I’ll readily admit that while considering myself left-of-center politically, I don’t like identity politics or woke stuff. As someone who writes about history, I like to view things more through the lens of class than that of race, though the two are often intertwined- and when they are, I will point it out. I don’t like writing off historical figures just because they were bad on race or ethnocentric, rather preferring to look deeper at their character’s in the context of time, circumstance and history. I concede most slaveholders were monsters but don’t write them all off- for example, Florida’s own Zephaniah Kingsley was a slave trader and slave holder I see as more enlightened and fundamentally different than others of that era. So we need nuance and perspective is my point.

As a result of this attitude I have tried to meet DeSantistans and MAGA GOPers part of the way and develop an understanding for their culture of grievance. It doesn’t mean I ever have agreed with them, but I have tried to be open-minded as every individual persons experiences are different. Who am I to judge why someone I do not know votes, for Trump or DeSantis has been my attitude. I’m a progressive because I care about economic and environmental issues and have tried to avoid the culture wars beyond the abortion issue which I view partially through an economic lens. I believe people all have their own values system and as long as they don’t impose theirs on me, I tolerate them.

Well this past month has opened my eyes as the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was being held in Australia and New Zealand. Many people who don’t follow women’s soccer do know the names Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan. But most of the other players aren’t well known and ply their crafts for low pay and quite frankly a love of sport and country. They are girls next door, what we’d love our daughters to be, women who have strove for excellence and incredible patriots who have represented this country so well through the years. They have been inspirations to us all – or at least should be.

But for the political right, the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) who prior to this tournament had won four of the eight World Cups held are “anti-American.” It started when Rapinoe, who is white (and LGBTQ+) started taking a knee for the national anthem in 2016 in support of Black Lives Matter. It intensified when the women rightly asked for equal pay to the men…something they not only deserved but I would argue based on my own reporting on the US Soccer Federation’s revenue generation from sponsorships, media rights and ticket sales at that point, they actually earned higher pay than the men outside of FIFA tournaments.

The USWNT won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019. Since winning that World Cup representing THIS NATION, political conservatives have made the the team a target in its culture wars. It started with Ben Shapiro during that World Cup but extended quickly to commentators and activists on the right and President Trump himself.

During the 2021 Summer Olympics the USWNT openly embraced BLM by taking a knee, though several prominent players (the ones standing) did not join in the protest.

When the US fell in the semifinals somewhat unexpectedly to Canada, conservatives cheered. They cheered Americans settling for a bronze medal instead of a gold. This should have triggered me at the time, but it didn’t. I figured, free speech and all that, though I did find it odd that Americans who claimed to be super patriotic were cheering against America. But I still chalked it up to being a moment in time and figured when the World Cup rolled around with your all together again, all whole.

Boy was I wrong…

The right-wing entertainment complex coverage of this World Cup was on a whole different level. Starting with Megyn Kelly attacking members of the team for not singing the national anthem and other right-wing commentators claiming no country wins anything when players don’t sing the national anthem (obviously they had missed Germany winning the men’s World Cup in 2014 with several foreign born players and others of different ethnicities who would just stand during the playing of the anthem).

The national anthem thing is bizarre- Europeans often point out to me how crazy and brazen they find the US’ open displays of nationalism at sporting events – in the case of the World Cup they play every anthem before matches like in US sports, but Europeans, often unaccustomed or simply uncomfortable with such a show, stand silently or muted during the anthems. Or others sing loudly, because unlike in the US this is their one chance to sing the anthem before a match. But this sort of context does not matter to the political right in the US.

Then as the tournament went on, the attacks got worse and worse. It became clear much of the right were actively rooting AGAINST the USWNT. When the USWNT got bounced in penalties by Sweden, the right cheered.

These were just the two of the 100’s of tweets or posts on other social networks from prominent conservatives celebrating an American defeat.

Ironically Sweden also kneeled in the past for BLM as evidenced by this photo from the USWNT-Sweden match in 2021 (photo from the AP).

In fact the Swedish side is probably more “woke” than the USWNT if you look at the outspoken politics of many on the team and the USWNT in 2019 was more “woke” than this version and in 2019 they won the World Cup.

But none of this matters to the conservative entertainment complex that made cheering AGAINST American success in order to “own the libs” in a domestic culture war context their priority in this tournament. They aren’t America First, they are America Last, unless it’s America on their terms which often means turning the clock back or fundamentally misreading the history of this country.

As someone who works in soccer, I must say this has somewhat radicalized me – I still want to find common ground where possible with the right BUT now I understand how despite claiming to be patriotic and into promoting this country, they are in fact doing the opposite- they want a warped sense of American exceptionalism on their terms emphasizing their own cultural preferences which quite frankly are antithetical to western values and the way the world works today. They want to turn the clock back and consider anything that doesn’t fit their personal preferences as “woke” or “Anti-American.”

So this is my Fugitive Slave Act moment…

With the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, part of a large set of compromises pushed by Henry Clay, northerners who weren’t particularly concerned about slavery one way or another before, resented becoming “slave catchers” being forced to rat out neighbors or associates who aided runaway slaves. That turned the north forever against slavery even before the Dred Scott decision made Civil War unavoidable.

The Fugitive Slave Act made ordinary northerners who just wanted to mind their own business into active supporters of Abolitionism.

Similarly, this Women’s World Cup made me, somebody who wanted to sit out of the culture wars (or actually work to find common ground with the other side) open my eyes to reality. I’m no longer going to be naïve nor feign ignorance as to the true intention of many on the right.

For those on the right who justify their stand claiming that the US women made sports “political” sports has always been political. I can remember the number of famous baseball, golf and football players that made campaign appearances with GOP candidates during my childhood and teen years. The same people who at the time we complain about Hollywood celebrities back, and Democrats often had vocal support from famous athletes. That wasn’t political?

There was no turning back after the Fugitive Slave Act for many northerners and for me now, their is no middle ground any longer -sadly being pushed into this position makes me angry, for trying to be open-minded, tolerant and being willing to listen ended up being all for not.

I don’t necessarily plan to be a vocal advocate on these issues, but do now know that sitting in the middle and trying to facilitate an intelligent and nuanced discussion which factors in both sides is a futile thing.

I’ve learned very plainly in the last month the right does not want to have that conversation and shame on me for thinking for years that they did and that somehow liberals were partly to blame for being “intolerant,” and not listening. Unlike many liberals and progressives who live in an echo chamber these days, I circulate among conservatives fairly regularly, so I have always try to keep the lines of communication open.

I learned in the last month they live in an even bigger echo chamber. I tried to talk to various conservative activists about the US team but learned they had made their minds up based on selective information which is almost entirely incomplete and out of context as well as misleading stereotypes and in some cases. outright bigotry.

Again, this is proved a learning experience for me, as despite being on the left I have always tried to keep an open mind and an open relationship with people on the right, particularly when it comes to social issues.