Mr. President,
Thank you for giving me a name today.
I wasn’t quite sure until now, but you helped me find myself.
“Alt-Left.”
That’s what you said.
That’s what you called me, what you called us.
Apparently of the two supposedly equally hateful sides in all this—I belong to that one.
Opposite us in Charlottesville this week (on the other side), I saw men with torches and handguns, men screaming “blood and soil”, men intimidating clergy, men beating people with pipes, men screaming anti-Semitic slurs, men so fueled with rage for strangers, that one of them plowed his car into a crowd of them.
Heather Heyer was in that crowd, Mr. President.
Heather Heyer died there in the street.
That was her name, since you couldn’t be bothered to learn it.
She was 32 years old.
Heather was apparently on this side.
She was among the Alt-Left you condemned today.
She was one of us; the supposedly equally hateful ones, the alleged partners in this carnage, those you claim to be equivalently culpable for the bloodshed.
She was to blame.
Heather marched on behalf of people she didn’t know, but valued greatly.
She spoke for people who are so often silenced by people like you.
She stood for those who are pushed to the margins of this life by people like you.
She declared the worth of all people, regardless of the color of their skin or their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs.
She lived this way; open-hearted, generously, sacrificially, humbly.
She died proclaiming that another life was as precious as her own; that every human being is intrinsically valuable, that every person is worth dying for.
And if that is the Alt-Left, Mr President—you can count me in.
That’s the side I choose. That’s the side I will live and gladly die with.
I want to be on Heather Heyer’s side.
I want to be on the side of equality.
I want to be on the side of justice.
I want to be on the side of compassion.
I want to be on the side of decency.
I want to be on the side of love.
I want to be on the side that stands opposite men with torches and contorted faces and taunts and pipes, and weaponized vehicles targeted at strangers.
I want to be on the side that stands opposite those screaming “blood and soil”; those consumed with rage for people because of their pigmentation or their God or the person they love.
I want to be on the side that stands opposite the preachers spewing venom and damnation upon those who are working to make this country as diverse as Heaven is supposed to look.
I want to be on the side that stands opposite those who believe their bloodline or their place of birth makes them superior to anyone.
I want to be on the side that stands opposite racists and Nazis and radicalized Christian terrorists.
And I want to be on the side opposite you, Mr President, because you’ve made it clear where you stand.
You’ve made it clear your allegiance.
You laid it out in black and white.
You shown us all which side you’re on.
You are on the side of the men with torches and contorted faces and taunts and pipes, and weaponized vehicles targeted at strangers—and I find that unacceptable.
You are not worthy of this country, you aren’t worthy of leading our people, you aren’t worthy of the beautiful lives you endanger with every second of your hateful, fraudulent, toxic tenure. And most of all you aren’t worth the grief hateful people emboldened by you produce here.
And so yes, thank you for crystallizing it for me today; for all of us.
Thank you for aligning people of every race and religion, every age and orientation, every native tongue and place of birth; the millions who will not stand by you or with you—but against you.
Thank you for showing me where I want to be in all this.
Thank you for choosing the sides for me.
Yes, I am the Alt-Left, Mr. President.
If those opposing Fascism, bigotry, discrimination, and dehumanization are Alt-Left, then I will be that too.
And I’m in good, loud, determined company.
(Note: In reality, the “Alt-Left” does not exist. It’s a bit of fake news generated by the President to avoid his responsibility to call out racism, White Supremacy, and domestic terrorism from the very real Alt-Right. What Trump has done by creating the term, is allow all of us who oppose bigotry and hatred, to realize our solidarity and oneness, and to realize that we all stand in unison against this extremism.)
“Black Farmer Gets Real in Viral Post About the Type of Subtle Racism He Fears Most”
“It’s easy to identify racism in fringe conservative figures like white nationalist Richard Spencer.
“But protests condemning such flagrant racists often overlook the systemic prejudices and injustices that exist in everyday life, which one black farmer in Virginia honestly addressed in a viral Facebook post last week.
