Last Saturday, the white supremacists came to town. While many in Charleston were participating in the YWCA’s annual race against racism, the group wore khaki pants and hats, some carried signs and others hung upside down American flags and another flag reminiscent of the original symbol for fascism marched from the Stonewall Jackson statue at the Capitol to downtown.
My point here is that white nationalism, neo-Nazis and fascism are all bad.
I’m not interested in spending time asking why the white supremacists came to Charleston. I’m not sure it says much about Charleston or West Virginia as a whole that they felt unthreatening marching downtown and along Kanawha Boulevard. Or to suggest that they chose this area because they think the people of the state are ripe for recruitment into their ranks. Of course, it’s uncomplicated to point to the inflammatory anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant rhetoric our state’s elected politicians and candidates spout in the statehouse and during our commercial breaks on television and say that’s a welcome sign.
But white supremacists march anywhere they think they can get attention, whether it’s Washington, DC, Nashville or Disney World. And this group that came seems especially interested in getting attention on social media, according to national media reports.
I’m more interested in what West Virginians do next. And how do we make sure that newborn West Virginians don’t become radicalized and join hate groups like the white supremacist movement? And that’s where the rhetoric and policy proposals of our political leaders come into play.
Republican gubernatorial candidates are outdoing each other in the race for the most right-wing positions, demonizing marginalized communities in the process. Oddly, the candidates seem to believe that transgender issues, especially those affecting youth, are what voters care about most, despite polls showing the opposite. Just this week, the The Washington Post reported why restricting LGBTQ rights has not been a promising issue for Republican legislatures across the country.
I guess no one told the campaign strategists.
The border is another bogeyman this year, and we know that when candidates talk about the border, they often try to stoke fear among people of color.
The candidates have also tried to define themselves as “Trump Republicans.” What does that mean? Does it mean that they agree with former President Trump, that Immigrants poison the blood of our country? Do you agree with his recent statement that the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville seven years ago was “a piece of cake”?
Republican candidates for governor, the representatives in the Statehouse, should utilize the fact that white nationalists marched in Charleston as an opportunity to re-examine whether they want to be associated with demagoguery and bigotry.
Unfortunately, I don’t expect any meaningful pushback from them or the organizations campaigning for their election. Frankly, I expect them to be quiet about the march altogether. If I’m wrong, it will be the routine “I don’t approve of the marchers’ views.” That’s no longer good enough. Will they commit to not passing any more laws that stop actively harming marginalized groups? Or will they Try DEI and critical race theory – frameworks that could aid us talk about why white supremacy is bad – again?
I think I know the answer.
