The Fallacy Of “When They Go Low, We Go High” - Okayplayer

It means that your response has to reflect the solution. It shouldn't come from a place of anger or vengefulness. Barack and I had to figure that out. Anger may ... X PhotoCredit:NurPhotoviaGettyImages WithDonaldTrump’sone-termpresidencycomingtoanend,welookatMichelleObama’s“Whentheygolow,wegohigh”statementandhowthesentimentcontinuestopersistinthepoliticalarena. OnNovember42020,adayafterelectionday,JoeBidenofferedaseriesoftweetsaddressingthedelayedtallyingofvotesacrossthecountry,aswellasmakingcallsforunityamonghissupporters. “Tomakeprogress,wehavetostoptreatingouropponentsasenemies.Wearenotenemies,”Bidensaidinoneofthetweets. Tomakeprogress,wehavetostoptreatingouropponentsasenemies.Wearenotenemies. —JoeBiden(@JoeBiden)November4,2020 Thesentimentcarriedwithitagraceinthefaceofstaunchlyignorantoppositionofconservativeandright-leaningfiguresandaveragepeoplealikebelievingin—andprojecting—thenotionthatthisyear’selectionwasstolenfromDonaldTrumpand,byextension,them.ButitalsoservedasareminderoftheDemocraticparty’sapproachtotheRepublicanpartyanditssupportersthroughoutthesefouryears:toberespectableandnotresorttothehurtful,mean-spiritedtrollingtacticsoftheiropponents.Or,asMichelleObamasuccinctlysaid:“Whentheygolow,wegohigh.” Michellefirstutteredthesewordsduringherspeechatthe2016DemocraticNationalConventioninPhiladelphia.ShewasaddressingtheharshcondemnationBarackObamaandhisfamilyfacedwhileintheexecutiveoffice,andhowsheexplainedthevitrioltotheirchildren,MaliaandSashaObama. “ThatiswhatBarackandIthinkabouteverydayaswetrytoguideandprotectourgirlsthroughthechallengesofthisunusuallifeinthespotlight,”Michellesaidatthetime.“Howweurgethemtoignorethosewhoquestiontheirfather’scitizenshiporfaith.HowweinsistthatthehatefullanguagethattheyhearfrompublicfiguresonTVdoesnotrepresentthetruespiritofthiscountry.Howweexplainthatwhensomeoneiscrueloractslikeabully,youdon’tstooptotheirlevel.” “No,ourmottois,whentheygolow,wegohigh,”sheadded. Themottowashighlightedincountlessnewsheadlines,foreshadowingitsriseasaslogan.ButitalsoforeshadowedthewayinwhichMichelleandBarackwouldaddresstheiropponentsthroughouttheforthcomingfouryears,makingsubtleremarkstoTrump’sdivisivenessandineffectivenessasthecountry’sleaderwithouteverexplicitlymentioninghim. TwomonthspriortoMichelle’sDNCappearance,BarackappearedatRutgersUniversity’s250th-anniversarycommencement,whereheusedhisaddresstodirectcriticismsatTrumpwithoutnaminghim.Duringhisspeech,healludedtoTrump’sxenophobiaagainstundocumentedcitizenstryingtoentertheUnitedStatesfromMexico(“Theworldismoreinterconnectedthaneverbefore,andit’sbecomingmoreconnectedeveryday.Buildingwallswon’tchangethat”)andMuslims(“IsolatingordisparagingMuslims,suggestingthattheyshouldbetreateddifferentlywhenitcomestoenteringthiscountry,thatisnotjustabetrayalofourvalues”),andhislackofexperienceasapolitician(“Ifwegetonaplane,wesaywereallywantapilottobeabletopilottheplane.Andyet,inourpubliclives,wecertainlythink,‘Idon’twantsomebodywho’sdoneitbefore'”).ThesnideswipesembodyedthepresidentialcoolthathadbecomeassociatedwithBaracksincethebeginningofhispresidency. Bythispoint,BarackObamawould’vebeenjustifiedinabandoningthatcivilcoolagainstTrump.From2011to