“Chris Newman’s Facebook post called out the counter-protests that were organized after Spencer led a march of torch-bearing white nationalists on May 14. Spencer’s group was protesting the planned removal of a Confederate monument.
“While the optics and sentiment of the demonstration were disturbing, Newman said he felt “far less bothered by the flag wavers in this picture than this town’s progressives assuming its race problem has nothing to do with them.”
More may be read here and shoud be read by anyone who thinks that even though they are white, they are not part of the systemic racism and white privilege that infests all of the USA.
https://www.attn.com/stories/17287/farmers-post-about-racism-going-viral?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=direct-share&utm_campaign=shares
”I know some folks are really feeling themselves about this whole Love Trumps Hate counter-rally to Richard Spencer’s punch-worthy shenanigans in Lee Park. I’d like to appreciate it, but frankly I just don’t.”
I find myself a tad irritated with Mr. Newman. I’ve very much appreciated seeing more ordinary people stepping into the streets to oppose racism and bigotry. One should not underestimate or dismiss the power in numbers alone, coming out against ism’s, period.
I wonder if Mr. Newnam realizes that he is not the only group of people racists target for intimidation and worse. Does he think the suffering of his people and his ancestors negates the suffering of other groups at the hands of bigots? Are we measuring suffering by the kinds of abuses, physical measured against emotional? Are they not both just as damaging to an individual and to an entire group?
Is he concerned with other groups who are marginalized, vilified and discriminated against, who don’t feel safe to be who they are either? Is he asking the same question of himself and his small town? Some how he doesn’t appreciate those that are out there. Does he not understand that for decades there have been small groups of people making a difference all over this country on race etc, and if it were not for them, the streets wouldn’t be filled with people he says he doesn’t appreciate.
Humans will always find justifications for their bigotry, homophobia, sexism, and other ism’s, much of it justified by our bible. A book, which in the hands of too many believers has done more to divide us than bring us together. And continues to pit one against the other, and is still passed down from one generation to the next.
That is a bigger problem than thugs marching in the street with tiki torches, because the bible doesn’t evolve, and too often those that follow it, don’t evolve either.
So Mr. Newman, in 2017 you aren’t special, nor am I as a woman, and lesbian and dare I say feminist who believes equality should exist between men and woman. I am equally despised by many overt racists in our country and maybe more so by self righteous religious people. I retired to a small town and am more isolated than I ever was in a larger town, but in being here my influence has changed some small minds, and that’s worth something in a town with a church on every corner.
I used to have a christian, black, gay, feminist, female friend? She could tell you what it is like to be looked down upon by blacks in her own community and discriminated against or seen as ‘less than’ by her own people in her own church, which she eventually just walked away from. She can tell you how not special she is either, even among blacks.
We also won’t change a thing if blacks themselves, who adopted the white man’s bible based bigotry, turn around and target other groups for similar treatment. No one can escape the ugliness of ism’s especially when it’s driven by religious belief systems.
Even if you can’t appreciate ‘progressives’ and others coming out into the street to oppose racism and homophobic attitudes, I certainly can appreciate it even if my small town won’t change over night.
One person caring makes up for 10 people not caring in my book, even if I would prefer the entire country grew past their ignorance and antiquated belief systems.
It took thousands of year to adopt these ugly attitudes and it will take thousands more to evolve past them, maybe longer if we don’t stop teaching bigotry from the pulpit.
Oh and privilege won’t insult us from the consequences of growing and festering divisions, as larger numbers of people evolve beyond ism’s.
It would be a good time for social conservative Christians both black and white, to take a long hard look at the beliefs that helped bring us all here.
Mr. Newton, both black and whites need to deal with the shared bigotry we have adopted from the bible and inflicted on others.
Hard core bigots rarely change, many may sit on the fence looking for a place to land, if we don’t bother to show up, who do you think they will follow?
Mr. Newton, it just might be helpful to you and your family to appreciate what ever effort is out there. Even in small towns we have cell phones and cable tv. Efforts are seen everywhere, so please do not underestimate the power of marches in favor of a better world.
I won’t live to see a world with out bigotry but I hope that young people in the future experience it for me.
