Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I don't know if I'm a devil or an angel around here right now. [View all]NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)88. Yes. This. Exactly. Thank you!
Quoting your entire post below so that I can add it to my DU-Journal.
qwlauren35
69. You got me thinking.
View profile
I know the term "trailer trash" and I can imagine that it stings like a bitch to hear yourself referred to that way. Does it sting as much as "ni&&er"? I don't know.
I laugh at Jeff Foxworthy, and thinking about it, the whole "git 'er done" thing with Larry the Cable Guy feeds into stereotypes and gets people laughing at working class Southerners when such jokes about other minority groups would not be acceptable.
SO! Although you say that you're about economic issues, I think when you speak for "your group", you're really looking for some respect.
You are in a group that is not a minority - yet - and maybe seeing minority groups get attention for their deepest issues, like police brutality, abortion and sexual assault, marriage equality, etc., makes you feel as though your issues aren't getting attention. But actually, I think what you're doing, and you don't know you're doing it, is playing the white privilege card, by saying that YOUR issues should be front and center. And suggesting that if we just focused on YOUR issues, everything else would be taken care of.
The economic issues vs. social issues argument played out during the 2016 Democratic primaries and got MAJOR UGLY. In fact, it was so ugly that some Democrats wouldn't vote in the general election. If you weren't one of them, that's a good start. Fixing economic issues doesn't fix social issues related to prejudice. It just doesn't. You've got to let go of that. The Democratic party has a very broad platform that includes both economic and social issues. Social issues related to prejudice don't affect straight white working class men. So it is not surprising that some might want economic issues on top. But it's arrogant. Very arrogant.
I know you don't mean to be arrogant, I know you don't realize that you're invoking white privilege. But please realize that it SOUNDS like you're saying that if economic issues, your issues, straight white working class men's issues, can't be front and center, then the Democrats don't deserve your vote.
Please think long and hard about how you sound when you suggest that economic issues need to come before whether a person has to worry about being shot by the police without having committed a crime. Why can't the issues be side by side? Not everyone has student loan debt, not everyone has had to declare bankruptcy, not everyone struggles to find a job. Those are YOUR issues. And those are some major issues, and you've been through some major shit in your life. I get that. But "front and center"? Instead of side by side?
Do you see what you've done?
I respect you, I hear you. And I get that you want to feel heard, to have your issues paid attention to. And maybe you feel that social issues drown out economic issues. But they don't. They are just side by side. Equal billing. Everyone is heard.
If you're not comfortable with "side by side", then your straight-white-maleness is showing. It may be time for you to become an Independent. Vote based on the person, etc. But I think if you take a serious look at the Republican party, you will find that they aren't putting economic issues at the top of the party platform either. They have "family values". And "Make America Great Again", substitute "great" for "white". So, maybe you would feel more respected with the Republicans, even though they wouldn't solve any of your economic problems.
As a black woman, strongly pro-abortion, and constantly worried that my husband will be pulled over and shot, my issues aren't your issues. The Democratic Party has room for both of us. I don't ask that my issues be front and center. I just want them included. Your issues ARE included. If you want more than that, you need to take a look in the mirror, because you are being part of the problem.
69. You got me thinking.
View profile
I know the term "trailer trash" and I can imagine that it stings like a bitch to hear yourself referred to that way. Does it sting as much as "ni&&er"? I don't know.
I laugh at Jeff Foxworthy, and thinking about it, the whole "git 'er done" thing with Larry the Cable Guy feeds into stereotypes and gets people laughing at working class Southerners when such jokes about other minority groups would not be acceptable.
SO! Although you say that you're about economic issues, I think when you speak for "your group", you're really looking for some respect.
You are in a group that is not a minority - yet - and maybe seeing minority groups get attention for their deepest issues, like police brutality, abortion and sexual assault, marriage equality, etc., makes you feel as though your issues aren't getting attention. But actually, I think what you're doing, and you don't know you're doing it, is playing the white privilege card, by saying that YOUR issues should be front and center. And suggesting that if we just focused on YOUR issues, everything else would be taken care of.
