Straight-splaining is a common occurrence when Gay activists are arguing for change. I have experienced it often, myself. After explaining the realities faced by Gay people in a heterosexually-normative world where the straights, often coming from a place lacking information inadvertently hurt people they otherwise might not want to because of assumptions and lack of the facts, I have often had the world of Gay people erased with the sweeping comeback, “That’s not the way it is.”

Having not experienced what others have, people have a tendency to dismiss the experiences of others, and, worse, often just do not want to hear about it.

While it is too much of a downer to hear about the oppression of others, it is okay that people do not have it as good just so long as people don’t bring it up and ruin the day.

“I have never experienced that, but I can assure you, it isn’t as bad as all that.”

That dismissal.

And so it was that White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany when promoting Trump’s call for Americans not to purchase tires from the company that makes them in the United States and employs thousands at its plants and tire outlets because of an alleged ban on employees wearing MAGA hats and politically affiliated slogans, including “Blue Lives Matter.”

A video, in which Goodyear explains the company’s dress code to its employees, reportedly showed two categories of clothing: Acceptable and Unacceptable.

Under “Acceptable” were Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride .These are considered non-political, social justice speech that can be shared by people all over the political map.

Under “Unacceptable” were Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, MAGA, and politically affiliated slogans or material. These clearly politically connected items are not shared across political lines, and considering that no one seemed to care about all lives and blue lives mattering until these slogans sprung up to oppose the notion that Black lives do, and MAGA hats are too closely tied to one politician and certain bigoted attitudes that have spilled over into actions, some life threatening, the uses of the slogans and hats make their political connections clear, as do offered defenses of them.

There is a difference which can only be ignored if it supports a political agenda.

The president of the United States reacted to this alleged action by tweeting,

 “Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES—They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less!”

In so doing, not only did Trump misrepresent the facts, but he espoused an action that attacks a U.S. company and its employees whose jobs could be lost, and influenced the stock market during these difficult COVID 19 days when people are losing income already. The economy needs as many manufactories to stay in and return to this country, so attacking a company with no idea of what might be set in motion because of a personally assumed slight is not good policy.

The company was clear This might cause an allergic reaction and ultimately land you in trouble as you may experience severe side effects and levitra generika http://downtownsault.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/06-14-17-DDA-MINUTES.pdf may require intimate body contact and manual stimulation. They have been known to improve other parts of the body as well, such as body strength and general health and also improving energy levels and concentrations, cheap cialis viagra making great supplements for us all to use. There are two types shipping free viagra of surgical implants. Spend some time tweaking it viagra on line australia before you publish your articles. 3. about it policy stating that the

“visual in question was not created or distributed by Goodyear corporate, nor was it part of a diversity training class. To be clear on our longstanding corporate policy, Goodyear has zero tolerance for any forms of harassment or discrimination. To enable a work environment free of those, we ask that associates refrain from workplace expressions in support of political campaigning for any candidate or political party, as well as similar forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues.”

The president’s press secretary subsequently claimed that this clear explanation “failed to clarify their policy.”

“What was not allowed was Blue Lives Matter. What was clearly targeted was a certain ideology.”

She went on to complain that Blue Lives Matter is an ‘equity issue”, without explaining beyond the nebulous term what she meant by that. Police are not routinely denied employment, housing, credit, medical care, or goods and services merely because they are police, and unlike Black and Brown people who are always Black and Brown, police officers can easily blend in, “pass”, once they are off duty.

Uniforms can be conveniently removed. Racial characteristics cannot.

This is simply an attempt to further blur that Blue Line so supporting Trump and supporting the police, no matter what, are as inseparable as two sides of a piece of paper, and an attempt to divide the police from the people, creating an us/them dynamic when it should be an all of us/all of us one.

She also made it clear that the president’s tweet was to “his supporters” and said he “thinks it’s unacceptable.”

Recognizing that you can support the police without supporting Trump, and vice/versa, Goodyear insisted that it supports the police.

“We have heard from some of you that believe Goodyear is anti-police after reacting to the visual. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we have the upmost [sic] appreciation for the vital work police do on behalf of our shared communities.”

But a person like this 31 year old, once-Fox blond, who was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, attended a Catholic co-educational elementary school and a college preparatory high school for young women, and who began her media career spending three years as a producer on the Mike Huckabee Show isn’t really in a place to explain racial issues especially when what most of what is pointed out as racially insensitive and systemic racism is not part of her life experiences nor those of most people with whom she associates personally, socially, and educationally.

She may have attended a private Catholic preparatory academy, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in DC, the University of Miami School of Law, St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and Harvard Law School, which would imply she has the intellectual capacity to understand oppression and racism on a theoretical basis, but the reality, when it comes to racism and its effects, is that she has no knowledge based on experience and continues to view the world around her from a vantage point of privilege. A formal education may be indicative of a intellectual capacity for understanding, but it does not confer experience and knowledge in “foreign” areas. Ben Carson may be a brain surgeon but no matter how knowledgeable he is in his field and no matter how many brains over the years he had dealt with, it in no way automatically bestowed common knowledge and common sense on him.

So to watch a privileged, white, blond woman explain things related to racism and make false equivalencies while White-splaining it all from a podium in the White House shows that she and that White House cannot or will not accept there is a difference between non-political, social justice speech and politically affiliated slogans or material, and will continue to play on this to cause division from where unity should be promoted.