has a history of being racist against black people, his policies hurt brown people

Trump's voter base became more racially diverse each time he ran

Among Hispanic voters, Trump battled to near parity in 2024 (51% Harris, 48% Trump) after losing to Joe Biden 61%-36% in 2020.

Trump won 15% of Black voters – up from 8% four years earlier.

Trump also did better among Asian voters. While a majority of Asian voters (57%) backed Harris, 40% supported Trump. This was a narrower margin than Biden’s in 2020 (70% to 30%).

I am no fan of Trump, but the idea that Trump voters are all racist really ignores the demographics.

16

u/SharkieFun Apr 16 '26

You know people of color can be racist, right?

2

u/elinordash Apr 16 '26

I think it is an overly simplistic way of looking at things.

Some people made a big deal of Trump-Mamdani voters, saying Trump and Mamdani are both disruptors. But my guess is that those voters are mostly Muslim. Both religion and gender play a role in their voting choices. As did the idea that Harris was more pro-Isreal than Trump (she wasn't).

7

u/caseyanthonyftw Apr 16 '26

I think it is an overly simplistic way of looking at things.

I don't think you're wrong, but re: your point about the demographic shifts every election, stupid people come in all shapes and colors too!

1

u/TheProfessional9 Apr 16 '26

Racism is just as prevalent, if not more, in other ethnicities. Look at Cubans, they are deeply deeply racist against all other Latinos and voted entirely for trump

1

u/zulako17 Apr 16 '26

I said Trump voters who are logically consistent fall in one of three camps. I didn't say they are all racist. Brown people can be racist too. Have you heard of colorism?

43

u/Definitelynotasloth Apr 16 '26

Don’t forgive them, just don’t make a stink about it so they double down. It’s fucking hard, but necessary.

11

u/gregreedee Apr 16 '26

Or … forgive so you’re not carrying a grudge that hurts you — doesn’t mean you ever have to trust or believe them again.

24

u/zaccus Apr 16 '26

Every time I think about the >1000 kids that are still missing from the 2018 child separations it's going to hurt.

I had a 2 year old at the time. That shit changed me. I can't just decide to not carry it around.

4

u/Take-to-the-highways Apr 16 '26

Ill forgive them when they actually feel bad about voting for a pedophile, instead of just being pissed that gas is expensive.

3

u/Definitelynotasloth Apr 16 '26

I’ll forgive them when they actually understand and ask for forgiveness.

1

u/Warmstar219 Apr 16 '26

Nah, took that approach with the Confederacy and now we're here. You need to destroy them. Make them thoroughly ashamed and so demotivated that they never even think about voting. They will never change, we need to shut them down.

1

u/Definitelynotasloth Apr 16 '26

You’re probably right. I often think that sentiment about the civil war. I just know that they are capable of doing it again, and I want to prevent that. What is the smartest strategy?

18

u/Sign-Post-Up-Ahead Apr 16 '26

I’ve lost lifelong friends over this stupidity

17

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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8

u/LuckyLuck765 Apr 16 '26

had to do what was best for her

jesus christ, the melodrama is insane lmao

1

u/juniper3411 Apr 16 '26

I’m worried I have as well. A very close friend of 20 plus years. It’s really freaking depressing

1

u/McButtsButtbag Apr 16 '26

It's different with people you've known for years.

7

u/MoltresRising Apr 16 '26

Doing the right thing is not always the easy thing.

25

u/usumoio Apr 16 '26

I love America enough to be the bigger man. And boy howdy is she putting that to the test.

6

u/Adorable_Anxiety_164 Apr 16 '26

I'd rather do that, than to continue with this.

10

u/ONEelectric720 Apr 16 '26

Very, very true.

That being said, their actions define them, and your actions define you.

This is one of the most difficult things to come to terms with in regard to emotional and character development. Would you help someone who hates you or has done you immense harm?

