“Unite the Right”
This is the current slogan of the extreme far right in America today. Beware any slogan Adolf Hitler would have liked.
Of course, a slogan like this is not the same as a program of ideas and policies. Most extreme right positions are never going to succeed in a country like ours that protects human rights.
Such right-wing jargon does not get far among people who cherish the Constitution and treasure our nation’s democratic institutions.
On the other hand, there are numerous examples of countries in the 20th century who lost their freedom to fascist dictatorship even though the people believed “it could never happen here.”
One should not become over-confident. We must never under-estimate a slogan for what it reveals about beliefs and intentions—sometimes the simple slogan is the most dangerous of all.
Obviously, this ultra-rightwing slogan is not based on an appeal to knowledge, philosophy, and science.
It is an appeal to the ignorant and prejudiced, the alienated youth and displaced worker, the blind ideologue and deranged fanatic all too eager to resort to violence.
Let us never forget we must bear witness to the senseless killing of an unarmed and innocent woman named Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia by a white supremacist.
The “extreme right” in this country includes racists, Nazis, and certain para-military groups.
There is a documented history of violence among these white supremacists. The history of violence perpetrated by fascists and the KKK is too well-known to be disputed here.
It is always through the perpetration of violent acts that the Extreme Right tries to bury democracy and replace it with an ultra-nationalist movement ending in a brutal dictatorship.
Whenever someone creates a rallying cry to try and unite these various hate groups, that surely threatens our society and its peaceful future!
We who are moderates, independents, liberals, and progressives, we understand we must stand guard: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance” as Thomas Jefferson wrote.
We have our own weaknesses. Most of us prefer to respond to softer slogans, like “love, not hate” or “peace, not war.”
We, too, can be caught up in the rhythm of a slogan and neglect the rigorous daily vigilance necessary to protect our liberties and keep them strong.
If we were to go through some of our values, the list might look something like this:
Democracy, not dictatorship
Equality, not inequality
Freedom, not oppression
Justice, not injustice
Truth, not falsehood
A dividing line between us and the Far Right would reveal still more substantial differences.
Average, hard-working Americans have far more reason, knowledge, compassion, love, morals and true patriotism on their side: of that there can be no doubt.
The other side, the Far Right, has far more money, power, privilege, ruthlessness, deceit, and hypocrisy on theirs.
They will resort to immoral, illegal, and violent acts when given half a chance.
One of our most successful strategies is to pour sunlight on the Far Right: who they are and what they represent. They don’t do quite so well when exposed to sunlight.
Since the ascendancy of Donald Trump to the presidency this struggle seems to be intensifying—sometimes quietly, sometimes sporadically, but now and again breaking out into the open with real confrontation and tragic consequences, as the death of Heather Heyer bears witness.
Do not take the slogan “Unite the Right” lightly. It is yet another attempt by the Extreme Far Right to undermine and overthrow America’s democratic principles and institutions.
We must stand guard and be prepared to speak out. We must be ready to act on our beliefs to protect ourselves and our country.
We must remember Jefferson’s adage “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance”.
It may soon become incumbent upon us to pay that price once more. Our country calls.
