Begin in agreement, for example: What makes America special is our commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms for all.
Use values, for example: Freedom, liberty, justice, fundamental rights, fundamental fairness, basic rights, constitutional rights, personal privacy, equal opportunity, equal protection, fairness, stopping discrimination, and government intrusion.
Show how they benefit, for example: When other Americans lose their rights, you may be next. The only way to guarantee your own rights and freedoms is to protect everyone’s.
Civil rights ensure that all people are treated equally and protected under the law, regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic. Civil liberties guarantee that our Constitution protects fundamental human rights.
The individual circumstances that require protecting civil rights and liberties tend to be unpopular. It’s unpopular to defend the rights of criminals, and it’s often unpopular to defend minorities.
On the other hand, Americans favor the values behind civil rights and liberties. Freedom is the most popular political idea in America. But also very popular are equal protection, fundamental fairness, justice, and other foundational concepts that we learned as children.
Right now, Americans are losing their fundamental freedoms. Trump is criminalizing the right to protest. His Administration has arrested reporters doing their jobs. He penalizes individuals because of their race, religion, or national origin. In the states, the MAGA movement has been banning books, censoring teachers, and discriminating against people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. And, of course, they’re trying to overturn lawful elections and destroy democracy itself.
This is happening because Republican base voters have been deluged with lies, and now they believe them. On the issue of race, only about half of Republicans say Black, Latino, and/or Asian people experience discrimination, while about 90 percent of Democrats think so. In contrast, 55 percent of Republicans think that white people suffer discrimination, while only 21 percent of Democrats think so. In other words—incredibly—Republicans are more likely to say that white people face discrimination than Blacks, Latinos, or Asians face discrimination.
On religion, 70 percent of Republicans believe “religious chaplains providing support services in public schools should be allowed,” 60 percent of Republicans say “teachers leading a class in prayer should be allowed,” and almost 50 percent of them say “a mandatory period during school for private prayer and religious reading should be allowed.” 40 percent of Republicans favor “religious exemptions for childhood vaccines that are required for students to attend public schools.” While 86 percent say, “freedom of speech is important,” and 81 percent think “freedom of religion is important,” only 55 percent of Republicans think “the separation of church and state is important.”
Freedom is our strongest argument:
Say… What makes America special is freedom. Our country was founded on it. Americans fought and died for it. The only way for you to protect your own freedom is to protect everyone’s. If someone else’s favorite book can be banned, so can yours. If someone else’s peaceful protest can be shut down, so can yours. That’s why we must [explain your issue]…
This softer opportunity-based argument may work better with some audiences:
Say… This is about fundamental fairness. It’s about everyday Americans who want the same chance as everyone else to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, be safe in their communities, and take care of the ones they love. That’s why we must…
In talking about rights, don’t make it sound like you’re giving any group special benefits.
Don’t say… Granting rights or special benefits
Say… Freedom, following the Constitution, fairness, equal opportunity, due process
Use inclusive language that applies to everyone. Here is a narrative that flips the far-right narrative on its head:
Say… We all work hard for our families, no matter where we come from or what color we are. Many of us are struggling to make ends meet. Now, some politicians want to blame immigrants and people of color when it’s the rich and powerful who control our corrupt economic system. We need to join together—all of us—to fight for our future. That’s how we won better wages, safer workplaces, and rights for everyone. That’s how we can elect new leaders who work for all of us, not just the wealthy few.
This isn’t going to change MAGA minds. But it can move persuadable Americans who already have some understanding that they’re being manipulated by racially charged language or policies. Perhaps more importantly, it energizes people in the progressive base who are organizing to hold elected officials accountable and to create a better country.