This Post Is Grooming (And Other Short Takes)

To anyone who wants to write about the Republican Party smearing its opposition as “groomers,” here’s my advice: Don’t actually attempt to debunk it, let alone point out the fact that they’re obviously using old homophobic tropes, because that’s not actually important. Pointing out that it’s wrong is not going to stop them, neither is pointing out that they’re using old homophobic stereotype. What might stop them is informing the American public that they’re using this argument because they’re trying to pander to believers in a deranged conspiracy theory which states that the world is run by pedophiles. The fact that they’re doing this to appeal to Q-Anon is more important than the fact that it is wrong — because they know that it’s wrong, they just don’t care.

Q-Anon makes the most sense as a continuation of the bizarre “stranger danger,” fear that we currently beat into the heads of our children. It doesn’t matter that a child is much more likely to be abused, raped, killed, or even kidnapped by someone they already know and trust — especially those in their family — we still teach our kids to fear strangers because those people are unknown, and therefore easier to demonize.

I’ve read several articles on the rise of anti-social behavior over the past couple of decades, and I honestly believe this to be one reason as to why. People are now…