The politics of tears: Rashida Tlaib

 The politics of tears: Rashida Tlaib

There is a time and place for tears, but more often than not, what is required is strength and determination.

Some conservatives like seeing leftists sob.

After winning the 2020 election for Congress, Madison Cawthorn sent out the following tweet: "Cry more, lib." A "Liberal tears" mug or drinking glass is sold in some form in almost every conservative internet store. On the campaign road in 2020, Donald Trump Jr. and his father also had a catchphrase that garnered cheers: "Make liberals cry again."

All of this came to mind on Wednesday when US Representative Rashida Tlaib broke down in tears at a protest in Washington, D.C., demanding for a cease-fire in Gaza. The Michigan Democrat expressed her sadness about footage showing parents in the Middle East encouraging kids not to weep.

Tlaib, who was weeping herself, remarked, "They can cry, I can cry, we can all cry — if we're not crying something is wrong."

The majority of the reaction on social media to the incident centered on Tlaib's assertion that Israel was involved for the bombing of a hospital in Gaza, which both Israel and the White House have disputed. Tlaib is a member of the underground progressive caucus known as "The Squad."

However, she received a lot of flak for sobbing, and some readers even implied that her tears were fake. (The three-term congresswoman, a Palestinian immigrant's daughter, has before sobbed in front of others, most notably at a hearing on Capitol Hill.)

Whatever the response, the video is a candidate for the TikTok account "CryinginDC," which was started by a Senate staffer who lost her job and spent the next several months sobbing at different locations throughout the nation's capital.

The Washington Post explains that Kiara McGowan, the creator of the TikTok account, wants to "normalize" sobbing in public places. "I really believe that we should all practice it more. She said that it ought to be as commonplace as sneezing. Her most recent films promote the advantages of sobbing in an Uber's back seat and the vegetable section at Trader Joe's.

McGowan lost her job, and one may sympathize with her desire to mourn without wanting everyone else to cry more, particularly in public places. In fact, it ought to be a national priority for Americans to sneeze and weep less.

But hers is the kind of tragic tale that has allowed Republicans to use tears as a political tool, and on social media, conservatives often mock liberals who use TikTok to howl and shout about different subjects.

Although greater words may be the solution to poor communication, tears are not always the best course of action. Strongness and resolution, neither of which can be shown by excessive sobbing, are sometimes the best responses to unpleasant situations.

McGowan and other proponents of weeping point to studies that show crying is healthy and that holding back emotions may be detrimental. Although eating kale is healthy for us, doing it in public is not necessary.

Having said that, there are occasions when crying is acceptable, as well as our leaders. When discussing the children massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School at a press conference on gun reform, former president Barack Obama famously had to wipe his tears. Additionally, Politico has detailed instances in which Republican presidents have shed tears, such as when George H.W. Bush addressed the Southern Baptist Convention in 1999, Gerald Ford paid tribute to his wife at the Democratic National Convention in 2000, and George W. Bush took part in a Medal of Honor ceremony in 2007.

I'd contend that Tlaib's outpouring this week lacked the calm dignity that was there in those presidents' weeping.

Tlaib, however, can relate to Winston Churchill, who was dubbed a "cry baby" during World War II for crying so often. Churchill wept a lot, both in front of others and privately.

Churchill's last private secretary, Sir Anthony Montague Browne, reportedly once enumerated some of the things that made his boss cry in an essay titled "Winston Wept," which was posted on the website of the International Churchill Society. These ranged from heroic stories to the story of a fine dog trudging through the snow to find his owner.

And the article's title naturally brings to mind another incident of public crying that is described in Chapter 11, Verse 35, of the Gospel of John.

Therefore, those of us who automatically turn away when we see Tlaib or another individual sobbing in public must use caution while criticizing them. To avoid being judged, do not judge.

Also, maybe try not to cry so that you won't be criticized.

Or, to use the children's phrase, weep less, lib.