MAGA, No –– MAGer, Yes!

AROUND THE BLOCK

I learned today…

I learned today that a recent Around the Block post that included a piece about a San Francisco Bay Area restaurant refusing to serve diners wearing MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats, sparked some reader pushback.
https://tedblocksblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/around-block-i-learned-today-its-been.html

In the post, I said, “…denying service because you don’t agree with a patron’s political views, while perhaps not as odious as denying service due to a person’s sexual identity, is simply wrong.” 

The reader comment:

"When a hat carries a political endorsement for a candidate, that is one thing. Problem is, MAGA has come to symbolize a movement that fosters hate and fear mongering. So, while a hat with a swastika might have once been just an endorsement of the National Socialist administration in Germany, thereby fitting your definition of just another example of free speech, it certainly grew to be something much more sinister and worthy of banning.”

My response:

“I don’t believe MAGA has reached the level of the Nazi symbol nor Trump the horror of Hitler. As such, wearing the hat, in my opinion, represents free speech even though the MAGA hat has given Trumpsters permission to act the way they do; it represents a way for them to unleash their pent-up anger and frustration, their hatred of ‘the other,’ egged on by the most disreputable person to ever occupy the White House."

But the dialogue sparked a thought: Why shouldn't OUR CROWD start wearing MAGA hats since there's no doubt that America WAS great (worts and all) before Trump. But now, after 2+ years, America needs to repair and heal itself; it really does need to become great again. 

So, if America was great before Trump and we can make it great AGAIN if he's gone, I guess we can don MAGA hats. The problem is, who wants to wear those hats? It just doesn't feel right.

The solution? Have our own, completely new hats, hats that symbolize what we, as loyal, patriotic and proud Americans really want: an America that's great and can get greater. Hats that don't hark back but look forward. Hats with a slogan we can rally around: Make America Greater. 

MAGA, No – MAGer, Yes!