Say No to Hate: PD Scullin

The search for truth is the most crucial problem in America today. Trump has a base of 35-40% support, over 90% among Republicans. The GOP has gone all-in on this cult of personality in return for tax cuts, deregulation, and conservative court appointments with the long game of overturning Roe v Wade.

PD Scullin is a self-described Atlanta humorist, smart ass, novelist, and ex-adman. Check out PD’s blog The Lint Screen.

Say No To Hate 1

PD Scullin: The search for truth is the most crucial problem in America today. Trump has a base of 35-40% support, over 90% among Republicans. The GOP has gone all-in on this cult of personality in return for tax cuts, deregulation, and conservative court appointments with the long game of overturning Roe v Wade.

Trump and the GOP have their own state TV with Fox News amplifying and supporting whatever fearless leader says. Fox has excellent ratings –– apparently, many of them are Trump’s 35-40% supporters. There are also echo chambers with Breitbart, InfoWars, Drudge, Rush, and other conservative radio pundits. Trump fabricates whatever reality he wants, and any media that does not support him is “fake news.”

In Trump world, the enemies of the people are immigrants, the news media that does not support him wholeheartedly, athletes who kneel in protest during the national anthem, the European Union, perceived unfair trade practices, and whatever else strikes his fancy and might strengthen his base’s insatiable desire to hate and be victims. Trump trades in fearmongering, we are always on the brink of disaster, and HE is the only one who can save us.

The country’s biggest problem is a basic one –– allowing a strongman to determine truth and operate above the rule of law. Democracy or tyranny? That is the question.

The most critical problem facing Atlanta is transportation. MARTA must be expanded, we must alleviate traffic congestion. Other issues that need to be addressed are homelessness and political corruption.

Say No To Hate 2

PD Scullin: Solving the issue of truth is difficult when each person can self-select the narrative they want. The internet is a buffet line that allows any of us to gorge and construct our own cocoon of reality. The best antidote to that is honest, aggressive journalism. It is not enough to report Trump’s misstatements –– explain why it’s wrong and what the facts are. Journalism today is needed more than ever. Unfortunately, news budgets have shrunk, and most journalists are too stretched to do their jobs effectively.

There is also an inherent problem: All media loves Trump because he is the eternal car wreck that grabs attention and eyeballs … which drive up media advertising revenues. Consider the madness of any random 24-hour news cycle during the Trump presidency. It’s mind-numbing. A constant state of crisis and outrage is great for ratings, though.

Say No To Hate 3

PD Scullin: Grassroots activism is terrific and will be essential for change. It is too easy to live a digital life, raging through Facebook posts and nasty Tweets. But “likes” and Retweets are not going to change anything. With public protest, we instantly see we are part of a community of passionate and concerned citizens. Protest has always been the catalyst for change in America. Until we forfeit our rights, it is still a country of the people, by the people, for the people –– and people need to get off their asses and get involved or suffer the consequences. This especially includes voting. If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to bitch.

Say No To Hate 4

PD Scullin: Social media is masturbatory for the most part. We go there to feel good about ourselves, to let off some steam and connect with like-minded people. We curate and broadcast our perfect lives. Ironically, the time spent on social media makes us feel worse and more alienated. Research has proved this again and again. That said, social media feels good and feels like action. It feeds dopamine rushes as we collect “likes” like lint on a wool suit, but to expect that social media will translate into real change is wishful thinking. And it can be a useful tool for manipulation and to divide us further. Life today generally boils down to only two choices –– you are a conservative or a liberal, and wedge issues are used to stimulate our reptile brains. Problems are black and white, rarely shades of gray.

Say No To Hate 5

PD Scullin: While I just trashed social media, it is very effective for promoting protests and spreading the buzz. Progressive organizations are also valuable resources for information, as are CL and sometimes the AJC.

Say No To Hate 6

PD Scullin: Get involved –– vote, protest, spread the word. Also, listen and try to understand those you don’t agree with. While you may never agree with a Trumper’s worldview, you may at least understand what drives it and find some common ground. Or not.


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Monday August 27, 2018 05:43 PM EDT
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Monday August 27, 2018 06:10 PM EDT
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Tuesday August 28, 2018 08:27 AM EDT
The biggest problem facing Americans today is the stark difference between where we have made progress in this country under the Obama Administration and where the Trump Administration is going. With regards to the Trump Administration right now on immigration and voting rights, we believe they are moving in a direction against the values of most Americans. | more...

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Tuesday August 28, 2018 08:38 AM EDT
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Tuesday August 28, 2018 08:54 AM EDT
Of all the global issues facing us, including biggies like climate change and nuclear war, what troubles me currently is the rise of fascism in governments around the world. This is what also troubles me about America. People are emboldened to openly discriminate and hate because our elected officials represent values of hate. | more...

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Tuesday August 28, 2018 02:38 PM EDT
The most important problem facing Americans today is partisan politics that removes empathy from the conversation toward compromise on the real issues that are affecting everyday Americans. Everything is viewed through the lens of tribal political division, when the solutions to most problems facing the nation can be solved through bipartisan collaboration. | more...

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Tuesday August 28, 2018 02:50 PM EDT
There are so many things that need to be fixed but somehow we need to stop the OTHER mentality. Trying to embrace difference — and understanding that our differences are what make us stronger — will lead to a better unity within our populations. We spend so much time hating and singling out those that are different. If we used that energy to come together we could make a better life for all of us. | more...

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Tuesday August 28, 2018 03:53 PM EDT
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Tuesday August 28, 2018 04:50 PM EDT
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Tuesday August 28, 2018 05:06 PM EDT
The most important problem facing all of us is our increasing inability to work with and get along with those who don’t share our views. I know it’s a cliché, but “United we stand, divided we fall.” | more...

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Tuesday August 28, 2018 05:24 PM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 08:05 AM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 08:25 AM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 08:40 AM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 08:53 AM EDT
The most important problem facing Americans today is the pervasive ideology of white settler colonialism. By this I mean that we live with a way of thinking brought over to America that goes back as far as the English Reformation in the 16th century — the belief that God has ordained a select group of white people to claim land — regardless of who might already have been on it — as a God-given right. | more...

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Wednesday August 29, 2018 09:21 AM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 02:45 PM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 03:12 PM EDT
The most urgent problem facing not just Atlanta, but all of humanity, is the fact the U.S. is now ruled by a fascist regime (Trump/Pence) set on reshaping society in a way that will be catastrophic for humanity and the planet. | more...

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Wednesday August 29, 2018 03:23 PM EDT
The rise of white supremacy. | more...

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Wednesday August 29, 2018 03:52 PM EDT
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Wednesday August 29, 2018 04:14 PM EDT
One of the most important problems facing America is the widening income inequality/economic mobility gap. For many, the “American Dream” is just that, a dream they will never realize. Many of the social and political challenges we are dealing with today stem from this problem. | more...

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Wednesday August 29, 2018 04:40 PM EDT
The list is long and it’s all really important. But most of the things on that list have a root cause, and I think it’s greed. People’s desire for power and wealth outweighs their humanity and their ability to see humanity in others. | more...
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