Activists Want To Punish Minorities Who Don't Vote Their Way

Activists such as Eva Longoria celebrated the minority vote across swing states. On November 8,  in an interview with MSNBC, she called Latina women “the real heroines” of the 2020 presidential election, for “beating men in turnout in every state, and voting Biden-Harris.” 

Why are minorities lauded so much, being called heroes for simply voting? Can voting be called heroic when it’s perceived largely as a civic duty? And moreover, why are minorities — specifically blacks and Latinos — attacked when they vote any other way?

The Democratic Party Celebrates When Minorities Vote for Them

Since the late 1920s, the majority of black voters have voted largely and consistently for the Democratic party. You can see this clearly in cities like Chicago, which has elected a Democratic mayor since 1931. During the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton held a majority among registered Hispanic voters, at 58% approval. If you take a look at Miami-Dade county, the current population is 71% Hispanic/Latino and previously voted pretty reliably for the Democrat party.

Activists expect blacks, Latinos, and other non-whites to vote Democratic.

When minorities vote for the Democratic party, they’re celebrated, as is evident in the interview Eva Longoria did with MSNBC. She actually later apologized for saying Latina women were heroines, on account of backlash she received for allegedly belittling the contributions of black women. It seems netizens wanted her to celebrate black women more, as they were more deserving of it. 

Activists Demonize and Erase Minorities That Support a Different Candidate or Set of Values

A different tune gets sung when those previously celebrated minorities either vote for the Republican party or present themselves as apolitical. Even outside politics, if a minority individual doesn’t appear to agree with what activists deem to be moral or best, they’re attacked.

Actress Zoe Saldana, upon defending the character of her co-star Chris Pratt, received a barrage of abusive tweets riddled with racial slurs and derogatory language. All because Pratt was accused of being a Trump supporter or white supremacist.

One Twitter user claimed that “Vietnamese pro-[T]rump turnout can be explained by the fact that their dulled temporal bone compresses and reduces their cognitive capacity for critical thinking and reasoning.”

When some from a minority group votes “off-script,” they’re treated horribly and subjected to racist rhetoric.

When someone in a minority group votes for someone whom activists don’t approve of, they’re treated horribly and subjected to racist rhetoric. Journalist and “1619 Project” founder Nikole Hannah-Jones recently expressed on Twitter that a distinction needs to be made between “white Cubans” and “black Puerto Ricans and indigenous Guatemalans” since it would help explain “why Latinos support Trump at the second highest rate.” She seems to imply that because Cuban-Americans may have lighter skin, we should just call them white, and that’s why they support Trump. She, and other critics, are ignoring how Latin Americans are more likely voting against Socialist policies than for Trump.

It doesn’t stop there. Hannah-Jones goes on to express that it was obvious to her that “Black male Trump tallies wouldn’t hold” during the election. She expected blacks to vote Democratic.

The Left’s Patronizing Gave Way to Movements Like #WalkAway and #Blexit

Movements, such as #Blexit and #WalkAway, were inspired by the divisive, and at times, dehumanizing rhetoric used by Left-wing activists. The focus of these movements is centered largely around leaving the Democratic party, or the Left, because they were made to feel unwelcome, or like they would be attacked if the truth about their beliefs were made known.

#Blexit was founded by Candace Owens and Brandon Tatum, both of them having the same vision for America: “to change the narrative that surrounds America’s minority communities — with a particular focus on African-Americans.” In 2018, Owens called it “the black exit from the Democratic Party. It’s...the black exit from the false idea that we are somehow separate from the rest of America.” Owens has expressed recently, “Minorities do not belong to the left.”

“Minorities do not belong to the left.” - Candace Owens

#WalkAway was founded in 2018 by Brandon Staka, a “former liberal.” Its intention was to provide a place for people “to share #WalkAway testimonials and personal journeys to freedom” from those who “no longer accept the current ideology of the Democratic Party, what it has become.” Their ‘About’ page says, “The Democratic Party has gone astray, and it is time to recognize that there is very little true liberalism practiced there anymore.”

Despite the movements, its participants aren’t safe from attacks — not just verbal, but physical. Trans YouTuber Blaire White, who was a speaker at the Unsilent March, uploaded a video three years ago featuring her being physically assaulted for wearing a MAGA hat in Hollywood. Straka himself recently faced “anti-gay attacks from protestors” on the final night of the RNC.

There’s a distinct double standard: Minorities who vote for the Democratic party, or vouch for the same ideals as the mob, are celebrated and important. Those who aren’t are treated as sub-human.

Closing Thoughts

For almost a century, the Democratic party has been able to expect support from minority groups in America. This isn’t to say support needs to flip to any other party solely because of that, but it does beg the question: Has the party actually fulfilled its promises to those groups? In the latest-available murder report from Chicago, between 70 and 80% of all murder victims and perpetrators from 1991 to 2011 were black. Given that the city has been under Democratic control since 1931, it’s worth considering if, at the very least, voting for another party would light a fire underneath Democratic candidates, to get them to truly do more for the demographics that they seem to be taking for granted.

To any individual in a minority group: You aren’t just whatever race or ethnicity you fill in on the census; you aren’t just your gender or sexuality. You owe no one your vote, and you’d best be skeptical if a politician talks to you as if you owe them your vote. Vote for who represents you, your values, and your best interests. It may require a bit of independent research on your part to figure out who the best candidate would be, but it’s worth it.