Nazi’s are bad. After recent events in Charlottesville this is something that needs to be reiterated. This isn’t a political attack against the right, this is a statement of fact supported by history. There was an entire war to resist Germany’s Nazi movement. According to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans 416,000 American soldiers died. These Americans did not give their lives to see these same hateful ideals impregnate the American consciousness.
The very ideals of Nazism and white supremacy go against everything laid out by our forefathers. The Declaration of Independence states that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” All men and women are created equal, and while the United States has a less than glamorous record of living up to these “unalienable rights,” one thing we will not do is revert to times where less people were in full control of their rights. We have seen great progress in this country and while there is still more work to be done, we will resist any effort to regress.
This country is at its best when we stand united as 40,000 counter-protesters did in Boston. A sea of people of mixed races, genders, wealth and ideals, stood against an intolerant and radicalized faction of society. The current political climate has created a nation devoid of unity, yet hope flickers when communities come together and put aside their differences to stand arm-in-arm united. You don’t have to love thy neighbor, but you should get to know them. When we are able to create an understanding and connected community we can fight against injustices as a single, powerful voice. We saw this type of organizing at local and national women’s marches in February. There are things you can do every day at Humboldt State and in the surrounding community. Let your voice be heard at local city council meetings. Enter into discussions with your fellow students and community members. Join clubs. Create a better and more united atmosphere within the our community. If we can unite the campus so that we have all the diverse groups on campus standing together, we can become a more positive force for change.
