How did the “MAGA” hat get to be considered racist?
MAGA, as most know, stands for “Make America Great Again”. If you ask a leftist why that phrase is self-evidently racist, they won’t give you an answer — other than more intimidation, smears, attacks and name-calling. If the leftist belongs to Antifa, he or she will physically assault you.
Leftists think “MAGA” is an underhanded way of saying that America was great when it only had white people, and now (the implication goes) we have too many non-white people. But what basis is there for concluding that anyone actually believes this?
How can it be “racist” or “white supremacy” to refer to “great” as more freedom, more free markets, lower taxes, greater freedom of association and a sternly enforced First and Second Amendment? These principles and rights are not just for white people; they’re for everyone. So where does “racism” come from when attacking the MAGA agenda?
The real issue must be something else.
The real question here is what the person saying “MAGA” means by making America “great”. When I hear, “Make America Great Again”, I understand it to mean, “Make America free again”. Having interacted with a lot of people who share the MAGA attitude, I have found a lot of them mean more or less the same thing. We might not agree on whether limited government should include repeal of the Sherman Antitrust Act and income taxes, or perhaps more moderate measures like tax cuts and systematic deregulation. We might not fully agree on what consists of happiness or romantic fulfillment. We might not fully agree on how low taxes should go, and how free the market should be. But compared to the anti-First Amendment, anti-Second Amendment and generally anti-Western, anti-freedom and anti-Constitution people who now overwhelmingly dominate and speak for the leftist Democratic Party, I find far more similarities than differences among people who might like to wear a MAGA hat.
An honest leftist would ask himself, “What am I missing here? Otherwise reasonable people are wearing MAGA hats. What other explanations could be here, aside from racism?” Or here’s a good, honest, thoughtful and objective question: “What do Trump supporters mean when they say ‘great’? Let’s ask them to define their term”.
Leftists don’t want to “have a conversation”, as Obama so obnoxiously used to put it. The conversation is over. It’s either their way — or the highway. That’s why everything they propose is a law, a mandate, a dictate or an order requiring to conform to their way of doing things. Or none at all.
In a more rational society, leftists would be asking intelligent questions of their opponents. There might not be full agreement or reconciliation in the end. But people would be able to wear MAGA hats without fearing for their personal boundaries, their safety or even their lives.
The fact that leftists leap to conclusions and are prepared to use force and intimidation against anyone who displays a dissenting point-of-view sadly tells you all you need to know about their character, and their confidence in their own views.
It’s a major reason why America is in such trouble right now. And why the day after the election in 2020 is NOT going to pretty, regardless of the results.
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