2016,TrumphadstokedthebirtherconspiracytheoryagainstformerpresidentObama,thefalseclaimfurtheramplifyingtheracismheenduredthroughouthispresidency.OnSeptember16,2016,TrumpfinallyadmittedObamawasbornintheUnitedStates,eventhoughhehadrefusedtosaysuchadaybeforeduringaninterviewwiththeWashingtonPost. Obama’scollectedmeasurednessinthefaceofsuchignorancenotonlyfromTrumpbutotherRepublicanandconservativefiguresisunderstandable.AsAmerica’sfirstBlackpresident,Obamahadtonavigatehimselfinawaythatwouldn’talienatepeople—particularlywhitepeople—andmaintainrespectabilityatalltimessoastonotgiveanyonethechancetolabelhiman“AngryBlackMan.” “PartofObama’sgeniusisaremarkableabilitytosootheraceconsciousnessamongwhites.AnyBlackpersonwho’sworkedintheprofessionalworldiswellacquaintedwiththistrick.Butneverhasitbeenpracticedatsuchahighlevel,andneverhaveitslimitsbeensoobviouslyexposed,”Ta-NehisiCoateswroteofObamainhis2012essay,“FearofaBlackPresident.”“Thisneedtotalkindulcettones,toneverbeangryregardlessoftheoffense,bespeaksastrangeandcompromisedintegrationindeed,revealingacountrysoinfantilethatitcancountenancewhiteacceptanceofblacksonlywhentheymeetanAlRokerstandard.” Barack’scooldemeanorpairedwithMichelle’s“Whentheygolow,wegohigh”approachultimatelybecamethewaytheDemocraticpartydealtwithitsopponents.FormerdemocraticnomineeHillaryClintonemployedthesloganthroughouther2016presidentialcampaign,includingduringherfirsttwodebateswithTrump.However,followingherloss,themottobegantofacebacklashfromDemocraticfigureswhowantedtoreciprocatetheiretheiropponentsweredirectingatthemratherthanupholdingastandardofpoliticaldecency. “Theideaofnotgoingintothegutterwithyouropponentisalwaysagoodidea,”DavidAtkins,amemberoftheDemocraticNationalCommittee,toldtheNewRepublic,beforeadding:“Ithinkthewholeattitudeof‘whentheygolow,wegohigh’cameacrossinareallyprivilegedwaytoalotofpeople.” “Ifyou’regoingtotoutyourowndecency,youdon’tdoitinawaythatreinforcestheperceptionofbeingthepartyofout-of-touch,comfortable,college-educatedpeople…ThekeyforDemocratsgoingforwardistoretainthedecencyinherentinthatphrasebutstillmanagetocommunicatethatwefeeltheanger,”hesaid. Although2017andthe2018midtermsledtosomenotablewinsforDemocraticpoliticianswhoseemedtoembodyMichelle’ssentiment,itstillcontinuedtofacecriticismfromotherDemocraticfigures,mostnotablyObama’sformerAttorneyGeneralEricHolder. “Michelle[Obama]alwayssays,youknow,‘Whentheygolow,wegohigh.’No.Whentheygolow,wekickthem,”Holdersaidduringacampaigneventforthen-GeorgiagubernatorialcandidateStaceyAbramsinOctober2018.“That’swhatthisnewDemocraticPartyisabout.” Holderlaterclarifiedhiscomment,tweeting:“I’mobviouslynotadvocatingviolence…I’msayingRepublicansareunderminingourdemocracyandDemocratsneedtobetough,proudandstandupforthevalueswebelievein–theend.” Ok,stopthefakeoutrage.I’mobviouslynotadvocatingviolence.