My concern for what you think is the lowest possible priority of my day. In addition, if you don't think that the left uses every opportunity to play the race, gender, sexism, islamaphobic or whatever other card they choose then you're a fool. The left LIVES for it.
Nobody is denying that other than the crazy left. None of which appears to be in any force on this board. That is the thing that really confuses me about the stance. People love to complain about snowflakes all over Twitter but get realistic. Those people are a minority, no different than the real racist nazi's are a minority. Generalizing an entire political viewpoint, which is barely that anyways, based on the rightful bullshit of the outrage culture caused by a group of extreme leftists is just hypocrisy.
Worse yet? You guys respond to outrage culture with outrage, and then wonder why those of us in the Center, who I will remind you make up the majority of most elections look at both sides and go "this shit is toxic, I want nothing to do with ANY of it." Stop making it a big deal. Extreme left idiots will protest anything, that makes THEM wrong. But just because people play the race, gender, and sexism cards too fast does not mean that there aren't those problems going in on facets of your Country, my Country, and other parts of the world. You guys treat it like the extremists cried wolf too many times, but realistically the rest of us aren't abusing that sentiment. We aren't crying wolf. We are analyzing the world and going "there is still areas to fix."
Also if you want to argue that the center don't make up the majority, just look at the pendulum of elections of most modern first world countries. It rarely goes "conservative conservative conservative conservative." Just like it rarely goes "liberal, liberal, liberal, liberal." More often than not the pendulum swings from one party to the other in terms of who is in power. Which tells you what? That both extreme sides that refuse to look the other way and act like outrageous dolts, are not the majority. The center, who see's one side abuse their win and act egotistical about it and shove it in everyones face, see's that as negative and goes the other way. Then low and behold another election win and then the other side does the same when they get elected.
Participating in the war, is the equivalent of losing the war, in this instance. In the case of DSP, while DC I think I do echo some of your sentiments here. Yes, the act of visiting the President of a Country per invitation based on merit of achievements acknowledged is one hundred percent the sort of thing that should have nothing to do with politics, or the person in office. The comparison someone made in this thread to the handshake line is dead on.
But those things aren't sanctions that cannot be broken. If they are broken, it has to be with a reasonable enough explanation. Whether you think DSP is just reacting to bullshit fake news, or perceiving a racism that isn't there isn't the point here. The point is that DSP, and many other African folks feel that their country doesn't treat them correctly or acknowledge them. Do I agree with their entire viewpoint? No. But I do agree that if you feel you are being persecuted, that being persecuted is absolutely enough a reason to be allowed reasonable sanction to break the protocol and decorum of a Presidential visit. I don't have to think that they are being persecuted to agree that if they think they are, they have a right to politely not attend a meeting with the President.
To use the handshake line comparison, if a NHL player felt he was being persecuted by a member, or members of the other team and uses that as an argument to opt out of the handshake line. Will it bug me? Sure, i'll probably have an opinion on it. But I will not harshly judge the player refusing in that instance, because the player refusing in that instance believes they are doing it on reasonable grounds. Which is why seeing outrage over DSP's actions bugs me. As is the case with my example here, you don't have to agree that people are treating him badly to agree that if someone FEELS they are being treated unfairly or badly, that it is a worthy enough reason to opt out. Specifically when it relates to things of race, or gender. Even if the left is getting outrageous and playing boy who cried wolf on these issues, as mentioned they are still issues and people in those positions need to be allowed the freedoms that we preach that they are afforded.
That is the entire point of this to begin with. These people don't feel they have the same privileges as we do. The tim Thomas example is a perfect one, because he didn't receive much flack for choosing not to go. There was a minority of lefties who had some comments, and CBC had a talk about it as did other news media, granted that was at a time of less political strife. But still. That is even worse. So we have more political strife so people should be harassed for feeling persecuted? Hell Thomas wasn't even persecuted. He just hated Obama. Again though, I'm giving these people as individuals the right to say "this is too much for me for personal reasons." People are afforded that imo. If Thomas doesn't get harassed then neither should DSP, and if DSP is? That just proves the racism. Thomas doesn't get harassed for choosing not to go despite doing it just because he wasn't politically aligned. DSP actively believes he's dealing with a modern day racist (right or wrong) and that is the reason and he gets more harassment? Bullshit. That is bullshit, look yourself in the mirror and admit it. Just let it be. It's one person choosing not to go, it's not the end of the world.
Also for the record people getting uppity about pictures taken with Trump and family is exactly the type of bullshit overreaction that I'm talking about. People need to stop looking at "sides" when it comes to outrage and overreaction and start looking at the base. Overreaction and outrage as a default response mechanism is the problem. Doesn't matter what side is doing, or who does it more. It matters about us socially calling that out at all times, because it doesn't help the conversation, never has never will. The only time that type of response is even remotely warranted is in the extremist of situations.
