So I really think this one is too important to let go.

I’m going to post the image in the comments, at the end of my rant here. It’s a gross caricature of an “inbred” white person with buck teeth and giant ears, with a caption inferring that Trump voters have ... (1)

Genetic disabilities or malformations. It was shared by a Catholic, a person who seems to consider himself to be a political centrist.

Where to start?

Let’s start with what it does when you dehumanize your opponent: It’s you giving yourself permission to treat them as less of a person.

As we have seen in the last two election cycles, dehumanization of the other might be the gravest thing we as Christians are called to battle.

Dehumanization is at the root of abortion, euthanasia, murder, racism, discrimination ...

Its what people who are unhappy with Trump have been talking about all this time!

So. There are already a lot of mental gymnastics involved in dehumanizing those you see as the dehumanizers.

But to mock someone’s IQ (or perceived lack thereof) and to mock them by accusing them of having physical disabilities stemming from some kind of degeneracy (incest) ...

That’s a special kind of disconnect.

And it is not helping. Not one damn bit.

I know complete idiots that voted for Donald Trump. I also know brilliant people who did so. Just like *any* other political candidate.

It might feel good for Democrats to characterize Trump supporters as inbred rednecks, just as it might seem right for Republicans accuse Biden voters of being whiny degenerates.

But I want people to own this for what it is. It’s dehumanization, and sin, and it doesn’t make it better because it’s urgent that you get Trump out of office, or intend to “Make America Great Again.”

It’s just gross. And tiresome.

And if you do it, *you* are the type of person you are fighting against.

“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye!”

And before anyone starts on me, treating someone like one of God’s own human beings has nothing to do with “PC Culture” or “niceness” or even “tone policing” or what have you.

You treat people like people. Not abstractions or possessions or playing pieces.

And have I seen worse? Hell yes. Much worse. But I have spoken up about that too. And it’s all of a piece.