One year after the deadly Charlottesville, Va., rally, white supremacist Jason Kessler and his band of bigoted misfits unintentionally proved that online participation doesn’t necessarily translate into real-life interest or action.
‘Unite the Right’ 2 was quickly understood to be an abysmal failure. Less than 50 participants showed up in Washington, D.C., were vastly outnumbered by counterprotesters, and the event ended early due to rain. The vast majority of Americans chalk up this foundering as a positive turn of events in this particularly divisive and racially-charged climate.
Regardless of national, public embarrassment, imbecilic and downright hateful behavior will continue in varied corners of the political landscape. Both white nationalists, with their aggressive sermons of superiority, and the militant antifa, who primarily use physical violence to combat ideological opponents, are here to stay. As these minority factions soldier on, the rest of us must continue to denounce them when and if they make an appearance.
It’s far too easy for right-leaning individuals to view these extremist groups and conclude that because antifa is more physically violent that the “alt-right” is somehow more acceptable or just less dangerous. Such a deduction is exceedingly foolish.
[Related: CNN journalists criticize antifa protester for attacking NBC reporter at Charlottesville rally]
Make no mistake: racial supremacism is a poison that flies directly in the face of conservative beliefs, not to mention contradicts the very will and words of the creator. It is an ideology with a disastrous, murderous history. There is simply no room for it in a civilized society. The leaders of the “alt-right” like to maintain that they are not full-on racists. They insist they’re only interested in maintaining white heritage. These lies reek of panic. The existence of other cultures does not diminish yours. This is a truth that white nationalists are unable, or unwilling, to grasp.
As uncomfortable as it is, “the Right” must look inward at its own connection to those who claim this mantle of madness.
Within the crowds of MAGA-supporting Republicans exist those who identify as “alt-right”/white nationalist. Perhaps they were once politically homeless and felt called to the GOP because of then-candidate Trump’s stance on immigration and a border wall. Perhaps the tendency toward racial prejudice has always been there. Regardless of how or why, they found a home next to individuals who prize limited government, a reduction in entitlements, a strong national defense, and a desire to protect the unborn, among other things. However, their interest in racial domination made and continues to make them rejects.
The only way to rid the GOP of those who subscribe to this extremism is by calling it out, no matter how minuscule, and actively dismissing those who would like to join.
One might conclude that Sunday’s display of disinterest at Lafayette Park is proof that the “alt-right” and white nationalism are on the decline. If so, this development must be cheered on and the remaining members should feel pressured to give up the hateful rhetoric and involvement. In no way should Republicans who are serious about improvement act as if the alt-right either doesn’t exist or has not left a deep stain.
The acceptance of the very individuals who are the antithesis of a party we once knew is a direct result of the desire for victory at any cost. As Jonah Goldberg at National Review points out, that behavior is erosive.
“Cultures are shaped by incentives. The GOP has been grievously wounded and deformed by the refusal of conservatives, in and out of elective office, to lay down the correct incentives. By refusing to defend conservative dogma against ‘supposedly’ racist and nativist forces, our dogma is being erased like the battlements of a sand castle when the tide comes in.”
When it comes to the “alt-right” and white nationalism, it’s been said recently that we must not pay them any attention whatsoever. On the contrary, we should openly mock the incompetence of their organization and the hateful futility of their mission. Only by an active abandonment of the “alt-right” would the GOP even begin to repair the areas that were compromised in favor of a win.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a senior contributor at RedState.com.
