Why I, a Flaming Liberal, Don't Think You Should Axe Your Facebook Friends Who Support Donald Trump

Recently, there's been a link circulating to a Huffington Post article that shows you how to search on your own Facebook page to identify which of your friends have "Liked" Donald Trump, presumptively so you can thereby go and unfriend them.

It pains me to write anything even tangentially about Donald Trump, because more publicity just feeds the monster, but the response to this link has put a pretty large bee in my bonnet, so forgive me for all of the times I am about to type the word "Trump."

via GIPHY

Anyway.

Before I go any further, a small disclaimer: I absolutely DO think you should delete Facebook friends who make you feel endangered, targeted, unsafe, etc. Much of what Trump has been spewing lately has been hella racist, so if you find yourself the target of someone else's radicalization, by all means UNFRIEND AND BLOCK.

What I'm referring to here is the decision to unfriend someone because they've "liked" a Donald Trump post or a Donald Trump page. I want to make a case for all those who are tempted to unfriend their Trump "liking" friends to reconsider.

Some points:

Social media already ensconces us in bubbles of like-mindedness. And that's not a good thing. 

Research has found that social media effectively squelches debates. Pew researchers studying the effect named it the "spiral of silence" - a phenomenon that occurs when people believe that their beliefs will be largely unpopular within their friends on social media and thus remain silent. This is negative for a plethora of reasons:

 - Being constantly surrounded by people who only agree with us makes us more entrenched in our views and less likely to consider other perspectives or viewpoints. This can lead to knowledge and creativity vacuums. Differences force us to move forward, to compromise, to change. This isn't just some hippy philosophy, this is proven fact. People who are different than we are make the world a better place. Differences should include not just people who have sexual, lifestyle, religious, racial differences - they should also include people who are politically different.

- The power of like-mindedness is why terrifying groups of people like ISIS or the KKK tend to congregate geographically (and now in reddit groups and other online spaces), because having mutually reinforcing belief systems tends to radicalize people. And sure, you're probably not going to become the liberal version of ISIS if you delete a few Trump supporters from your Facebook friend list, but on principle, it's good to keep people in your life who will keep you on your toes.

So you may not agree with your friends who like Trump, but having Trump supporters in your life and in your feed could potentially keep you more abreast of how other people are talking/thinking about world events. You don't have to agree (you can even Unfollow them!), but it's good to have people in your life who you'll butt heads with occasionally.

Further, it's important to note that while you might not agree with their proposed answers to problems, the fact of the matter is, you're friends with people for other reasons than their political beliefs. Perhaps you share a history with them, or they're your family members, or they're coworkers, or college friends. Friendship isn't necessarily based on politics, but on shared interests. Interests like how difficult it can be to be a new mom, or how cool 18th Century Japanese paintings are, or how fun it is to play Call of Duty 4, or travel to new countries, or try new brunch places. Friendship often starts with shared interests and is consolidated by shared values. I would argue that even if you don't believe in the same politics, you probably believe in some of the same political values that Trump supporters believe in.

For example, in some ways, Trump supporters are consistent with the more universal American value of no-bullshit 

There's been a lot of interest recently in who exactly Trump supporters are. Many left-leaning people are utterly baffled as to why anyone would have any interest in someone like Trump. When questioned as to why they support Trump, the main answer supporters give is

because he's a proven winner who is not beholden to the interests or influences of a political establishment that they feel has abandoned them.

There's no question or need for a research study to tell us that most people are disillusioned with DC. Americans are tired of the stagnant, festering turd that is our Congressional body. They're tired of the bickering, tired of the partisanship, tired of the lack of meaningful reform in areas that would actually benefit their lives, like a bump to our long-stagnant wages, someone to sort out the appalling student loan crisis, improvements to infrastructure, etc. Americans want, and have really always wanted, someone who talks straight and doesn't put up with crap. This is, I would argue, a fundamental American value. We have always appreciated candor, up to and including the point of vulgarity. It's an American flaw - something we are frequently criticized for by other countries, but it is also a strength in certain circumstances. Trump supporters are people who want someone who will tell it to them straight; so do Bernie Sanders supporters. 

