Why is "MAGA" offensive?

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Simple question.

Why was this Okay, and this is offensive?

 

[USincognito]

I would think Republicans would reject the notion that we need to make America great again because Reagan had already done so.

 

[camille70]

It's not the slogan, it's the rhetoric that often accompanies it.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

I would think Republicans would reject the notion that we need to make America great again because Reagan had already done so.

Assuming that Bush Sr, Bill Clinton, Bush Jr, and Obama didn't undo all the "greatness". Perhaps Trump is wanting to return America to "Regan Era Greatness" and not "Jim Crow Era" racism and bigotry?

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

It's not the slogan, it's the rhetoric that often accompanies it.

So it is not the slogan, its the rhetoric? So why are people so offended when people merely wear a MAGA hat and attack those wearing the hat before any "rhetoric" is given?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

It's the TRUMP part that turns me off from the catchphrase.

Also, I've never been keen on the idea of a hat for the whole group to wear. You see this in religious groups as well. Special hats to distinguish 'us' from 'them'.

George Carlin had a great bit on people wearing the same hats and why you shouldn't trust them and this was at least a decade before this whole MAGA movement became a thing.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Simple question.

Why was this Okay, and this is offensive?
View attachment 249727 View attachment 249728

It is what is meant by "again". It is imho a dog whistle to those who would like to see the return to "Jim Crow" era in US history. Listen to Rep. John Lewis.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

So it is not the slogan, its the rhetoric? So why are people so offended when people merely wear a MAGA hat and attack those wearing the hat before any "rhetoric" is given?

Because the hat has come to represent a lot more than just the words embroidered into it. It's not just a general statement of wanting to improve the country. It has become a personal statement of identity with a larger group.

That is unfortunately going to bring with it everything that is associated with that larger group.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

It is what is meant by "again". It is imho a dog whistle to those who would like to see the return to "Jim Crow" era in US history. Listen to Rep. John Lewis.

I cannot watch youtube videos on my computer. Although I appreciate your opinion, just because you believe it to be a "dog whistle" to Jim Crow is there anything to suggest MAGA is not the same message Ronald Regan ran on in 1980?

 

[ViaCrucis]

If people legitimately wanted to make America great, that's great.

But MAGA isn't about making America great, it's about being joining an evil cult and ejecting all sense of reason.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Because the hat has come to represent a lot more than just the words embroidered into it. It's not just a general statement of wanting to improve the country. It has become a personal statement of identity with a larger group.

What is the "personal statement of identity" and from which group? The only people making it a personal statement that I have seen is the "Left" making it a personal statement because of their distain for Trump. I feel like they merely hate Trump and all that he stands for. Because they cannot physically assault the President himself, they must settle for attacking those who support his policies and vision.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

If people legitimately wanted to make America great, that's great.

But MAGA isn't about making America great, it's about being joining an evil cult and ejecting all sense of reason.

-CryptoLutheran

How so? Please explain because everyone I know who supported the President regarded "MAGA" as a similar message to the one made by Regan in 1980. The only people who consider it more than that is the less than 1% of Americans who fall in the "Alt-right" group and the "Left". Did it ever cross you mind that people had the same reaction to the Obama administration that people had for the Carter administration?

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I cannot watch youtube videos on my computer. Although I appreciate your opinion, just because you believe it to be a "dog whistle" to Jim Crow is there anything to suggest MAGA is not the same message Ronald Regan ran on in 1980?

it is the same message. Both men used it to win the their elections.Both men used it for the same purpose. He who has ears to hear.

 

[Varangian Christian]

It isn't offensive. MAGA!

 

[GoldenBoy89]

What is the "personal statement of identity" and from which group? The only people making it a personal statement that I have seen is the "Left" making it a personal statement because of their distain for Trump. I feel like they merely hate Trump and all that he stands for. Because they cannot physically assault the President himself, they must settle for attacking those who support his policies and vision.

You're not far off. At least for me.

