Americans have made it perfectly clear that certain groups in this country that denigrate minorities, Jews and gays have no standing in our society. Moreover these groups and their repugnant vitriol suggesting superiority over others should be outlawed similar to other forms of speech that incite lawlessness.
Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to equate Neo-Nazis and supremacists to others who protest for equal rights, civil rights and injustice. He was dead wrong in his misguided off-the-wall diatribe in New York City yesterday. The stated purpose of the demonstration in Charlottesville was to preserve a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general. Retaining memories of the South when slavery was prevalent along with memorials of those who fought for the cause must end immediately.
The negative response to Trump’s inane perspectives regarding hate protestors and anti-protestors has the been nearly universal. Only David Duke, the former head of the Klu Klux Klan and his colleagues have thanked the president for his supportive words.
Democrats, Republicans, Congress people, corporate executives and even Fox News are bewildered by the rationale of Trump to defend the basest members of our society, people who applaud the efforts of Nazi Germany and indiscriminate lynchings that occurred not long ago in the South.
Up to now our country has defended the “right” of Americans to suggest that they are superior to others, and for them to proclaim that minorities are inferior. The basis of this protection has been free speech. But historically, certain types of “free speech” have not been protected, and for good reason. My essay on this blog yesterday lists the “unprotected” forms of speech in America (http://softballpolitics.com/2017/08/16/freedom-of-speech-perspectives).
The list must be expanded to include speech, protest and assemblies organized by hate groups. We cannot allow these incendiary individuals to spew their disgusting perspectives and incite violence. Nor can we depend upon the authorities to censor these activities as supremacists hide behind the skirt of the Constitution.
Such a move would be a large undertaking, but the support it has, based upon the past few days, should enable the country to ban hate activities by amending the Constitution. Hate activities should be classified as a form of domestic terrorism.
No longer will municipalities and judges need to accommodate these hate mongers. And no longer will the American people need to stand aside and watch as supremacists denigrate our values.