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Notes -
Nope. But when used in reference to kids with the rhetoric being used then its intent is clear. And this isn't some secret. From Red State talking about a teacher assisting a child socially transition:
“This is the very definition of child predatory sexual grooming. Predators work to gain a victims’ trust by driving a wedge between them and their parents.”
Another article
"They want grooming and pedophilia to be something our society embraces.…"
And another:
"Yet you have people on the left side of the aisle who seem to have issues when Americans call out pedophiles or groomers. …"
They aren't talking about being groomed into a cult or a terrorist group. The language is very specific. Wedding together the concepts of grooming and pedophilia so the connotation is clear, when it is used on its own.
I also want to point out, this is a smart and useful thing to do. Its good strategy. Out in the world its exactly the type of rhetoric I would have suggested back in my days of political consultancy. From a pragmatic point of view the right should hit this hard. It's effective.
But here i think we should at least admit when our side uses things as a weapon. Doesn't mean we have to put the weapon down! But we try to discuss, not wage the culture war.
And just to be clear this is not a right only issue. Nazi is a weapon wielded by the left for people who are kind of on the right and "therefore" a Nazi. Its a rhetorical weapon. Fascist, similarly. Trump is not a Nazi or a fascist. He's not an existential threat. Those are weapons used against him. And..some people actually believe it. Just as some people on "your" side probably do believe its pedophilic grooming. But its still a weapon. And both can have collateral damage.
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