It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and social media users are encouraging people to prepare for a political showdown during their annual Thanksgiving dinners.
While family members are shoveling turkey and stuffing down their throats, others on Twitter also suggest force-feeding them diatribes about racism, sexism and President Donald Trump. (RELATED: NYT Publishes Advice For Talking To Your ‘Angry Uncle’ At Thanksgiving)
Alex Berg, who works with Mic and Sirius XM, urged white women with Trump-supporting relatives to prepare talking points about “systemic racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc.”
Good morning to all the white women out there with Trump-voting relatives. Today you’re using the pre-Thanksgiving hours to rehearse talking points for the dinner table tomorrow to do some work breaking down systemic racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc. right!?
— Alex Berg (@itsalexberg) November 21, 2018
“Hey uncle, pass the cranberry sauce please, and did you know that Black women make just 61 cents for every dollar you make!?” Berg offered as one suggestion.
My dinner table tomorrow won’t have Trump supporters, but that certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t need to have tough conversations with my fam! I’m ready.
Hey uncle pass the cranberry sauce please and did you know that Black women make just 61 cents for every dollar you make!?
— Alex Berg (@itsalexberg) November 21, 2018
Lifestyle magazine Harper’s Bazaar offered advice specific to discussing the topic of racism in an article published on Monday.
In addition to trashing Christopher Columbus, Rachel Elizabeth Cargle writes, Thanksgiving attendees should be prepared to discuss anthem kneeling, Black Lives Matter and white privilege. They should also chide anyone at the table who accuses them of being divisive by attacking their family members with accusations of racism.
Actor David Dastmalchian attacked the idea that politics should not be discussed during Thanksgiving, tweeting, “Immoral, unAmerican, unprincipled, illegitimate, racist, woman-bashing men have more power in U.S. government than in decades. Manners don’t matter when human [and] civil rights are at stake.”
I don’t give a crap about keeping “politics away from the dinner table” this Thanksgiving. Immoral, unAmerican, unprincipled, illegitimate, racist, woman-bashing men have more power in US government than in decades. Manners don’t matter when human & civil rights are at stake.
— David Dastmalchian (@Dastmalchian) November 21, 2018
Democratic Congressional candidate Brianna Wu agreed that some discussions are too urgent to leave for another time. While Wu said people who bring up politics shouldn’t be disrespectful, they shouldn’t be afraid to tell family members to turn off Fox News or broach the topic of “children … locked in cages.”
There’s a lot of advice right now on how to avoid politics at Thanksgiving.
I disagree. We have to have difficult, compassionate discussions with loved ones. It’s not an exaggeration to say children are locked in cages, counting on us.
Doing nothing is easiest, but it’s wrong.
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) November 20, 2018
2/ That’s not to say, act like a jerkstore and make a huge political fight.
But, it’s okay to say leaving Fox News on is inappropriate. It’s okay to make your views on Trunp known. It’s okay to talk about your fears for democracy.
Tyrants flourish in our silence.
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) November 20, 2018
Allana Harkin, a producer for Samantha Bee’s show “Full Frontal,” suggested a more passive approach to political conversations this year: “Just leave little notes around their house that they can find after you leave like ‘Stronger Together’ and ‘Hillary was ROBBED,'” Harkin tweeted Tuesday.
You don’t need to talk politics with your relatives this Thanksgiving. Just leave little notes around their house that they can find after you leave like “Stronger Together” and “Hillary was ROBBED”. #ThanksgivingTips
— Allana (@AllanaHarkin) November 21, 2018