It's easy for liberals to retort that Trump's rampant inaccuracies and outright lies would make anyone who believes that he's not a "bullshitter" just stupid or misinformed. But if you consider the amount of conjecture that surrounds nearly all political issues these days, is it any wonder that people have a hard time separating the truth from the lies? I have a freaking degree in political science and the issues aren't always clear to me either.

Isn't it possible that we can agree on the fact that it would be great to have someone who is a straight talker in the Oval Office in 2016, even if we can't agree on who is talking straight? Trump supporters are so passionate for real talk that they're reaching out to support an outsider of politics (in fact, GOP supporters are reaching out for 3 non-political contenders, all of whom have done well in the polls). In many ways, they are trying to break the partisan, two-party system, ostensibly because they want REAL reform. Again, we don't need to agree on what that reform should look like in order to understand this perspective.

WWTD? Unfriending someone over because of their affiliation is something Trump would do

Deleting friends who support Trump is similar to what Trump himself is advocating - to shut out people who are different, who disagree with him, who frighten him, who challenge him. Deleting people who are Trump supporters is actually the most Trump-like action you could take in these circumstances.

Bottom line is, you can do whatever you want. Sometimes it can be exhausting to wade through the political firestorm that sometimes rages on Facebook. There are days when I'd like some way to preselect only friends who post photos of their cute babies, funny pet videos, and cool travel photos. But, despite having these days, I'm still not deleting anyone just because they liked a Donald Trump article. Ted Cruz however..... ;)

Thoughts on unplanned pregnancy and standing with Planned Parenthood

A few weeks ago, I was in a meeting in Uganda with healthcare providers, who were sharing their experiences with women who had died from complications of unsafe abortions. A nurse midwife spoke up. "I had a woman come to me last year asking me if I could help her have an abortion. I told her I do not believe in abortion and that she must go somewhere else for this thing. I turned her away. A few days later, her family brought her to me as she was dying. I could do nothing for her and I watched as she bled to death. I have never forgotten her."

This story isn't a new one. This woman is one of many. Every year, ~70,000 women die from unsafe abortions worldwide and millions more suffer from debilitating complications. But this isn't a post about abortion. It's a post about unplanned pregnancy.

I work as a sexual and reproductive health advisor for an international NGO. I spend big gobs of my time talking and thinking about contraception and how to help women have babies when they want them and not otherwise. I'm passionate about this.

Because here's the thing about unwanted pregnancy: it is always a bad thing. Yes. I'm taking an unequivocal stance on this. Sure, I know you probably have a story about your friend's sister who got knocked up unexpectedly and it ended up dragging her off a ledge of drugs and violence and turning her into a better person. Or perhaps a cousin whose unwanted pregnancy with her husband ended up bringing them back from the brink of divorce. Or maybe it's you who had an unwanted pregnancy and you'd never go back and change your life because the turn it took as a result of your experience has formed a big chunk of who you are. I get that. Good things can come out of bad things. But first and foremost, it's a bad thing to be pregnant when you don't want to be.

It's a bad thing because no matter what happens, no matter what you choose, the outcome isn't ideal. It isn't ideal to have an abortion. It isn't ideal to give up a child for adoption. It isn't ideal to raise a child you didn't want to have. It simply isn't. And because having a child, or giving it up for adoption, or having an abortion are all big, life-changing decisions, it means that no matter what you choose, your life will never be the same.

A lot of people think that adoption is the ideal. Have an unwanted pregnancy? No problem - just give it to someone who wants it. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that there are more parents out there who want all these unwanted babies, I'd pay off my freaking student loans and live happily ever after on an island in the Bahamas. Having worked for an adoption agency, I can tell you first hand that adoption may seem glossy and beautiful, but that it is entrenched in the ugliness of poverty, privilege, racism, and capitalism in ways that you could never imagine.

