[McAlpine5892]

> I think I’m past being curious about the kind of person that makes claims like it’s dangerous for a person with right-leaning political alignment to walk through Portland

Please, please continue to be curious. I feel you. Every day I find myself throwing in the towel on "those people". I use "us vs. them" language far more than I should. My instincts say to give up.

It's a fight that maybe I'm losing, but if we stop trying to understand then the remaining options on the table are considerably worse.

Just look at Daryl Davis'[0] success in convincing Klansmen to denounce the KKK. The man is an absolute hero and had major cojones for what he did. I truly can't fathom the guts it took for him to do that. I'm white and it would scare me.

Few people are beyond being reached. MAGA is fueled by fear (and anger). We need to dismantle the fear and redirect the anger. Fear leads to brain-rot. Anger can sometimes be justified and a powerful ally when pointed in the right direction. I have no implementation ideas that are worth discussing though.

That being said. Despite the above ramblings, I have given up on some people. And it feels bad. Disconnecting from each other can only escalate further.

All to say, I feel you and I feel your position. But please do your best to not throw in the towel, even though it is so appealing in our current climate.

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[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daryl_Davis