Hey MAGA, a quick word…
I see you out here today, trying to claim Dolly Parton as your own, as if she were one of you, as if you and she were kindred spirits, as if your heart and hers were aligned.
Just stop it.
Dolly was far too kind to tell you this while she was alive, so I will: you and she had little in common. Oh sure, from a distance, it might seem that way, but get a little closer and dig a little deeper and the differences could not be greater…
Dolly loved people, all people.
Unlike you, she loved without qualifiers, catches, caveats, or conditions. Her love did not come with strings or theological hoops or political litmus tests. In Dolly’s no one had to stand outside or prove their worth or earn her decency.
Dolly loved America, real America.
She wasn’t about that flag-waving, Don’t Tread On Me, America First, Christian Nationalism, Send Them Back nonsense you continually peddle as patriotism. Her America was diverse, open-armed, inclusive, and kind; a place where everyone deserved to feel at home.
Dolly was a Christian, a Jesus Christian.
Her deep and abiding faith did not need to be loudly broadcast or worn as a costume. It did not seek to bend anyone to its will. It was not something she wielded like a hammer in forced compliance. Her faith simply and clearly showed up, in an unrestrained love for neighbor that reflected the open-handed, open-hearted compassion of Christ that you mock as toxic.
Dolly believed in family, every family.
A faithful, passionate supporter of the LGBTQ community, Dolly’s advocacy of family was not confined to some rigid, White Evangelical monument to straightness and whiteness. She understood something in the core of her being you never will: that love cannot be limited and will not be hemmed in.
Dolly Parton was not MAGA in any way; she was its beautiful counterpoint.
She was a vaccine-supporting, nature-preserving, book-loving, trans-defending gay icon, and nearly everything she stood for flies fully in the face of the cruel, sneering, exclusionary narcissism of your vile, bloviating, spray-tanned messiah and his hateful movement, which you so joyfully partner in.
Dolly Parton showed respect to every single human being who ever had the good fortune of being in her orbit, whether at arm’s length or from thousands of miles away.
She left everyone feeling seen and heard and loved and respected, regardless of orientation, pigmentation, nation of origin, or any other qualifier.
She never saw anyone as an enemy to be defeated, never attempted to gatekeep blessings or opportunity, never demanded that someone earn her decency, and never dehumanized a single soul.
Dolly was an American, a Christian, and a human, but using those words alone does not guarantee similarity or affinity. In the specificity of a life lived, that’s where patriotism, faith, and humanity reveal themselves. As they say, God is in the details.
Yes, you should aspire to emulate her and endeavor to replicate the generosity and unconditional love she so easily moved through this life with.
And you’re welcome to show her respect and gratitude; in fact, you should.
But please, don’t try to claim her as yours today, MAGA.
She simply wasn’t.
Note: By the way, Dolly loved you as much as she loved anyone, because that’s who she was. She respected you, believed you should be free to be exactly who you are, to believe that you believe, and to support who you support politically, but that doesn’t change the reality that your support of MAGA Republicans’ platform runs counter to so much of what Dolly stood for, cared about, and gave her money and time to.