You're right, I don't like Trump, his vision, his tactics in politics and in business or his policies as president. I don't think they are right for the country and I can see my objections being validated over and over again. I saw this coming from well before he was ever taken seriously as a candidate. He was then and continues to be a joke in my eyes except, now the joke is our whole nation. But don't take me for an example of the "Left" in general. I'll admit, there's a sinister part of me that likes him specifically because it is all so ridiculous, I can't help but be entertained by it. He's like a cartoon come to life.

The statement of identity I'm talking about is just that. It is TRUMP. It is people choosing to identify with everything that comes with TRUMP. They want to do it. They want to be part of that group and identify with the other members of the same club. There's nothing unique about this. It's what the right often calls "virtue-signalling" when they see the left do it.

If people were truly just wanting to "make America great again" they'd just do it already and not have to announce it to the world.

 

[Varangian Christian]

Build that wall! Build that wall!
Trump is the rightful president and only one who can make a real difference against the globalists.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

You're not far off. At least for me.

You're right, I don't like Trump, his vision, his tactics in politics and in business or his policies as president. I don't think they are right for the country and I can see my objections being validated over and over again. I saw this coming from well before he was ever taken seriously as a candidate. He was then and continues to be a joke in my eyes except, now the joke is our whole nation. But don't take me for an example of the "Left" in general. I'll admit, there's a sinister part of me that likes him specifically because it is all so ridiculous, I can't help but be entertained by it. He's like a cartoon come to life.

The statement of identity I'm talking about is just that. It is TRUMP. It is people choosing to identify with everything that comes with TRUMP. They want to do it. They want to be part of that group and identify with the other members of the same club. There's nothing unique about this. It's what the right often calls "virtue-signalling" when they see the left do it.

If people were truly just wanting to "make America great again" they'd just do it already and not have to announce it to the world.

I think that is a fair statement. I think you would agree that attacking someone who is simply wearing a "MAGA" hat is unacceptable. I think it is appropriate to object to the president's vision and policies and to assume that a person wearing a MAGA hat supports those policies you disagree with. I also find it personally acceptable to approach someone wearing a MAGA hat and have a respectful debate over those policies. But to feel "offended" merely because someone is wearing a hat because they "believe" it has some underlying message of racism and hate is in my opinion absurd and childish. What if people started to believe that "Hope and Change" was a subliminal message to "Black Power"? To me, this example is no different than what is happening today with "Make America Great Again".

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Build that wall! Build that wall!
Trump is the rightful president and only one who can make a real difference against the globalists.

Okay now, lets not go and get people all riled up. I don't want the mods to close the thread for flaming.

 

[camille70]

It is what is meant by "again". It is imho a dog whistle to those who would like to see the return to "Jim Crow" era in US history. Listen to Rep. John Lewis.

Last year MSNBC aired a MLK documentary named Hope and Fury. It was a good show, but I can't watch it again. I was so angry seeing the crowds of screaming racists. I've seen civil rights era shows before and was not affected like that, but after Trump and his MAGA crowds, their signs and t-shirts and the folks marching with tiki torches, it set me off. I was angry for DAYS and I get mad every time I think about it.

The US still had racial issues, but that blatant in your face hate, people being bigots and proud of it, was supposed to be in our past. We were supposed to have evolved to be better than that as a country. Trump has given people permission to be their worst self, hate their neighbor, and validated everyone's worst impluses, and it breaks my heart to see Christians jumping on to the bandwagon after being commanded to love their neighbor as themselves.

There are videos all over social media of people walking up people speaking different languages, or who look like whatever minority they hate at the moment and just insulting them. This wasnt happening on this scale before Trump. Yelling at folks telling them to go back to their own country, that Trump is going to deport them. Women and children are being attacked. It's out of hand.

MAGA hats have basically the same symbolism on the scale of a confederate flag as far as I'm concerned. I realize not all Trump supporters are racist, but racism is not a deal breaker for them. With all the hate rhetoric attached to it, I have to assume that is the message the person is trying to send, and is someone to avoid at all cost for my own safety and well being.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

but after Trump and his MAGA crowds, their signs and t-shirts and the folks marching with tiki torches,

Are you referring to that group of about 200 white supremacist doing that rally somewhere in the Carolinas? Yeah, myself and about 99% of Conservative Trump supporters condemn them too.