The
white supremacist march, rally, and agenda is unconscionable. They
admit to being Nazis. They carry torches and the Nazi symbols and
plainly identify as Nazis, white supremacists. Each of us with good
conscience must call them out for what they are. We cannot deny their
right to free speech, but each of us with good conscience must raise
our voices against them. The white supremacists, radical right,
Nazis, alt-right, or called by any other name seek only to destroy
more of what is good about America.
Our
fathers, my father, fought in World War II to defeat Nazi Germany.
The Trump regime has invited the worst of the worst to come out of
the woodwork, to skitter out from the dark places where they used to
hide, and now openly spout their hatred. Do not doubt that their hate
is for America. Their hate is a threat to all of us with good
conscience. Their hate is damaging America. Trump asked for this when
he brought an edge of hate and violence into political discourse
during his campaign. Trump asked for this when he repeatedly failed
to disavow the white supremacists claims that they are doing Trump's
work.
Be
clear that the white supremacists, our modern day Nazis, are the
lunatic fringe of society. A fraction of 1% of white Americans
support the idea of a white only country. Most Americans, white,
black, Asian, and Hispanic support the idea that America is a melting
pot of people from different cultures who have come together to build
a country that is uniquely our own. Most Americans embrace the
diversity and are proud of our country and proud that America stands
for freedom and liberty for all.
The
purported reason for the clash between white supremacists and
mainstream America was the city of Charlottesville's decision to
remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the town's
park. The white supremacists were supposedly protesting the removal
of that statue. Their protest included torch carrying, Nazi
swastikas, and running over and killing an anti-racist protester.
Nineteen others were wounded. The right wing lunatic fringe likes to
pretend that they are not the violent oncs. Obviously not so. The
driver of the car rammed other cars that were then pushed into the
crowd. That driver, now in custody, and facing a murder charge,
backed up his car at a high speed and left the scene.
Black
people have reason to be upset that a symbol of slavery, Robert E.
Lee, stood in the town square. I wonder how white people would react
if say, a statue of Bobby Seale or Huey Newton were put in its place.
To
black people and all people of color - the lunatic white supremacist
fringe does not represent all white people. Not by a long shot. I am
a southern woman. I have lived in the south most of my life. I was
raised to know that the racist mind-set is the mind-set of poor white
trash.
To
white people, including white conservatives and republicans - we are
better than this. If you believe as I do that our current
administration has promoted this violence and this hate, speak up.
Speak in defense of others. Use your white privilege to help others
who were not born with that accidental privilege of the lily white.
Know that you have had advantages and have not had to deal with the
daily struggles that people of color encounter regularly.
And,
if you're still convinced that Black Lives Matter is an affront to
whites everywhere. Get over it. Black lives do matter, they have
always mattered. The historic and recent spate of law enforcement
killing unarmed black women and men is indefensible. It is undeniable
that black people and people of color are killed by law enforcement
much more frequently than whites. If you're law enforcement, and in a
position to make things better, do it now before its too late.
The
last thing America needs is an all out race war. Don't doubt that the
current regime wants a war one way or the other, so that he can swoop
in and be the only one to bring order. Police state, lock down,
genetic cleansing, mass deportations, what else? These are the events
that happened in Nazi Germany, and they happened because the good
Germans didn't stand up. Stand up - all with good conscience, stand
up before its too late.
