Q1: How do you feel about what's been happening with the Charlottesville protest and the aftermath of the event over the past few weeks?
Shalaya I think that they look extremely stupid because they're fighting for causes that aren't even real. They don't have a struggle that ANY person of color has experienced. It's also unsettling to see a lot of hatred resurface and show itself in such large numbers so fast. And we have a dear president to thank for all of it. He's the one who has sparked it. These protests make me so disappointed in the fact that I didn't think we had SO MUCH homophobia, xenophobia, prejudice, bigotry, and racism left in this country. It honestly makes me see America as a joke. Ashley My initial emotional reaction is disgust, fear, and embarrassment. As a straight, white, waspy woman, I regret sharing any commonality with them. As a human being, I am heartbroken that anyone could hold these beliefs. I am ashamed they feel so emboldened in their hatred and ignorance to march openly in the streets. They don't even bother hiding their face anymore. My secondary strategic response is that the benefit of them marching so openly without disguises is that we can learn their identities. Their transparency can lead us to where they’re meeting, how they're coordinating, and how they're recruiting. Then we can use this additional information to hopefully help solve the problem. Brooke I'm outraged and appalled that states have and still are approving permits for white supremacists and Nazis to gather. I'm not shocked at the violence that ensued, how useless the police were in Charlottesville, and that all these white men "militia" felt safe carrying guns to the protest. I'm also disappointed that it took the death of a white person for people to be this outspoken and angry about race relations in America. I'm disgusted that there are still white people trying to downplay or make excuses on what's going on. The protest in Boston reassures me that good people are still the majority but...not where it counts (in Senate & house). Evelyn Although they are terrible, I expected protests and marches like this after Trump won the presidency. The ‘far right’ believe they have a friend and supporter in the Trump administration—because of this, they believe they can gather without consequences. Having a permit does not give you the right to sprout hate on American soil and once the swastikas and the anti-Semitic rhetoric came out, it stopped being about statues and the “preservation of history.”. Q2: With that said, should everything, protesting included, be protected under free speech? If not, where should the line be drawn? Jocelyn My only concern on protesting in general is that we aren’t practicing our freedom of speech with love. Protesting is often seen as "negative" which is why police are always involved in breaking them up. Now I see those protesting peacefully growing tired, which is understandable because in life you practice your kindness and when it's taken for weakness, that is when you get fed up and turn to negative alternatives. People are tired of protesting and not getting anywhere with it. They want action and respect, yet patience is running thin. General protesting is also becoming dangerous to those that protest in peace. With that said, my condolences to the woman that died for protesting peacefully. However, it's a shame how a white woman’s death speaks more volumes. I truthfully see both sides of this situation but ultimately, I do feel for the protesters. They want to be heard but they cannot lose their peacefully delivery. Violence on violence only creates war. We need more love leaders. We need more people of color and love in the justice system. We need more spiritual activists. We need more genuine speakers that not only speak for black people, but speak for everyone that is against capitalism, racism, classism, and vileness. We need to grow of this box that the government created for us. Bill I don't dismiss anyone's right to freedom of speech. One of the core tenants of American politics is the right to free and peaceful assembly. Seeing Nazi flags and symbols being flown in America is terrifying and begins to infringe on the 'peaceful' aspect of protest. That's where I begin to have the problem. Calling for the extermination and removal of entire cultures/races/ethnicities' is a direct call for violence. I think the counter protests for example were well justified. For every group, there will always be opposition. Secondly, as a Jew in America I do admit that I feel disconnected from my religion. I was raised in a Jewish community and I was lucky to not deal with anti-Semitism at all. But now? I have been seriously considering how loud I say that I am Jewish and will be more careful around who I say it to. Directly because of the protests. Compare the woman's march to the alt right march. The women's march didn't kill anybody, the Charlottesville march had someone run over innocent bystanders with a car. Umar That's where the argument gets touchy because America is said to have freedom of speech which is awesome but even then, people don't even realize how controlled their actions are. That goes for all generations. Now drawing the line must be done by government, they've allowed too much leeway for a group such as the KKK. For instance, look at Germany, if anyone even saluted the way Nazis did as a joke, they would be arrested. They are disgusted with that portion of their history and made it clear that it will not be tolerated while still giving their people freedom. Here? We decide to let a hate group roam around with hate in their hearts that they will only pass on to their kids. Hate that is now causing uprisings. This group even if they do not practice the harsh physical acts that they used to, are still part of this country and for some reason we just won't get rid of them. Tymeer I do believe there is a line that should be drawn; when violence occurs. It’s not cool if someone wants to be a bold racist but they do have that right. It’s a strange trade off because violence is never the answer. When violence starts, our voices don’t matter and that’s the point we’re at as a country. Doug There should definitely be a line drawn. Like when I see a confederate flag being waved in the air as if it's a trophy, all I can feel is hate. It's predominantly white people who I see wave this flag and all of them have this hate and "issue" with anyone of color. I've never experienced racism personally but I can't imagine the pain someone could feel from it. As a Marine I don't see "color.” We are all equal, which as you can see isn't true, but I fight for this country because it's the country that I live in which has the people I love. But how am I supposed to fight for the people who don't like Latinos such as myself? And who don't like any other race because it's not up to par with them? That flag is an evil omen in my opinion and these protesters are hiding behind this flag as if it's a shield from anything that comes their way. Francis I don't think the government should arrest folks for being racist but that's kind of the extent of free speech's protections under our law. The issue with the "free speech" defense of the white nationalists is the opposing parties to their awful rhetoric are using their free speech too and just letting them know they don't respect those views nor want them around. Whenever physical violence does happen, it's not like no one doesn't expect anyone to go to jail for it. It's an accepted consequence of the actions, (whether you think the action is justified outside of a legal sense is another question). But shouting down white nationalist rhetoric is the same act under free speech. Just skipping the civil discourse stage history has shown to have pretty fraudulent progress in most cases.
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March 2017
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