On Saturday, a rally was planned in Charlottesville, Virginia. Racists from many different hate groups assembled shouting “jews will not replace us,” “white lives matter” and “blood and soil” while showing off guns, confederate flags, and swastikas. Counter-protesters showed up to resist White Supremacy and were later condemned for it by the President of the United States.
The way I see it, and the way most people should, it would’ve been a problem if counter protesters didn’t show up. It is our responsibility, for everyone that can, to stand up and fight back against racism and bigotry. We have to defend our country, our community and each other against those who threaten it. This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to be violent, but we have to be insistant.
Nine White Supremacist rallies are planned this weekend alone, and we have to be prepared to counter every one of them and show them that they are not welcome in our cities and in our country. Protests are already turning up, even in places like Durham, North Carolina, the same place where a confederate statue was toppled and eight people were charged in connection.
Tina Fey recently appeared on Saturday Night Live, devouring into a full sheet cake and advocating for people to “protest” by eating cake, instead of “participating in the screaming matches.” This begs the question, how do you protest by sitting at home and eating a full cake? And how does this stand up for the minorities targeted by these White Supremacists?
Fey encourages people upset, “don’t yell at the Klan, yell it at the cake.” She even goes as far as to tell people, “don’t show up.” This is one example of the way people are trying to enjoy themselves regardless of the extremity of the situation. San Francisco is even trying to counter the hate groups by dancing and wearing bright colors during “SF LovedUp Mobile Dance Counter-Rally,” which has sparked criticism for not taking this situation more serious. They do not plan to even confront the White Supremacist group and instead wear “amazing colorful fabulous best” and “groove to cheesy, party pop dance anthems.”
https://twitter.com/AndrayDomise/status/898410219545296896
These are all fun and creative ideas and all, but they simply aren’t effective. No Nazi is gonna feel unwelcome in San Francisco if all everyone is doing is dancing. My life and the lives of my family and friends are on the line, and I’m gonna fight as much as I can. Bigoted racists have no business coming out here and walking on our streets, terrorizing anyone they can. I’m going to resist them for myself, my country, my fellow Americans, Heather Heyer and everyone else White Supremacists have killed and hurt over the years. This is a problem that won’t disappear into your sheet cake.
