This is the future that liberals want. pic.twitter.com/QwterpqQbH
— /pol/ News Network (@polNewsNetwork1) March 1, 2017
The /pol/ section of 4Chan is their “politically incorrect” area, a phrase that likely elicits massive eye-rolls from our readers on its own, since it generally means “bigotry disguised as blunt honesty.” The truly amazing part is how many opponents of “political correctness” actually believe they’re simply being honest as opposed to revealing their own prejudices, demonstrated perfectly by this tweet from the “/pol/ News Network.”
Look at the image above. What do you see? Two people on public transportation, keeping to themselves? People choosing to express themselves however they please, not hurting anyone? Or do you see the dangerous downfall of our society!? /pol/ News Network clearly thought that third option was plainly obvious for anyone to see and that the image would brilliantly display how awful the future would be if liberals were allowed to keep standing up for people’s rights and whatnot. (The horror.)
Game set, liberals! Checkmate! Your dangerous agenda has been exposed! … Except there are just a few problems with that. First, this is the present, and we’re all relatively fine (outside of creeping fascism and so forth), and our fellow Twitter users took great joy in pointing that out:
This is the present. What liberals and progressives want is for these people to feel safe, respected, and empowered in the future. https://t.co/MvEX7AayBb
— Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 2, 2017
Baby that’s the world we liberals have now. The future is even more lit. https://t.co/bWIAIpOOUb
— Ijeoma Oluo (@IjeomaOluo) March 2, 2017
Yes. This is New York. It’s our *present*, and part of why this city has potential for greatness. https://t.co/cf3pjesC4k
— alex lazyrus anthony (@mornyngstar) March 2, 2017
This is the present. The future is this, but without someone taking your damn photo the whole time. https://t.co/mRZQS72lfs
— Huw Lemmey (@huwlemmey) March 2, 2017
How horrible this liberal hellscape is, where literally no one is being harmed by what’s going on in that picture! /pol/ News Network is very much correct that we’d all like a future like this, but where they’re wrong is in assuming that would be bad for anyone else. They’ve correctly identified our desired reality but failed to expose anything other than their own bigotry.
As awful as it is that there are people out there who think this is a bad thing, the swift, scathing response—from honestly not even seeing the insult to excellent snark—from more open-minded people provides some great, uplifting humor:
People expressing themselves however they like and use of public transit? Sign me up! https://t.co/nWZNGUT4XS
— Rebel Doge 🌹 (@CZGoldEdition) March 1, 2017
Yes, we want people to be able to live their damn lives peacefully without problems. Creepers taking photos wouldn’t understand that https://t.co/6MPfhUluTv
— 我叫神佳恩 #BLM (@Hipployta) March 2, 2017
Two people peacefully minding their own business being covertly photographed by fascist operatives?
Not exactly the future I had in mind https://t.co/fB4612Xcvv
— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 2, 2017
I can’t stop thinking about this. Yes, liberals want a future where anyone can ride the train without being fucking harassed, you dick. https://t.co/1UjHQu0PVu
— Jesse Berney (@jesseberney) March 2, 2017
The first time I saw this RTed I thought it was from a liberal explaining the situation https://t.co/zRHkXctnKr
— Jess Zimmerman (@j_zimms) March 2, 2017
two people from different walks of life minding their own business on a daily commute to wherever they have to go? horrifying. https://t.co/bXlTcv8eIq
— griffin (@thelordofgore) March 2, 2017
I unequivocally want a future where I have this kind of luxurious, spacious seating arrangement on the subway https://t.co/8fB17VNlRi
— Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) March 2, 2017
It took me a while to realize this was supposed to be an insult https://t.co/lBUGC50ZTU
— Erica Henderson (@EricaFails) March 1, 2017
(It’s also spawned a wonderful “this is the future liberals want” meme.)
The insinuation from those afraid of things like this is always that, somehow, people who aren’t interested in dressing/being a certain way will be forced to do so themselves if it becomes societally acceptable for others to do it. That’s nonsense. We just want everyone to be able to dress/be who they want, and those objecting to that are the ones forcing their way of being on others, not the other way around.
Also, remember: Things are generally “politically incorrect” because they’re objectionable, for good reason, and/or untrue; they’re not objectionable because they’re “politically incorrect.” It certainly is “politically incorrect” to judge the people in that photo—not because we just don’t want people to do it because we’re “liberals,” but because it’s a bad thing to do. Only hack comedians from the ’90s and bigots think “politically incorrect” is something to be proud of.
(image via Shutterstock/our edits)
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