Senate Republican Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell was confronted by an angry citizen in the Havana Rumba restaurant in Louisville, KY over the weekend. He, along with 3 other people over the course of McConnell's dinner with his wife, Secretary Elaine Chao, approached and berated the Speaker for his policies championing the rich, and taking away healthcare and social security from people who need it.
Naturally, the civility police were out in force, claiming this approach is wrong-headed, and that we should be polite, no matter what, to people who have their boots on the necks of the vulnerable while providing no other means of reaching them.
I understand the impulse. I understand the desire to be the better person. No one likes the person who throws over the tables. We are hard to be around. When, though, has being nice gotten the downtrodden anywhere? When has politeness effected meaningful change? We had the embodiment of civility, charm, intellect, poise, rationality and restraint in the form of Barack Obama for 8 years as president. What has that yielded us in return?
Backlash in the form of a Republican Senate leader who did everything in its power to stymie every single judicial nominee, including a Supreme Court appointment that rightfully belonged to Obama while he was president. A vulgar, racist, misogynist president who was elected with the help of voter suppression and a Russian authoritarian. An eventually fully Republican Congress whose leadership cares nothing about the fact that Russia controls the "president." Continuation of restrictions on abortion rights across the nation, decreasing access to birth control and bodily autonomy for women. Xenophobic immigration policies, children ripped from parents, placed in cages where their siblings and adults are not permitted to comfort them with touch. Don't forget white people who use 911 and the police as their personal hit squad whenever they see Black people living their goddamn lives. Law and Order my ass.
Mitch McConnell hasn't held a town hall in forever. Republicans are the party of making it as hard as humanly possible for minorities to vote. IN 2018. He disconnects his damn phone. He thinks he should be able to go to a restaurant and NOT hear from angry constituents? Sorry, Mitch. You can afford to dine in.
You know what else kills me? Conservatives, Republicans, racists, sexists (this includes plenty of Progressives, too, people) all over the place have been complaining for YEARS about having to be "politically correct." What a burden that is, having to "be careful" and "watch yourself" and actually make the effort to make room for people who aren't white, cis, Christian, hetero, and male. Those same people complaining that not being allowed to use the "N" word, or call someone "retarded" are the same people complaining people weren't polite to Mitch McConnell in a restaurant.
Our "president" mocks the MeToo movement, but claims confrontations like these constitute mob-like behavior. I'm sorry. You are not allowed to complain about the "burdens" of having to be "politically correct" if you cannot stand to face the consequences of being politically vile.
By the way, back to McConnell — has anyone heard him repudiating the Republican mob including The Proud Boys in attacking Nancy Pelosi over the weekend? I didn't think so.
