I appreciate what you’re saying, but to think you or anyone can completely disentangle emotions from rationality is ridiculous. I’m not claiming to have a monopoly on rationality, and I don’t have time to do research for you, but if you’d like to learn more about systemic oppression and how racism is the fabric of this country, Google can help. Your argument sounds like #notallmen or something. Yes, it’s not every, single Trump supporter, but that’s not the point. Trump and the Republicans want to perpetuate and expand upon policies that keep white people in an institutional place of power.
Does that mean suppressing free speech is the answer? No. But I think all white people need to take a good, hard look at ourselves and think about the implications of avidly defending a Nazi’s right to hate speech that is, among other terrible things, meant to incite racial violence. The counter protesters, violence aside, want to tear down systems of oppression. White supremacists want to keep them in place. I’d say it’s apples and oranges, and that’s not me being dishonest.
If you still think white supremacists and the people who fight against them are on equal footing, I don’t know what to say. The former are in a place of institutional power, hence the police’s relative restraint at the Charlottesville rally. I think the “free speech” argument here has to be seen through the lens of unequal power dynamics, but I don’t expect you and me to really change the other’s mind on this. I think we both know how this argument goes.
Seriously though, thanks for reading and taking the time to respond!