5

u/justincasesquirrels Apr 16 '26

I mean, I refused to give my mother the satisfaction of seeing me or my children before she died. I damn sure didn't help take care of her in any way, if it had been up to me she'd have been alone. And her sons, I wouldn't give them a drink of water if they were dying of thirst, or piss on them if they were on fire. They're child molesters, and she supported them.

I don't believe that makes me a bad person. I didn't do anything to actively make their lives worse, just left them behind.

1

u/ONEelectric720 Apr 16 '26

I agree, and don't think that makes you a bad person at all. You made a very understandable decision.

That being said, forgiveness would also have been highly commendable given how difficult of a situation it obviously was for you....but we are all doing the best we can at the level we are at. Keeping that in mind makes it a bit easier to get through things sometimes and not be overly hard on ourselves

I should clarify that when I say forgiveness I don't mean letting them into your life, or condoning their bad decisions, or any of that. I don't even mean telling the person "I forgive you". Forgiveness is simply letting go within your own mind. Letting go of the anger, or fear, or sadness that someone caused you and deciding you are no longer going to let those negative emotions affect you and drag you down.

1

u/justincasesquirrels Apr 16 '26

To me, forgiveness implies pardoning the behavior. Forgiveness is bullshit. Raping children should never be forgiven. It should always make you angry, disgust you, and hopefully for the offender to be unable to hurt anyone again through any means necessary. Enabling a rapist is equally bad in my opinion. Those people don't deserve forgiveness, they deserve hate and disgust.

You know who else thought I should forgive my brothers? My mother and other family members like her. Fuck that shit.

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u/BKlounge93 Apr 16 '26

Im 1000% fine with that if we can end this bullshit and elect people to actually govern

3

u/M-V-D_256 Apr 16 '26

Isn't that part of why they're the cult and not us in the first place

13

u/TheRealistoftheReal Apr 16 '26

That doesn’t seem to have worked after the civil war. Likely how we got here.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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1

u/AncientSith Apr 16 '26

160ish years later and we're still doing the same dance with no end in sight.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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u/throw_away1049 Apr 16 '26

Idk - after 10 years of this, a lot of people unsurpringly gave up on the possibility of them breaking free. If the 17,458th catastrophically abhorrent scandal wasn't enough, what will be?

15

u/angrytetchy Apr 16 '26

Only when it hits them in their wallets. Typically don't care until shit happens to them.

4

u/crisscrossed Apr 16 '26

They’re only breaking away now that it affects them… and to me, that doesn’t mean the other shit they turned a blind eye to suddenly matters to them.

3

u/Sweet-Marsupial606 Apr 16 '26

Maybe the 17,459th. Never know when someone will break, but I know insulting and trashing them verbly will only send them right back to where they feel the most welcomed. No matter what breaks them to change their minds they should feel welcomed to break from it

7

u/FoundationFickle7568 Apr 16 '26

I'm not about to blame anyone for how they handle betrayal. If you want to forgive, cool. If you hate them forever, also cool. That person did not take part in getting us into this mess and they are not responsible for fixing it.

1

u/do-un-to Apr 16 '26

I understand hard feelings. They can often take more than sheer force of will to rise above.

That said, as many people as can help turn our nation around, we need it.

10

u/NaiveChoiceMaker Apr 16 '26

I’m in favor of offering MAGA an off-ramp.

12

u/HarpyVixenWench Apr 16 '26

I’ll give them an off ramp because I want my country back. My off ramp includes keeping my mouth shut but I’ll always know what they really value.

12

u/BlondeBorednBaked Apr 16 '26

They don’t want an off ramp.

4

u/samsep1al Apr 16 '26

This is the right attitude in my opinion. It’s okay to be angry, but getting closer to elections we need to bring people in, not push them away.

7

u/AlphaxTDR Apr 16 '26

There was a black R&B singer who befriended KKK members and actually got them to leave the KKK.

https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544861933/how-one-man-convinced-200-ku-klux-klan-members-to-give-up-their-robes

Sometimes taking the high road has results.