You look at adoption and you see babies and happy adoptive parents. I look at adoption and I see the broken, poor women left in the wake - most of whom are uneducated, impoverished, and full of mental health issues. I see women overwhelmed with their violent, hopeless backgrounds, trying to get by. I see the woman I worked with who had given up six children for adoption because her stepfather kept sexually abusing her and getting her pregnant, which she put up with so he wouldn't beat her mother. No one ever tried to help her - they looked forward to the babies (money) she would bring them when she'd come back to the agency with another pregnancy. I see the woman from Philly who we dropped off at the homeless shelter with her four and two-year old children, two short weeks after she'd given birth because she literally had nowhere else to go. I repeat: we dropped her off at a homeless shelter with her two kids. THAT is what adoption looks like to me. It looks like capitalizing on human tragedy.**

You look at keeping and you might see your cousin and her beautiful little girl, but I look at keeping and I see the three-year old girl with a huge chunk taken out of her face, the result of a smack across the face with a cubic zirconia ring on her mother's middle finger. I see a hugely pregnant woman dragging her saline drip across a hospital room in an attempt to beat the shit out of her little son who was bored and misbehaving. I see children growing up in poverty with mothers who, while they do love them, have absolutely no clue how to raise a healthy child because they are exhausted and overwhelmed and poor and, sometimes children themselves. Some research:

Children whose conception was unintentional are also at greater risk than children who were conceived intentionally of experiencing negative physical- and mental-health outcomes and are more likely to drop out of high school and to engage in delinquent behavior during their teenage years. 

Are my experiences simply the worst case scenarios? Probably not. The majority of unwanted pregnancies are experienced by poor, minority women. How about some research to go with my personal anecdotes:

"women who experience unintended pregnancies have a higher incidence of mental-health problems, have less stable romantic relationships, experience higher rates of physical abuse"

I could only stomach the adoption job for a year and trust me, a year was enough. I will never forget what I saw there.

I also worked for Planned Parenthood for a few years. I worked on a research study, looking at the efficacy of a new type of emergency contraception. I talked to women and their partners who came in to get the morning after pill. I listened to their stories. I gave them pills that prevented the thickening of their uterine walls, thereby preventing implantation of an egg. I watched the relief on their faces as they came back for follow-up and were declared "not pregnant." I saw a lot of the good work Planned Parenthood did first hand. I watched my coworkers call women back to tell them that they had cervical cancer. I watched them provide low-cost contraception to poor women and, if those women couldn't afford it, they'd provide it to them for free. I saw all types of women come in and out of the clinic, but all of them needed help and Planned Parenthood never turned anyone away.

I also went to Planned Parenthood myself. I went when I didn't have health insurance and needed birth control. I went to Planned Parenthood to get Gardasil, the vaccination that prevents cervical cancer. I wanted it, but without health insurance, I couldn't afford it. Planned Parenthood helped me to get all three vaccinations for about $50. Planned Parenthood took care of me when I didn't have other options and they gave me some of the best medical care I've received.

I watched the videos that were put out talking about fetal tissue donation, both edited and "unedited."
I felt Dr. Nucatola's flippant way of talking about fetal tissue donation was awful, unprofessional, and tragic, though it is clear, even in the edited version of this video, how she's being manipulated and pushed by her "colleagues." It doesn't impact in the least how I feel about Planned Parenthood. I support fetal tissue donation unequivocally and I wasn't bothered that Planned Parenthood was providing this lifesaving service to research facilities. As a researcher, I know first-hand how important this type of tissue can be for medical advancement. If you have questions about this, I suggest doing some research into it. Or, for a beautiful story about it - here.

