> This is people denying your humanity on no grounds whatsoever, and when you point it out they say "well, minorities have always felt this way, so shut up and take it."
Here's where they are coming from: Donald Trump was denying people's humanity on the grounds that they came from south of the border. He was literally separating children from their parents to scare others away.
When I have explained that to Trump supporters, they immediately gaslight me; telling me it wasn't that bad, or Trump's fault.
> It's about Bill and John and Sally-- people who used to be friends and colleagues-- treating me like I'm a monster for no reason whatsoever other than a mass psychosis.
They don't mean to. Really, they don't. The trouble is, they just can't find a reason.
The only reason I can think of is that Trump supporters really don't know what's happening. That they don't believe it. It looks a lot like mass psychosis.
It looks even more like a cult. I would know: I grew up in one. If I can come back from that, you can come back from this. The first step is empathy.
Are you certain that you aren't in the "group of people oppressing other groups of people"?
I know it can be hard to confront that question. I did it about a year ago. When I did, I found out the answer was "no".
I dug a little deeper, and realized it wasn't a soft "no", either. I was an instrumental part of an institution that tears families apart and drives children to suicidal ideation. I always knew there were issues, but I had plenty of excuses for those issues and the institution's part in them.
If you really aren't a Nazi or a racist, then will you reconsider your support for the GOP? Bill, John, and Sally didn't just pull that out of their asses. What they said to you was disrespectful and dehumanizing, but it didn't come from nothing.