The economic issues vs. social issues argument played out during the 2016 Democratic primaries and got MAJOR UGLY. In fact, it was so ugly that some Democrats wouldn't vote in the general election. If you weren't one of them, that's a good start. Fixing economic issues doesn't fix social issues related to prejudice. It just doesn't. You've got to let go of that. The Democratic party has a very broad platform that includes both economic and social issues. Social issues related to prejudice don't affect straight white working class men. So it is not surprising that some might want economic issues on top. But it's arrogant. Very arrogant.
I know you don't mean to be arrogant, I know you don't realize that you're invoking white privilege. But please realize that it SOUNDS like you're saying that if economic issues, your issues, straight white working class men's issues, can't be front and center, then the Democrats don't deserve your vote.
Please think long and hard about how you sound when you suggest that economic issues need to come before whether a person has to worry about being shot by the police without having committed a crime. Why can't the issues be side by side? Not everyone has student loan debt, not everyone has had to declare bankruptcy, not everyone struggles to find a job. Those are YOUR issues. And those are some major issues, and you've been through some major shit in your life. I get that. But "front and center"? Instead of side by side?
Do you see what you've done?
I respect you, I hear you. And I get that you want to feel heard, to have your issues paid attention to. And maybe you feel that social issues drown out economic issues. But they don't. They are just side by side. Equal billing. Everyone is heard.
If you're not comfortable with "side by side", then your straight-white-maleness is showing. It may be time for you to become an Independent. Vote based on the person, etc. But I think if you take a serious look at the Republican party, you will find that they aren't putting economic issues at the top of the party platform either. They have "family values". And "Make America Great Again", substitute "great" for "white". So, maybe you would feel more respected with the Republicans, even though they wouldn't solve any of your economic problems.
As a black woman, strongly pro-abortion, and constantly worried that my husband will be pulled over and shot, my issues aren't your issues. The Democratic Party has room for both of us. I don't ask that my issues be front and center. I just want them included. Your issues ARE included. If you want more than that, you need to take a look in the mirror, because you are being part of the problem.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
133 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
A majority of working class people vote for Democrats, and have for a long time.
Garrett78
Nov 2017
#50
The way you said it suggested you think Dem social issues are "petty vendettas".
moriah
Nov 2017
#45
Where you dreamed that shit up from is a mystery to me. I am a member of the working class.
Squinch
Nov 2017
#39
Working class white men did give YOU Trump(R). As did the rest of white men and women.
Squinch
Nov 2017
#78
Are you not getting that DUers consider the one-third of white working class males who voted...
brush
Nov 2017
#7
You call that hostile? I call it trying to get through to you that you're misreading things here...
brush
Nov 2017
#17
I want to add what I see as an apathy for some to not vote or discuss issues.................
Jim Beard
Nov 2017
#120
Here's the piece that you don't seem to get. Concentrating on raising up the working class
pnwmom
Nov 2017
#10
No, it didn't. The Social Security Act excluded about half the jobs in the American economy.
pnwmom
Nov 2017
#32
I'm not trashing SS. I'm saying that the benefits of the New Deal weren't shared equally.
pnwmom
Nov 2017
#40
everyones boat does get lifted..perhaps not equally but lifted indeed
questionseverything
Nov 2017
#62
That's not enough. Women and minorities won't be satisfied with being the afterthought anymore.nt
pnwmom
Nov 2017
#64
ussually its the women and minorities that care most about hungry children
questionseverything
Nov 2017
#66
And I'm telling you that economic issues can't be prioritized "front and center"
pnwmom
Nov 2017
#68
You can support that premise with evidence rather than bumper stickers, yes?
LanternWaste
Nov 2017
#132
It makes a lot more sense for working class whites to get with the times, which means understanding
WhiskeyGrinder
Nov 2017
#11
The .1% love the peons fighting among themselves. It keeps the focus off of the increasing income
jalan48
Nov 2017
#63
Republicans don't have solutions for WWC issues beside feel-good-now-racism & religion un-freedom,
Madam45for2923
Nov 2017
#87
The media helped to promulgate "the big lie" in 2016 and continues to this day.
lapucelle
Nov 2017
#90
Ima guess all of us annoying gay people, women, and of course, the Afam community.
cwydro
Nov 2017
#113
Tobin S. If you could put a new plank in the DNC platform, what would it be?
crosinski
Nov 2017
#110