No more fence sitting

Protest is a sign of a healthy democracy. However, protest does not mean you should be able to intimidate by carrying a gun. It does not mean you should be able to intimidate by wearing military uniforms, or by waving flags reminiscent of Nazi Germany. Using slogans about blood and soil is not American. It’s fascism. Too many Americans died to stop this pernicious evil in World War II.

Those who care about the Republic, this American experiment, need to hold all our leaders in government, business and religion accountable. Silence is support of these immoral actions. Lots of calls and letters to our leaders are needed. If our leaders do not unequivocally condemn this hate, they need to be publicly shamed, voted out of office, boycotted, shunned.

We are at a crossroads. We either travel down the evil that was Nazi Germany or we say no. There is no more silence, no more sitting on the fence, no more benefit of the doubt, no more equal time.

The actions of Unite the Right Americans are an abomination to the moral arc of justice, to what the Founding Fathers hoped for and to what the Statue of Liberty represents. Now is the time to say “No more.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 7:32 PM with the headline "No more fence sitting."