Americans are constantly being nagged by bosses, human resources directors, career coaches, and etiquette police to carefully “manage your social media profile or brand.”  Rule number one for said managing?  Avoid saying anything “political.”

For instance, a typically shallow article in Medium concludes with very clear and sweeping rules:

1. Don’t post political stuff on social media.

2. Don’t comment on other’s posts even if you have just the right witty comeback.

3. Don’t even ‘like’ anything political.

4. Tell the algorithmic overlords you don’t want to see politics on facebook.

5. Be happy.

Somewhere Bobby McFerrin is smiling.  I was surprised that the author didn’t add:  “6.  If you view anything political, flush your eyes with bleach, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.”

“Politics” Or Protection?

I get the point, but that is one helluva a privileged outlook.  After all, one person’s “politics” is another person’s “protection.” 

With grandkids on the horizon, speaking out about deficits, the student loan crisis, unnecessary wars, and the climate crisis is ultimately about protecting my family, not just politics.

With gay people in my family, speaking out on gay bashing masked as “religious freedom” is about protecting my family, not mere politics.

With a viable small business needed to support my family, speaking out about things that weaken the economy — self-dealing trickle-down tax cuts, health care insecurity, childish trade wars, etc. — is about protecting my livelihood, not politics.

With these things in mind, it’s easy for me to see why people of color feel the need to speak out on social media about police brutality and immigration, young people feel the need to speak out about student loan debt burdens and the climate crisis, women feel the need to speak out about wage equality and reproductive freedom, and rural families feel the need to speak out about fighting the opioid epidemic and the trade war. 

To the privileged who are doing fine under Trump’s status quo, maybe speaking out about these things looks like distasteful “politics.” But to many of us, speaking out about Trump and his enablers is ultimately about protection of ourselves and our loved ones, not politics.

Historical Resisters

If you still have doubts, maybe this is a useful exercise to ponder. What would have happened if people who resisted past racist, corrupt authoritarians had chosen to “manage their brand” instead of fighting back.

Instead of risking his life by saving over 1,000 Jews from the Hitler’s holocaust, what if Oskar Schindler had stuck to stockpiling “likes” by only sharing adorable jokes?

Instead of leading peaceful protests and armed resistance against apartheid atrocities, what if Nelson Mandela had stuck to building his brand by constantly sharing photos of his dazzling smile?

Instead of leading thirteen underground railroad operations to save slaves from brutal treatment and murder in the American south, what if Harriet Tubman had protected her brand by instead sharing a steady stream of inspirational sayings?

Wouldn’t that have been such savvy brand management for Oskar, Nelson and Harriet?!  Think of the “Likes!”

Naomi Schulman made an observation about this “fighting back versus not offending friends” dilemma that has really stuck with me.

“Nice people made the best Nazis. My mom grew up next to them. They got along, refused to make waves, looked the other way when things got ugly and focused on happier things than “politics.” They were lovely people who turned their heads as their neighbors were dragged away.

You know who weren’t nice people? Resisters.”

“Nice people made the best Nazis.” Maybe being perceived as “nice” by people “not into politics” isn’t the most important thing to worry about in life.

Extraordinary Times

Trump isn’t advocating for anything of the magnitude of the holocaust, apartheid, or slavery.  But he is easily the most incompetent, corrupt, misogynistic, and racist American leader of our times.

He’s separating asylum-seeking kids from moms and keeping them in cages. He’s banning people from traveling to America based on who they worship.  He’s fueling hatred among unstable white supremacists wielding weapons of war.

If there is no resistance to stop or slow him down, Trump will hurt a lot more vulnerable people in the future.  He wants deeper cuts in safety net programs for vulnerable Americans.  He wants to force women into unwanted pregnancies and unsafe back alley abortions.  He wants to make things worse in the battle against climate change, when we urgently need to be getting better. He wants to take health care coverage from 20 million Americans, and preexisting condition protections away from all of us. 

This moment in history isn’t normal.  In so many ways, it could be pivotal for the world we leave to our kids. 

So in between sharing of baby elephant videos, vacation snapshots, and results of your “what piece of IKEA furniture are you” quiz, maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to occasionally incur the passive aggressive wrath of “not into politics” friends by speaking out about the threats we’re facing. Maybe it’s okay to take that little bit of a hit on your “personal brand.”

It’s more than okay. It’s necessary.

I don’t mean to suggest that speaking out on social media is the only or best thing you can do.  By all means, have difficult in-person conversations with loved ones, donate until it hurts, march in the streets, and volunteer on campaigns and/or for nonprofits.  But the very least you can do in these extraordinary times is to ignore the short-sighted advice about “staying above politics” on social media.