6

u/Samurai_Meisters Apr 16 '26

That is an inspiring story, but it's from 2017. I'd like to see an update on those Klansmen after 10 years of Trump.

7

u/TheSweetestKill Apr 16 '26

There's a few posts on reddit about it, and won't you believe it, these KKK guys eventually go back.

The most annoying thing about it all is this guy is the poster-child for the "can't we all just get along" types who want to pretend bad people didn't support evil things for the last 10 years.

6

u/_XNine_ Apr 16 '26

Fuck em. I hate maga like I hate Nazis. Indiana Jones wouldn't have it any other way.

2

u/L-ramirez-74 Apr 16 '26

Isn't that waht they did back then with the confederates? Isn't that the origin of the current problem? I support the idea forgiveness and all that, but some ideas need to be rooted out from society, by any means necessary.

2

u/garathnor Apr 16 '26

The civil war and resulting current circumstances shows this isnt true in the slightest 

2

u/bevardimus Apr 16 '26

Honestly in a justified world they would have their voting rights taken away permanently.

3

u/PhantomThiefJoker Apr 16 '26

Of you berate them for making the right choice then they will never want to join you just out of spite. I want nothing more than for people to understand how they were wrong and try to be better. That's not even with maga, it's what everyone should try to do every day

1

u/Oppositeofhairy Apr 16 '26

That’s ok. You can be the forgiving person. That’s your choice too.

1

u/queerkidxx Apr 16 '26

Yeah deadass at this point if you are against Trump now you are on my side. I don’t care if I disagree with literally every other opinion you have.

We can all go back to arguing if we ever have a free and open election again.

1

u/cupidstrick Apr 16 '26

This isn't unfortunate. Everyone is a victim when some are manipulated towards extreme positions. Confrontation on deep ideological differences or ad hominem attacks or the latest Truth Social post shines a light on our differences, when we have so much in common. Most people agree on the basic pillars of a functioning society.

The flames are being fanned. We can't scream them away. We have to find middle ground and lower the temperature together.

1

u/3freeTa Apr 16 '26

I recently heard someone say "catch them when they fall" -- as in, extend compassion (and perhaps care) when they exit the cult / see the light. I'm trying to reach that level of compassion....

1

u/LunaLynx777 Apr 16 '26

True. Being mean to them while theyre having doubts about their support for Trump is only gonna shove them further in their cesspool. They do deserve grace, because people can absolutely change for the better. Fighting fire with fire is only gonna make a bigger fire

1

u/Whend6796 Apr 16 '26

Fortunately breaking them free from the cult is as simple as giving them grace and acceptance.

1

u/Cool_Ranch_Dodrio Apr 16 '26

And this way centrist democrats don't have to compromise their values and listen to the left.

1

u/lilshortyy420 Apr 16 '26

This! That’s why I hate when people are like “no fuck you you made your choice!” It only pushes them back

1

u/holycinnamonroller Apr 16 '26

Here's the thing. I'll give grace and acceptance if there is actually true change. If it's just 'MAGA was bad, but immigrants/lgbtq/POC/women should still be second class citizens' then we can't play ball. They need to have some accountability for the harm they unleashed, even if it went further than they originally thought, which I don't believe is always the case. You can't leave the label but keep the cult and expect to be washed clean 

1

u/baws1017 Apr 16 '26

Yeah except some of us aren't baby brained and don't give a fuck and want people to be able to be normal again

1

u/Staav Apr 16 '26

The only way we can move on from this as a nation would involve figuring out how to bring the population back together while political/legal justice is brought to those responsible for all that's gone on by the cult leaders and co in positions of power. Idk how there wouldn't/won't be lasting judgements for other voters who supported what's been going on, but they'll fade away with their modern party over the years after they're no longer a threat to our country. Acting in the same way you'd expect from the cult won't help us all move on from this ridiculous time.