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When candy goes sour

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted an image of a bowl of Skittles —with 3 Skittles that would kill you —Monday night, comparing Syrian refugees with the candy in an effort to attack “the politically correct agenda.”

The Mars company considerately responded with this tweet, “Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don’t feel it’s an appropriate analogy. We will respectfully refrain from further commentary as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.”

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There are a few lessons to be learned in the wake of the social media storm that has been vigorously brewing today. For one, humanity —and tact —go a long way, be it in taking a stance on the refugee crisis or responding to a political figure using your product to advance their own agenda.

Two, Skittles are food, and well, refugees are not. They’re people.

But no one is denying that dichotomy. Many angrily rejected the parallel for its dehumanization, and rightfully so. However, Skittles and Syrian refugees remain two distinct entities, and there is no doubt in my mind that they cannot be easily conflated.

Of course, the gravity of the refugee issue should not be and is not reducible to hypothetically poisoned Skittles. Above all, painting refugees as killers (or rather, poisonous Skittles) perpetuates a twisted narrative centered upon the deleterious characterization of a refugee as a terrorist, not only diminishing their already low chances of resettlement but contributing to our growing xenophobia and Islamophobia overall.

The most important lesson to be learned, though, is predicated upon the vehicle for the metaphor itself. Skittles is a relatable, relatively universally understandable object, which in turn allows it to serve as an easily comprehensible metaphor, particularly for something that isn’t as easily or universally understood. In this case, Donald Trump Jr. chose the refugee crisis.

To clarify, I am neither endorsing Donald Trump nor endorsing such a comparison —far from it. I recognize the depravity and deplorability of this comparison. But I also recognize the value in taking a complex issue and trying to deconstruct it for the public at large. For instance, the refugee crisis is an undeniably complex issue, one that is not easy to understand, particularly in a time of vitriolic political rhetoric. Objectivity has become a nebulous concept as personal political motives —and arguably prejudices —have marred coverage of and conversation around the issue.

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Today’s politicians all too often externalize these motives without internalizing a fundamental lack of understanding among their constituents and the need to address that gap. They expect people to fall in line behind them and their views. And people do. Many, if not most, will do so blindly.

Of course, that’s the danger in simplifying issues into a single (one-sided) metaphor or image. However, there is a way to break down an issue, such as the resettlement of refugees, while still honoring its complexity. That way, politicians won’t engender blind followers, but will rather encourage educated citizens.

This is a lofty goal, one that is idealistic. But it is an approach that is not heeded enough by our leaders, particularly in this election. Somehow, they should strive to find points to talk with, not at, constituents, to relate with them.

Sarah Sakha is a Wilson School major from Scottsdale, Ariz. She can be reached at ssakha@princeton.edu.

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