Correction: Oh and privilege won’t insult us from the consequences of growing and festering divisions, as larger numbers of people evolve beyond ism’s.
That was supposed to be insulate, not insult……
“So Mr. Newman, in 2017 you aren’t special, nor am I as a woman, and lesbian and dare I say feminist who believes equality should exist between men and woman. I am equally despised by many overt racists in our country and maybe more so by self righteous religious people.”
Feel better?
That kind of self-righteous lecture serves no purpose. It merely alienates us from one another; we are all targets of the alt-right and we all get it equally. As you said.
Hurtful remarks are only going to keep us pushed down. For God’s sake quit being so defensive and confrontational.
jaime richards wrote, “I find myself a tad irritated with Mr. Newman.”
Thank you for reading this article and engaging with it. Clearly, it provoked thought. I am glad.
It strikes me that it is utterly useless to address remarks to Mr. Newman here or question his motives. No one here can speak for him or represent him. Talking behind a person’s back accomplishes nothing but the additional misunderstandings.
Within the article, there is a link to his original post on Facebook. I suggest you take your comments to Mr. Newman directly and engage him in constructive conversation.
I gave what was a thoughtful and honest response to your post, Gloriamarie, and it wasn’t accepted. I would be good to know if my responses aren’t welcome here, so that I don’t waste my time. I’m not a trouble maker or a troll and won’t stay where I am not welcome.
If a critical view of religion is not welcome I would appreciate knowing that as well. I generally take my time to write a post, and rarely respond to blogs across the internet because they seem to want posts that only agree with a party line so to speak.
I had thought this blog was different because while John is a practicing christian he is quite open and critical of both the religion and it’s followers. If I am wrong to think this please correct me so I can make better use of my time elsewhere. If this response is also removed, I will take the hint and unsubscribe and be on my way.
J Richards
Jaime Richards, I do not understand what happened to your post. I would imagine it was some sort of unintentional glitch. Many different views are posted here and yours reflect mostly the consensus here. Not everyone becomes hysterical when greeted with a real or imagined opposing view.
Lately only creepers who want to post vile and disgusting words have been banned because they offer nothing which is as it should be.
I hope you will continue to post. How do we learn if we close our ears or our eyes?
Peace Jaime Richards
Jaime, your post was accepted. I have found that anything I post late in the day won’t go up until the next day. John reads each post before it is posted. He has a family and I would imagine that his family takes precedence at night over our personal schedules or thoughts.
jaime richards wrote, “I gave what was a thoughtful and honest response to your post, Gloriamarie, and it wasn’t accepted.”
I don’t understand you. Not accepted? What do you mean? John P posted it, how is that not accepting it?
I don’t know if my response to you has been published or not, but I thanked you for reading it.
As your comment were not directed to me but to Mr. Newman, I don’t feel able to respond and suggested you take your comments to the source. No one here could ever respond for Mr. Newman, so if you really want those issues addressed, take them where they can be.
And, no, I don’t personally welcome your expectations that I can discuss your views of Mr. Newman. It is between you and him.
Your comments remind me of a complaint I read on a local neighborhood site where a resident of 30 years complained to the group about newcomers to her street parking where her husband always parks his truck on the street. Aside from the fact that no one owns a parking place along the curb, it achieves nothing to complain to us about it. Many of us suggested that she speak to her neighbor directly.
Wow, my post actually did finally show up. This blog is haunted or I am losing my mind….
This is a huge mistake identifying with the Alt Left because they are anti Alt Right. This is the same battle with the same ideologies back in Hitler’s time. Both are left and both are socialist and both are anti-human. Would the world have been better off if the Alt left had defeated the Brown Shirts? Nope, they would have sided with the Soviets and how many people did the Soviets kill? Many Many More and most of it was not through war.
It is shallow to think the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Antifa is giving power to the Alt right. If nobody showed up at their rallies, they would fizzle out. The problem now is both sides are taking the Enemy of my enemy is my friend. We need to stand against both sides.
BTW, Obama never called out ‘Islamic terrorism’ by name or ‘black racism’ when that cockroach killed five cops