I support women's right to safe abortions.*** That doesn't mean that I think it's the right choice for every woman who has an unwanted pregnancy - that's each individual woman's prerogative to decide. I support their right to have abortions because I understand, probably better than most, that they need it as a choice and if they don't have it as a safe choice, they will choose it anyway and will suffer and die from their injuries. I also support women's right to put their children up for adoption and to keep their children. I support women who have unwanted pregnancies because they need support. I work very hard to try to make it so that they have access to contraception and emergency contraception all over the world. I also work to address underlying issues of gender inequality, violence, and sexism that prevent women from getting the choices and support they desperately need. I support women regardless because it's not my job to judge them for their lives or choices - it's my job to try to help them.

I support Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood also supports women regardless of their lives or choices. I support them because they continue to stand up for poor women. They were a support when I needed them. And I'm confident that, wherever you stand on the issue of unwanted pregnancy, if you needed them, they'd support you too.


**Note: that does not mean that I think ALL adoption is capitalizing on human tragedy - let's keep some sense of nuance here, people

***Note: Planned Parenthood does NOT USE FEDERAL FUNDING for abortions. I want to point that out in the context of the bill that passed in the House to defund them. What are you defunding? You're defunding the cervical cancer screening, vaccinations, the STI testing and treatment, the low-cost or free contraception for poor women. You're defunding poor women - the very women who are at the greatest risk of having an unwanted pregnancy.

Adulthood - a list

Some things I think are associated with growing up, in no particular order:

• Self-knowledge and subsequently, self-kindness
• Willingness to transcend the propensity toward black and white and live in the space between
• Accepting losses
• Accepting what is (which is often the same thing as losses)
• A willingness to stare into the meaningless of existence without reaching for distraction
• Appreciation of little things
• Ability to tolerate boredom
• Openness to being wrong - or to being only partially right
• Not knowing
• Accepting a lack of closure - of never knowing
• Willingness to make decisions and accept the consequences
• Showing up
• Making basic human decency - giving up seats to old people, being kind to mothers with screaming children on airplanes, holding doors, saying thank you to customer service - the default mode
• The ability to give time-outs to oneself, think before speaking, and not saying all the potentially terrible things one could whilst in the heat of the moment
• Delayed gratification
• Willingness to go it alone, if no one else is headed that direction

Moving through space and time

As a pitfall of working with data, I sometimes have to slog through large quantities of recoding variables or fixing little pithy aspects of a dataset that are incredibly time-consuming, but necessary in order to complete analysis. The repetitive cycle of delete, return, enter, scan, copy, paste is mind-numbingly tedious; I find my only small consolation is the ability to zone into some music while I code. I can't listen to anything with content because I stop paying attention to details and make mistakes in the data, but a good long set of music makes this type of work bearable. I can't usually listen to anything when I'm doing regular analysis- my brain needs all the bandwidth to focus on the task at hand. So sometimes coding is a lovely break. 

Anyway, that's a tangent. Today, I have been recoding a hideous dataset requiring many, many hours of sloggery. I turned on Pandora to the First Aid Kit station and a Brandi Carlile's "Have You Ever" came on. It was sort of a shock to my system to realize two things: 1) I had a Brandi Carlile phase of my life - a phase marked by many images of the first Sugarhouse place, of mountains, of travel and falling in love, of ocean escapes and less-than-well-concealed pain and bonfires and that first new summer after so much had changed, and 2) that it is over. Sometimes you don't really realize you're in a specific place until you leave it. 

And then, oddly, right after Brandi finished her song, Bon Iver came on playing "Skinny Love." After Mikee died, I couldn't bear to listen to that song for several years - it was almost a physically painful experience to remember his sweetness to me. It was Mikee at his best and the song is a tour de force of remembrance of how much he meant to me. Today, I listened to it and felt no pain - just a strong appreciation for the fact that I have something that so viscerally connects me to someone I love. Another phase of life long gone, but this time, without any residual nostalgia or pain. 

Time is like a steady drip of water on stone. What once seems so solid will eventually wear away to reveal new shapes - a changed view of events and life and a deeper appreciation for all the seasons of this crazy journey.