What happened in Charlottesville this past weekend was more about racist fascism than an alienated white “under class.”  To say such is a smack in the face to the millions of working class whites who struggle side by side with their black and brown counterparts everyday.  They raise each other’s children, share each other’s health costs, weep at each other’s weddings and funerals, all in the fight to survive in capitalism’s cruel game of manufactured competition.

Many of the racists who came to Charlottesville drove in on SUVs from other states wearing Louis Vuitton sunglasses.  They are weak kneed reactionaries emboldened by tiki torches and idiotic speeches by rockstar bigots like Milo Yiannopolis, afraid of losing the ill gotten privilege they enjoy thanks to their skin hue, sexual orientation, gender and religion.  It is true many are saying class warfare had something to do with this and they would be right; but equating the millions of the working class with this kind of raw racism and social hatred is inaccurate and beyond insulting.  And they deserve better than that.
As for the fascism that was on display in that small, college town in Virginia there can be only one answer.  There is no compromise to be made with fascism.  No common ground can be found.  No bridge built.  No excuse made.  For fascism is at its core an ideology of death.  And if it is allowed to flourish, if it is permitted to prevail, it will most assuredly spell out a chapter of misery that will end with our epitaph.  The only answer is a resounding NO!

Kenn Orphan  2017

Dedicated to the courage and memory of Heather Heyer who paid the ultimate price for standing up against racism, social hatred and fascism.  May she rest in peace.