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What Should Progressives Do About Donald Trump?

What Should Progressives Do About Donald Trump?

Last updated on: December 11, 2015 at 3:04 pm by Adam Ericksen

What Should Progressives Do About Donald Trump? 2015-12-11T15:04:49-05:00 Adam Ericksen

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Photo: Flickr, IMG_2567, by Elvert Barnes, Creative Commons License, some changes made.

Nothing.

That’s right. Do nothing. Stop talking about him. Ignore Trump.

I know what many of my fellow progressives are likely thinking, “But Adam, we have to do something about Trump! We have to stand up for justice and against his vile speech that is fomenting hatred against Muslims throughout the United States!”

I know. I get it. But there’s a huge problem in our strategy to be against Donald Trump. Every time we stand up against Trump he uses it to his advantage by claiming that he’s actually the victim of liberal political correctness. Whether it’s responding to his attacks on Hispanics or Muslims, it just adds fuel to his fire. He loves it! Heck, he even mocked a journalist’s disability – and somehow he gained in the polls!

We can’t win by being against Trump. We can’t win by shaming him. He has proven that he’s a professional shamer. He knows how to play the game by turning it against his accusers. First it was the Mexicans. Then it was a disabled journalist. Now it’s the Muslims. Who’s next? It really doesn’t matter because whomever he scapegoats next, his supporters will follow Trump down that path.

And the more we stand up against him the more we feed his insatiable appetite for scapegoating.

But even worse, when we move against Donald Trump, we mimic his spirit of hostility. Here’s the thing, Donald Trump is against Muslims and Hispanic immigration. We are against Donald Trump. Both sides may think we are complete opposites, but we share at least one thing in common. Each side is devoted to a posture of being against the other. And that makes us very much alike.

In mimetic theory terms, this is called “negative mimesis.” It refers to a reciprocal relationship of negativity. Now, there are times when it’s important to be against something, but being against is a very dangerous posture to hold. We can get stuck in that negative posture and, because it is mimetic, that posture can start to infect every aspect of our lives. Spending so much time being against Trump can make us on edge; it can make us quick to anger and it can begin to affect our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

Quite frankly, it’s dangerous to be against Trump, but more than that, it’s not enough to solve our problems. Paying so much attention to Donald Trump is distracting us from what matters at this moment in US history. In fact, our problem is the spirit of being “against.” In order to remedy that spirit, we need to emphasize what we are for.

The alternative to negative mimesis is positive mimesis. If the specific problem is that Trump is fomenting a posture of being against Muslims, then we need to create a posture that is for Muslims

So let’s start a movement that says Muslims are welcome here in the United States. Let’s seek friendship with Muslims. Let’s listen to what Muslims have to say. Go to a Mosque and talk with Imams. Follow or befriend Muslims on Facebook. You might start with Sofia Ali-Khan, who recently wrote this open letter to non-Muslim Allies that provides practical things we can do to support our Muslim sisters and brothers. I’ll leave you with her words:

Dear Non-Muslim Allies,

I am writing to you because it has gotten just that bad. I have found myself telling too many people about the advice given to me years ago by the late composer Herbert Brun, a German Jew who fled Germany at the age of 15: “be sure that your passport is in order.” It’s not enough to laugh at Donald Trump anymore. The rhetoric about Muslims has gotten so nasty, and is everywhere, on every channel, every newsfeed. It is clearly fueling daily events of targeted violence, vandalism, vigilante harassment, discrimination. I want you to know that it has gotten bad enough that my family and I talk about what to keep on hand if we need to leave quickly, and where we should go, maybe if the election goes the wrong way, or if folks get stirred up enough to be dangerous before the election. When things seem less scary, we talk about a five or a ten year plan to go somewhere where cops don’t carry guns and hate speech isn’t allowed on network television. And if you don’t already know this about me, I want you to know that I was born in this country. I have lived my whole life in this country. I have spent my entire adult life working to help the poor, the disabled and the dispossessed access the legal system in this country. And I want you to know that I am devoutly and proudly Muslim.

I am writing this in response to a non Muslim friend’s question about what she can do. Because there is much that can be done in solidarity:

If you see a Muslim or someone who might be identified as Muslim being harassed, stop, say something, intervene, call for help.

If you ride public transportation, sit next to the hijabi woman and say asalam ‘alaykum (That means ‘peace to you.’). Don’t worry about mispronouncing it; she won’t care. Just say “peace” if you like. She’ll smile; smile back. If you feel like it, start a conversation. If you don’t, sit there and make sure no one harasses her.

If you have a Muslim work colleague, check in. Tell them that the news is horrifying and you want them to know you’re there for them.

If you have neighbors who are Muslim, keep an eye out for them. If you’re walking your kids home from the bus stop, invite their kids to walk with you.

Talk to your kids. They’re picking up on the anti-Muslim message. Make sure they know how you feel and talk to them about what they can do when they see bullying or hear hate speech at school.

Call out hate speech when you hear it—if it incites hatred or violence against a specified group, call it out: in your living room, at work, with friends, in public. It is most important that you do this among folks who may not know a Muslim.

Set up a “learn about Islam” forum at your book club, school, congregation, dinner club. Call your state CAIR organization, interfaith group or local mosque and see if there is someone who has speaking experience and could come and answer questions about Islam and American Muslims for your group. They won’t be offended. They will want the opportunity to do something to dispel the nastiness.

Write Op Eds and articles saying how deplorable the anti-Muslim rhetoric has gotten and voice your support for Muslim Americans in whatever way you can.

Call your state and local representatives, let them know that you are concerned about hate speech against your Muslim friends and neighbors in politics and the media, that it is unacceptable and you want them to call it out whenever they hear it, on your behalf.

Out yourself as someone who won’t stand for Islamophobia, or will stand with Muslims—there is an awful lot of hate filling the airways, and there are an awful lot of people with access to the media and/or authority stirring the pot about Muslims. Please help fill that space with support instead. Post, write, use your profile picture or blog to voice your support.

Ask me anything. Really. Engage the Muslims in your life. Make sure you really feel comfortable standing for and with your Muslim friends, neighbors, coworkers.

I can tell you that in addition to the very real threat to their civil and human rights that Muslims are facing, we are dealing with a tremendous amount of anxiety. While we, many of us, rely on our faith to stay strong, we are human. This is not an easy time. What you do will mean everything to the Muslim Americans around you. Thank you for reading and bless you in your efforts.

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