Dear Tell All: As a proud leftist, I am deeply disappointed by the response to your column “We’ve Lost Our Son to the Radical Left” (10/2/2017). The letter-writer, “Small-d Democrat,” was a mother distressed by her son’s turn toward left-wing extremism at college. He has shown a newfound interest in committing vandalism, silencing campus speakers he disagrees with, and violently confronting right-wing groups. Small-d Democrat identified herself as a liberal activist who believes in free speech, peaceful protests, and other democratic means of making the country a better place.
I’d like to think the people on my side would respond sympathetically to this fellow progressive who also happens to be a fellow human being. Even those to the left of her politically would realize that her heart is in the right place and that her concern for her son’s well-being is understandable. Correct?
No such luck. The comments from leftists on Facebook and on the Tell All web page ripped this decent woman apart in sneering, sick and (yes) Trump-like fashion. Some examples:
“Hey, dumbass mom…ask your son to slap your stupid ass for not deserving such a good kid.”
“Oh no, your son grew up to be a responsible human and stands up for what’s right, instead of being a liberal garbage pile that allows fascists to murder, rape and pillage. Gosh darn.”
“My advice to this mom would be: I'm sorry that you are a weak ass pussy pacifist and that your son has grown some balls.”
“Your son is rad and I'd buy him a drink for having to put up with you.”
“How does it feel to be less mature than your own child?”
“What kind of fascist-loving bullshit is this?”
That last comment is typical of the response to your column: accusing a veteran progressive of being pro-Nazi because she thinks smashing heads as a political tactic might possibly be counterproductive in a democratic society.
As those on the far left savagely attack their natural liberal allies, it’s no wonder the extreme right has taken over in the U.S. Even more painful is the spectacle of leftists displaying such cruelty to Small-d Democrat, proving themselves as ugly as their opponents.
Fellow Traveler
Dear Fellow Traveler: My specialty is personal relationships, not politics, so I won’t wade into the ideological minefield here. My response to Small-d Democrat reflected my belief that we should be kind to each other whenever it’s warranted. In my view, kindness is certainly appropriate in the case of this worried mother.
So like you, Fellow Traveler, I’m disappointed by some of the comments, which are all too common in this hate-filled era. But I take heart from the sympathetic advice to Small-d Democrat from a commenter who signed himself “Travis”:
“Your kid will figure it out. Calm down. People go through phases.”
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