#sit there and consume one-way media that does nothing to facilitate thought or criticism

[reallyactuallycereal]

Growing up, debate was encouraged. I was told to question everything, and my questions were met with thoughtful answers and invitations to research and more questions to further push my critical thinking. When I would get frustrated or run into a logical wall, I was encouraged to do some research and return to the topic with my findings, and my grandfather would say, “I just want you to consider perspectives and experiences outside your own.”

As I grew older, I kept asking similar questions about similar topics. I’d do my research beforehand and come armed with defenses for my ideas. I got better and better at forming well-rounded, well-informed opinions—but the patience for my well-informed debates got thinner and thinner, until debates became arguments and I was routinely told “Well, you just have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

And now, in my mid twenties, when I’m sitting in the living room of the family that encouraged me to research and find factual evidence to support my thoughts and ideas about philosophy and the government, they tell me completely, provably false things they see on channels like Fox News. And I correct them with sources. And you know what my mother said to me, as if it was some icky, mildly disturbing thing that I Wasn’t Raised To Do?

“Oh. I forgot you Do Research.”

I was so stunned by that response, after all these years of trying to teach me such vital skills, that I blurted, “So you just have unfounded opinions based on what other people tell you and don’t check to see if it’s true?”

And she just shrugged and nodded. So no. They do not care to learn the difference between fact and fiction, let alone between “I don’t like it” and “This is evil.”

I so desperately want to be able to convince Trump supporters with facts and logic and empathy, but it’s so important to remember that their ignorance is INTENTIONAL. my mom didn’t let us watch Sleeping Beauty growing up. I asked her why recently and she said, “it was evil.” when I pointed out other movies had similar themes and depictions of evil, and asked what the difference was, she couldn’t. I pressed one more time and she just said, “it felt evil to me. I didn’t like it”. same thing with dune 2: she said it was “dark”, and I was, “literally, like the movie’s lighting? Or the themes?” and she said “I don’t know” and didn’t want to talk about it more. many conservatives genuinely cannot tell the difference between “I don’t like it” and “this is evil” and they do not care to learn despite many chances