More than anything, I want the people who have been sucked into the orbit of the far-right to take a huge step back and figure out how they got there.
That kind of self-reflection can't exist, though, if the ego is still actively engaged in defending itself.
Nervous about posting this, because people confuse empathy with forgiveness or unity. But it's not.
It's imagining yourself in their position, dangling from a cliff with no one to blame but yourself, and thinking how you would want to be treated in that situation.
I know I can't bring myself to really think about it still. I'm still so angry and so sad about what's happening. The most empathetic response I can muster is giving them a wide berth. I hope they figure their shit out, but I'm not interested in helping them do it.
But I still think about the people who've been swept up in this fascist insanity, all of our family and friends and neighbors. I hope there's eventually a way to repair those relationships, or forge new ones, when those people own up to all of their horrific words and deeds.
I think the best we can do for those people is leave them to their own process. Yes, there should be consequences for all the horrible shit they've done and endorsed.
But they're still people, bound to the same emotional illogic all of us are. Empathy is needed.