How on earth did young Tarrant Republican think trolling with ‘OK’ hand symbol was smart?
Our political culture’s obsession with trolling has hit a new low.
On Monday, at a Fort Worth parade to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a member of the Tarrant County Young Republicans apparently decided a group photo was the right moment to flash a hand symbol that’s been appropriated by white supremacists.
The GOP group apologized and acknowledged it was an inappropriate gesture for the setting.
In a tweet, it explained that Robert Coe thought “it’s funny how crazy leftists get over a fake symbol” and was not trying to send a white power message.
We have no reason so far to doubt that, but it’s worth pausing to consider how our politics got to this point.
Celebrations of King should be about unity. The holiday is a moment to honor America’s steps toward making our founding creed true for all, particularly those prompted by King’s civil-rights work. And it’s a time to redouble effort on all that remains to be done for his vision of true equality to be realized.
What it’s not is a venue for political triumphalism or partisan gain.
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Unfortunately, our polarization and anger, splashed wide and ever-present through social media, have raised the value of poking the other side in the eye far above building consensus or — imagine this! — actually trying to persuade someone of your view.
For politicos as young as Coe, these are the only rules of engagement they’ve ever known. So let’s try to find a lesson or two in this incident.
Even if it were a joke, and even if too many people have overreacted to the “OK” sign in our overheated age, it wasn’t the right time or best way to try to troll the other side. Enough white supremacists have appropriated the gesture that the Anti-Defamation League has raised concern.
The ADL also notes, correctly, that the vast majority of those using the “OK” sign are doing so with its traditional meaning. Those who have falsely tried to smear as racists everyone from Army cadets and Navy midshipmen to a supporter at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing have cheapened real racism. But by reinforcing the white power version, jokingly or not, actions like Coe’s degrade our discourse even further.
If the usual script plays out, Coe will be harangued on social media. “Cancel culture” will kick in, as someone will try to get him in trouble at work or school, or get him kicked out of his Tarrant County GOP precinct chairman position. Then, he’ll be elevated by the other side as a hero of free speech.
None of that is necessary or productive. Give Coe, and similar young offenders, a chance to learn from such mistakes.
And the rest of us should reflect on how our discourse devolved to the point that, standing there after honoring a great American leader, the most meaningful thing he could think to do is troll the other side.