(Infact,whenIwasAGviolentcrimeintheUSwashistoricallylow.)I’msayingRepublicansareunderminingourdemocracyandDemocratsneedtobetough,proudandstandupforthevalueswebelievein–theend. —EricHolder(@EricHolder)October11,2018 MichellepushedbackagainstHolder’sremarks,saying:“Thinkabouthowyouwantyourkidstoberaised.Doyouwantthemafraidoftheirneighbors?Doyouwantthemangry?Doyouwantthemvengeful?” “Fearisnotapropermotivator.Hopewinsout,”sheadded. Laterthatyearshealsoexpandedonthemeaningbehindthemotto,tellingtheNewYorkTimes:“‘Goinghigh’doesn’tmeanyoudon’tfeelthehurt,oryou’renotentitledtoanemotion.Itmeansthatyourresponsehastoreflectthesolution.Itshouldn’tcomefromaplaceofangerorvengefulness.BarackandIhadtofigurethatout.Angermayfeelgoodinthemoment,butit’snotgoingtomovetheballforward.” Inthatsameinterviewshewasalsogivenahypotheticalsituationinwhichshewasaskedhowshewould“gohigh”againstsomeonecomplainingabouttheMeToomovement. “Iwouldn’tevenrespond.Isay:Let’sjustdothework.Ifyousaidthat,IknowI’mnotgoingtochangeyourmindinthemoment.You’djustfeelattacked.I’dhavetounderstandwhyyoufeelthatway.I’dhavetobeyourfriendandgetintoyourpainandhurt,yourfears.Andthattakestime,”shesaid.“That’stheworkthatneedstohappenaroundkitchentablesandinourcommunities.WhenIsay‘gohigh,’I’mnottryingtowintheargument.I’mtryingtofigureouthowtounderstandyouandhowIcanhelpyouunderstandme.” Thediplomaticresponseisadmirablebutflawednotjustinitspresumptiveness(it’sonlyeffectiveifthepersoncomplainingisevenreceptivetoconstructivediscourse)butindiscountingtheroleofproductiveangerasacatalystforchange.Aswe’vewitnessedthisyear,callstodefund—andultimatelyabolish—thepolicebecameapartofthemainstreamlexiconasaresultofangerthatwasn’tjusttheculminationofconstantpolicebrutalityagainstBlackpeopleinAmerica,butfrustrationwithhowthiscountrycontinuestomistreatitspeople,evenduringaworldwidepandemic.ThatBarackObamarecentlydiminisheditsimpacttoa“snappyslogan”andquestioneditseffectivenessdespitecitiesacrossthecountrynowtryingtoreducetheirpolicebudgets,servesasareminderofhiscentristandtactfulapproach,aswellasadisconnectfromthemoreleft-leaningfigureswho’vecometorepresentthecountry’smostdisenfranchisedliberals.MichellecontinuedtousehermottothisyearbuttheredidcomeaslightandnotablechangewithitinAugust.OnthefirstnightoftheDemocraticNationalConvention,sheamendedherslogan,sayingthat“goinghighmeansunlockingtheshacklesofliesandmistrustwiththeonlythingthatcantrulysetusfree:thecoldhardtruth,”beforeofferinghermostexplicitlydirectdenunciationofTrump. “DonaldTrumpisthewrongpresidentforourcountry.Hehashadmorethanenoughtimetoprovethathecandothejob,butheisclearlyinoverhishead.Hecannotmeetthismoment.Hesimplycannotbewhoweneedhimtobeforus.Itiswhatitis,”shesaid. Here,unlikepreviousmoments,therewasnoroomfor“Whentheygolow,wegohigh”tobemisunderstood.Michellewasstraightinwhoshewasdirectingherireto,presentingamomentwherehermottowasn’tanemptyplatitudebutsomethingthatactuallyarticulatedtheanger,disappointmentandexhaustionofhavingtodealwithafailedentrepreneurturnedineptpresidentforthepastfouryears. Theriseofmoreleft-leaningpoliticalfigureslikeBernieSanders,AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez,IlhanOmar,AyannaPressley,RashidaTlaib,andothershasgivenwaytoanewtoneandapproachtospeakingagainsttheirpoliticalopponents,whichhasgalvanizedlike-mindedpeoplethroughoutthecountry.AnembraceoftheproductiveangerfromthedisenfranchisedpeopleofthiscountryDemocraticandleft-leaningpoliticiansclaimtobeadvocatingforisasnecessarynowasit’severbeenbefore,thesentimentof“Whentheygolow,wegohigh”anidealthatthisnationneedstomoveonfrom. 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