I highly doubt that you would be as concerned reaching people or the sanctity of their existence if these were ISIS agent (but I digress).
Actually, I would be. I believe redemption is possible, especially when you begin to understand WHY people are like they are. Not everyone can be saved of course, but I do believe many people can change when given the opportunity. As a quick example regarding ISIS, a lot lower level people taken in are youth who feel hopeless, unwanted, poor, or suffered abuse/violence. They just want to belong, and groups like this are making them feel like a part of something bigger, even if that something is terrible. That is one reason why they are able to recruit even in the US, a place not exposed to the constant war/violence that often leads others to extremism.
I believe helping people is possible if we are able to put aside our own bias and actually look at the issues, what causes people to act/function a certain way, and then work towards fixing it. It won't be easy of course, and I am not under the impression that problems can be stopped entirely, but I do know the right path is not always the easiest. Perseverance is essential to helping improve our situation and the world at large.
You talk about improving education - these people would once again vote for a party that would pass Betsy Devos as head of education - at this very moment they are helping to dump coal in your nation's rivers and are working hard to erase any progress made in Climate Change science over the last decade. These are the sort of people who see truths and lies as lies as truths.
Yet when people are uneducated, many in rural areas having a high school diploma only or less, what do you truly expect to happen? We already know education as a whole in this country is lagging behind a great deal in comparison to many countries, so imagine just how bad it is for those in small towns here. It is as though people are expecting those with very little formal education to understand the ins and outs of politics, economics, healthcare, etc.
I will accept that maybe I am a bit naive, but this is coming from someone who grew up and currently lives in a small town and sees what goes on around here. What I do know is that I will not let what is going on now destroy my humanity to the point I would consider the world better off if a large portion of the population were dead.
I've begun deep dives into the job candidates' applications I review. If I find info indicating they support Trump or the GOP I just veto the application.
My sincere hope is that Trump voters wise up, until they do my plan is to just make their lives as miserable as possible, with the small amount of power I possess.
Welcome to the new Cold-Civil War, shitheads.
Good job. Keep those people oppressed. What better way to reinforce their views and make sure they keep voting the way that they do.
I would like to think GAF is better than the quote above, although I guess I am the odd one out since nobody else seems bothered by such a post.
Quite frankly, that's impossible. Republicans have all the power over such things, especially at the local level. They control their own education, and we can't change that through any government action. It's also a whole lot of effort to convince a dwindling self destructive demographic for minimal gain.
That is why I mentioned that there are road blocks along the way, but that is not a reason to give up on working to improve a situation. You could also bypass it by offering incentives for people to move to Democrat controlled areas. One of the biggest hindrances for rural people is not having the ability to move, or not knowing if they can survive when they get to places that generally have a higher cost of living. Maybe if they had a helping hand, they could escape where they are now and be surrounded by people who could influence them towards different views.
Just random thoughts there though, I know it is easier said than done. Surely there are plenty of solutions to explore instead of just pointing at people, calling them idiots, and shrugging our shoulders waiting for them to die off.
