​Excusing Poor Whites Is The Real Condescension
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

​Excusing Poor Whites Is The Real Condescension

89
​Excusing Poor Whites Is The Real Condescension
https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/09/28/636421630171613815-839821233_GettyImages-577289830-1280x720.jpg

It is taken for granted in certain circles that the current political climate is due to the liberal elite’s failure to understand and cater to the desires and needs of America’s White working class. Much ink has been spilled decrying the lack of sympathy, the lack of comprehension, the general lack of responsiveness displayed by the elites who control the course of America’s political progress. I was resistant to this idea from the beginning, but it took me until now to really put my finger on why. My apologies for my slow thinking, but I’ll explain myself now.

The idea of the poor and misunderstood White who carried Trump’s victory has been shown to be problematic in multiple ways. For one, post-election day results showed that it was not poverty that made people likely to vote for Trump—plenty of wealthy people voted for him. The biggest predictor was just Whiteness, irrespective of class: the same Whiteness shared by most of the coastal elites. Secondly, it elides the fact that Trump, a very wealthy man who makes policies that favor wealthy men like him, does not work for the advantage of poor Whites. It is not the working-class identity, but the White identity, that made these voters feel a commonality with Trump and thus vote for him.

Thirdly, and most problematically, it denies the very humanity of the poor Whites it claims to defend.

In order to vote for Trump, White people had to make a decision that their own benefits (assuming that Trump would benefit them, which is not necessarily true) were important enough to them to outweigh the sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and general ill-mannered grossness of Trump’s behavior. This is a moral decision. It is a decision that all of those evils are acceptable if they receive a perceived good, ie, Trump’s policies to benefit them.

If we say that the White working class was essentially forced, by reason of being ignored by the coastal elites, to vote for Trump, we are removing their agency. We say, “No, they did not make a moral decision—they made no decision at all.” Or, that they are not advanced enough to understand the moral implications of the decision that they did make. This is a characterization normally reserved for animals and young children.

When we pretend the working class White is unable to make moral decisions, unable to distinguish moral charactersistics, or unable to be held responsible for their moral actions, we deny their humanity. We reduce them to animals incapable of moral understanding.

Being White and working-class does not prevent you from understanding the impact of your actions on others. If we claim it does, we also claim that being White and working-class makes you less human. Just as I am unwilling to claim the lesser humanity of people of color, immigrants, and other disadvantaged groups, so too am I unwilling to give poor Whites a pass on their human, moral responsibility.

The White working class is comprised of human adults, in full possession of their moral and rational faculties. They made a decision that seems to many of us to be immoral. That doesn’t mean that they are amoral beings, not responsible for their actions because they have been misunderstood or mistreated. It means we hold them responsible for their decisions, because that is how we treat adult humans—with enough respect to take their actions seriously. To do otherwise is truly to engage in the dehumanizing condescension that supposedly caused them to vote for Trump in the first place.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

52366
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

33643
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

956417
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181275
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments