WeRateDogs Twitter combats Muslim ban with 'unconditional love'
The @dog_rates Twitter account is protesting Donald Trump's #MuslimBan with adorable photos (naturally) and messages of love.
It started innocently enough on Saturday, during widespread airport protests railing against the Trump administration's immigration ban -- which affects an outsized proportion of Muslims. The WeRateDogs account shared a photo of a cute pup protester wearing a sign that read: "I wag 4 refugees."
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When one follower stepped forward to question the account's politicized tweets, WeRateDogs responded with an amazing explanation. Yes, the novelty account is about dogs; but it's also, indirectly, about helping people to find their innate goodness.
WeRateDogs exists to grade puppers and doggos on a scale of cuteness. While all rated dogs are ostensibly measured on a scale from 1 to 10, the Twitter account frequently breaks its own rules to hand out 11s, 12s, and higher ... because dogs.
The account -- which was created by North Carolina college student Matt Nelson in 2015 -- has dealt with this line of questioning before. This exchange surfaced the day after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, during the Women's March on Washington.
That exchange was triggered by a WeRateDogs tweet from the previous day which provided advice to those looking for ways to cope with a Trump presidency.
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Even a brief browse through @dog_rates timeline reveals an account that frequently pushes back against toxic politics. Tweets frequently encourage those that don't agree with its positive message to "unfollow" while exhorting fans to "please keep loving."
WeRateDogs has pushed back against critics before, and Trump's rise has only highlighted Nelson's underlying message: the inherently inclusive notion that all dogs are good dogs.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
