My blog is my safe space and I'm in no mood to argue with people on FB so if you wanted to know my thoughts on Charlottesville, well, here you go.
I don't need to recap in detail what happened in Charlottesville over the weekend. Everyone's already aware that a bunch of neo-Nazi white supremacist racist assholes protested in a "Unite the Right" gathering the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. But let's be clear. That wasn't what they were doing.
And we all know it.
What happened wasn't about a statue or uniting a political party. No. It was about attempting to instill fear and oppression into groups that are already institutionally marginalized in this country. And it could have worked too if more people were ambivalent and didn't give a shit. But, surprise, motherfuckers! We've progressed to the point that overt Nazism and racism will be met with loud, outspoken opposition. LOVE TRUMPS HATE. Because if it doesn't, if we stay silent, we're aiding and abetting.
I could spend time commenting on 45's lack of condemnation and vague words and how ineffective he is in every capacity and how his subtle and blatant anti-Semitism and racism and xenophobia have emboldened and empowered the white supremacists but I'm not going to do that. He gets too much attention as it is. Rather, what I'm going to say is this.
If you want to be a racist, FINE. If you want to be anti-Semitic, FINE. If you want to spend your weekends spreading messages of hate and invoking the first amendment so you can do so, FINE. I can't stop you. But do not FOR ONE MINUTE expect that your words will not be met with resistance and that we will not do so with the same protections you covet despite your and your White House ally's attempts to silence us.
Because we will not be silenced.
We speak loud and clear and far.
There is no room in this country for that kind of hate. There simply isn't.
And we're going to keep reminding you.
In the name of Heather and everyone else who stood up to you and your hate in Charlottesville. We owe it to her and them.
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[…] Charlottesville by Jana Says […]
Freedom of speech does NOT mean freedom from consequences.
Unfortunately, I must support their right to say whatever hateful things they want. Dammit. But yes, we will push back.
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Yes. All the yes.
That last full paragraph. SAY IT, JANA. I saw some idiot on twitter say “why did they have to go and counter-protest?” Um, victim-blaming, much? If you’re going to say something, you have to be secure enough in your convictions to defend it. Sorry the tiki-torchers can’t handle being told they’re wrong.
It took how long to get these scum bags to go underground with their white cloaks and hats. POS POTUS has been in office for less than 8 months and these cockroaches feel safe to crawl back out from their garbage heaps again.
Nope. Get over your hate or get out. My/our problem with their ideology is a LOT more powerful than their problem with melanin levels. And we’re going to make sure they know.
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All of this!!!! I like freedom of speech, and I do like that Canada also has strict enforcement of hate speech laws. I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. Because there’s a line, and when crossing it ends in deaths, there’s a serious problem.
Also, screw Nazis. How did this become okay?????
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I really respect you and Steph so much for being unashamed, unafraid and brave enough to address the issues head. I cant say that enough. Reading and seeing that utter crap on the news really had me reeling. The hate on those idiots faces … those photos … I really have no words.
When I first heard of what was going on in Charlottesville, I had to check the date. I was pretty sure this was 2017 not 1960. People absolutely disgust me.
YES! YES! YES! This is not the good ‘ol days where people cowed and ran from the KKK. No. We stand up and face them. We take their pictures and they go viral. 45 has most certainly emboldened them (which is beyond pale) but they are still a small group. A loud one but small. More importantly, we are even louder and SO MUCH BIGGER. The pictures sickened me of the white supremacists sickened me. But I was also so deeply proud of the protestors in Charlottesville who stood up and were a sea of every color.
I love this. There was that campaign going around a little while ago (coincidentally when Trump was elected) called Make Racists Afraid Again. They’ve been emboldened by this administration and their confidence in publicly declaring their shittiness needs to STOP. We can stop racism, sadly. But we can speak up, speak out, fight, resist and send them back into their little caves.
can’t* stop racism, I mean.
It’s so crazy that being in the hospital with my dad & doing so much, I totally knew nothing of this until this morning & just heard bits & pieces. Its wild to me the world can be falling apart & I had no clue….
& hearing it, I was just so sad… why is so much of the world loosing their God forsaken mind?!?!?!
Amen.
“In the name of Heather and everyone else who stood up to you and your hate in Charlottesville. We owe it to her and them.”
It is a common occurrence for me to wake up, turn off my alarm that is coming from my phone, and reading an update from a news site that has sent a notification for me (my) overnight. I was so heartbroken when I read that a person was killed by a car driven into a crowd of people. I started to read more and honestly, couldn’t believe these people still exist in society. Wait, that’s not true, because I believe it. I know they exist, but I just can’t wrap my brain around why they exist…why they believe what they believe and act the way they act.