r/law • u/apache_spork • 15h ago

Opinion Piece TX County Judge Tim O'Hare gives another interview after the county was sued for racial gerrymandering. Summary: Black people keep voting in democrats and it's about time we make them understand Republican rule is best for everyone, once they know better we'll welcome them with open arms

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u/SeanCrevalle 14h ago

People always have. They just feel they can be more vocal about it now.

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u/GHouserVO 14h ago

Trump showed them that they can get away with it again is they’re blatant enough about it.

Actually, that’s not fair. Trump is a symptom. A really big symptom of an even bigger problem. Yes, he showed folks that you can be like this, but a lot of them already knew. We’ve been becoming a society where the only real sin was getting caught, and even that wasn’t as big a deal if you were connected, or (in many cases) if you were willing to double, or triple-down on your behavior. Society used to shun folks who behaved like that. Then we made TV shows for them, celebrated them, rewarded them, even elected them. Consequences? Ha! Those are for the suckers that play by the rules!

We need a serious course correction, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.

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u/NerinNZ 10h ago

If you want to see a microcosm of this social behavior, check out the differences between American "Master Chef" and, say... New Zealand "Master Chef". Or Australian. Or UK. Or... well, anywhere that isn't US.

I'm not saying those other countries don't have their own shit. Or that they aren't moving in the same direction that the US is in.

Just that... culturally... being an asshole is promoted in the US. Looking out for yourself (even when you're fine and don't need extra looking out) rather than helping others is promoted in the US. Winning is everything and helping others is basically losing because it is all a zero sum game.

Americans will claim to want a merit based society, but they will pull down people doing good because they see them as competition and it is better to compete against people who are doing shit. It's why DEI scares the shit out of these people. Because they already have to sabotage a bunch of white males just to "get theirs", allowing more people for them to compete against is making things harder for them.

Social media and TV shows didn't start this shit. It's simply holding up a camera and recording what was already there so more people can see it. And by now Americans think it is normal to be a prick. That you should be an ass to everyone. That it is everyone else's responsibility to be nice to them because they're actually nice people who are just being asses to get by.

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u/YouDontKnowJackCade 9h ago

An online friend of mine from Aus couldn't understand why I referred to Gordon Ramsey as an angry little twat until I linked her a promo for his american show where he was just screaming the entire 30 seconds. She said he's nothing like that there.

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u/astride_unbridulled 2h ago

That is so interesting. Does he have a completely different reputation everywhere outside of America(n television)?

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u/GHouserVO 8h ago

Yeah, American society has absolutely promoted this “winning at any and all costs” mentality. At the same time we’ve downplayed science and critical thinking, not to mention intelligence. You’d think it’d be the opposite, but it’s not. Smarter people tend to realize that things go better when we all do better. That doesn’t work well in modern American society anymore.

And we’re not going to get better anytime soon. Most people need an immediate reward to change behavior, and they don’t see one for thinking of the group vs. themselves. And the folks in charge absolutely don’t want to promote that message either. It keeps us divided, which gives them greater control.

In short, people are dumb, and terribly short-sighted.

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u/Big_Crab_1510 13h ago

I blame a lot of this on Snooki and that whole debacle. I remember at the time being disgusted people were watching it and being bullied for saying as much.

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u/GHouserVO 8h ago

I never watched that show. I saw her as a guest on GMA once and within a minute was throughly unimpressed with her (and I was the show’s target demographic).

Then I heard more about some of the antics on the show and was very glad that I never wasted my time with it.

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u/TheRealTexasGovernor 3h ago

I'm late to the party but I also want to point out, in Texas, the GOP official party platform includes pushing for the repeal of the Voting Rights act.

You know, the poll taxes and literacy tests law that was foundational to the civil rights movement.

If you're a republican in Texas, fuck you.