Empty Gestures

Over the last few weeks I've helped some outstate Minnesota Democrats who are running in GOP districts.  While helping in northern Minnesota, I stopped by a house of a fervent Trump supporter.  I walked up the long drive past a rusty pickup truck, some gorgeous well kept gardens, and a flagpole with the US' stars and stripes, a Confederate flag, and a POW/MIA flag from top to bottom.

The elderly gentleman who greeted me at the door was cordial, but the minute I mentioned who I was and what I was doing there he immediately claimed he would NEVER vote for a Democrat.  In his opinion, Trump is the best President we've ever had (SERIOUSLY!).

There were numerous ways I could've approached him at that point, but I decided, because of his clear determination to ignore reality, I'd point out his hypocrisy, hopefully getting him to think about his fake fortitude.

I pointed to his flag pole and commented, as I'm a veteran, how nice it was to see the flag displayed. He immediately said he was a veteran too, and we talked military for a few minutes before I pointed to his Confederate flag.  I asked why he would fly the Confederate stars and bars right below the American flag.  He said he doesn't stand for slavery, but he believes in "southern traditions"(?), adding he likes "flying a flag the liberals hate."

I skipped pointing out the Civil War was fought almost exclusively over slavery, and went with a different approach.  "That's the flag carried by the forces who slaughtered a lot of Minnesotans."

He quickly got gruff.  "But that was a long time ago," to which I quickly pointed out he was the one still flying the flag.  I then educated him about how Minnesota saved the union 155 years ago with their brave stand at Gettysburg.  In summary:

On July 2nd 1863, the only thing saving the union forces on Cemetery Ridge was the 262 Minnesota men of the 1st Minnesota.  The were ordered to charge into the line of a few THOUSAND southern troops.  In five minutes, 215 Minnesota men fell, including most of the commanders, but yet the state's colors continually rose.  They beat back the invading Confederates (Pennsylvania was a northern state), and they won the battle.  On that day, at that moment, Minnesota saved the union.  The 82% casualty rate is the greatest loss of life ANY surviving US military unit has ever experienced.  Only forty seven men survived.

Then on July 3rd, the remaining men were at one of the few points where the south's Pickett's Charge actually crossed the defensive lines of the Union.  In the chaotic hand to hand battle that ensued, two of the three remaining officers died, leaving only Captain Coates to rally the Minnesota boys.  They captured a Virginia Infantry flag.  We still have it today, and we will not give it back.

I mentioned a few of the other battles Minnesota soldiers served at, but ended my history lesson with the line "when you fly the flag of the Confederates in Minnesota, you might as well head over to Fort Snelling National Cemetery and start desecrating the graves of the brave men who died defending the United States of America."

He didn't like what I said, but you could tell he was thinking.  "I'll have to read up on that battle, to see if what you say is true."  It is.

I then asked him about his feeling about Senator John McCain.  Angry I had exposed him for being a pretty crappy Minnesotan he started tearing into the 'traitor' John McCain.  "He has betrayed his oath of office by going against Trump. He can't be gone soon enough!"

This time I skipped his claim Senators swear a blood oath to the President, and I also skipped past his gleeful anticipation of McCain's death, and instead pointed to his POW/MIA flag.  "I thought you supported POW's?"

He stammered for the next few minutes claiming he completely respects McCain's service, but insisting he blabbed to the North Vietnamese.  I mentioned he was being horrifically tortured by them.  This is not a movie or TV show, this is the real world and torture gets people talking. He stammered more, contradicting himself, insisting McCain should be honored, but he was also a traitor.  I reminded him McCain allowed other soldiers to be released from prison, even when offered the choice to leave himself.  At this point, the old man seemed to be 100% in McCain's corner; "he's one of the reasons I fly the [POW/MIA] flag."

I asked if he was bothered by Trump's attacks on McCain's POW record, or Trump's mistreatment of the family of Sgt. LaDavid Johnson, the soldier who was killed in Niger after being left behind on the battle field (MIA).  The elderly Minnesotan said Johnson's family should've never made it political.  I pointed out he was wrong on that, it was Trump who made Johnson's death political.  I made sure to point out the old man supported a president who openly doesn't care for POW or MIA soldiers, an issue this man felt was so important he flew a flag in support of POW/MIA's in his own front yard.  The old man yelled how Trump is trying to get all the Korea War remains returned.  He then said he was busy and had to go, closing the door firmly and abruptly.

At no point did I ever yell or scream at him.  I did this all in a very conversational tone.

I have no idea if the Confederate flag and the POW/MIA flag are still flying in his yard, but I know he was thinking about wether they should be.  I'm no fool.  He'll vote for Republicans in 2018, but at the very least I made him stare his empty gestures in the face.

Sometimes the winning result is not convincing the opposition you're right, but rather making sure the opposition has to wallow in their tortured logic and contradictory thoughts, as you show them they're not fooling anyone.