The way that arguments are presented is critically important, especially in today's fragile society. There is a lot of hate in the world right now; both the right and the left have people who become aggressive when defending their beliefs. That persistence of standing by one's beliefs is honorable, there's no doubt about that, but it makes discussion for those who just wish to have discussions and/or those who have questions about the topics that are being discussed impossible.
I recently read this article by the Huffington Post about the controversy surrounding the safety pin "trend" (people are starting to wear safety pins on their clothes to show their solidarity with minorities or other communities who are facing abuse and/or oppression). The article takes a strong stance and claims that the safety pins aren't a show of support for minorities and/or those who have been abused. In fact, some say that the safety pins actually are making it easier for whites to take over and spread their philosophies elsewhere.
I don't wear a safety pin myself (mostly because I haven't been able to find one), but given the opportunity, I definitely would wear one. All too often, as I briefly mentioned earlier, hate can be fueled so easily. This particular article seems to open up with the tone/premise that whoever reading it is someone who isn't willing to consider other lines of thought. In this sense, the author seems a lot like the popular politically-conservative commentator Tomi Lahren, the host of her show Tomi on TheBlaze.This article uses language that seems to accuse the reader, whomever it may be, of committing some terrible crime. One specific part that stands out to me in this article is the quote, "Remember the white guys in the 1770s who wrote all about freedom and equality and inalienable rights? Remember how they owned and sold slaves? Yeah, if that’s the spirit you want to evoke, go ahead and wear your safety pin." While this is a valid point about the United States' history, what the author is talking about (from the date the author used) took place almost 250 years ago. While some clear lines can be drawn (in some cases) between the beliefs of the 1770s that were mentioned and to the beliefs of modern times, a lot of those beliefs (from the 1770s) are by no means a representation of what the majority of (white) citizens of the United States believe today.
Here's another quote that sounded interesting to me. "I know, I know, you’re uncomfortable. You feel guilty. You think people are going to suspect you of being a racist, and you want some way to assuage that guilt and reassure your neighbors that you’re one of the good ones. But you know what? You don’t get to do that. You need to sit in your guilt right now. You need to feel bad. So do I, so do all of us. We fucked up." The way to inspire others is definitely not to tell them that they're "guilty." The world doesn't work in such a way that people can tell others how to think or feel.
Lastly, I agree with the author that wearing a safety pin shouldn't be only for style, or the only thing one does to support minorities. I believe that community involvement and engagement are some of the things that will make the world a better place. I oppose Trump and his ethics and demeanor that often only serve to prop up his reputation or insult others when they try to engage him in political debate. I don't believe that spreading fear and hate will make the world a better place. Because of who I am, I think that wearing a pin will further show my peers and friends I believe that Trump's racism and his other values were always deal-breakers, contrary to what numerous Trump voters ended up deciding.
