Charlotesville, 2017

Originally posted Sun, August 15, 2017.

Like most I am deeply troubled in the wake of the events in Charlottesville, NC last weekend, Fri, August 11, and Sat, August 12, 2017.

First, let’s be clear about something; The removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville was a red herring.  The “Unite the Right” groups (consisting of self-proclaimed White Nationalists, Neo-Nazis, KKK members et. al.) were not gathering to protest the removal of a statue.  They were there to make a stand for the “white race” (whatever that is).  

They were holding torches and chanting en mass “Jews will not replace us!”, “Blood and soil!” and “Whose streets? Our streets!”  They were there to proclaim their hatred for Jews, Africans, Hispanics and anyone else that they deem racially inferior. A brief viewing of the HBO VICE mini-doc should make that abundantly clear.  None of the the “Unight the Right” protesters were there in pursuit of peace.  Violence was their goal.  

Chris Cantwell, a self-proclaimed white nationalist leader was very clear on this point:  “We’re not non-violent, we’ll f***ing kill these people if we have to.” In fact, those in attendance were a virtual “who’s who” of the american white racist movement.  David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan was there, and quoted saying “We are going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. That’s what we believed in. That’s why we voted for Donald Trump.”

Does anything else need to be said?  We cannot stand for fascism in america.  How is it that in americans fought and died in WWII to defeat the Nazis and fascism, and it is defended in the mainstream today?  What sort of country are we becoming, and what needs to happen for us to wake up? 19 protesters were injured and one was killed in a senseless act of hatred and violence.  These are domestic terrorists, and they must be named and treated as such.