I tend stay away from politics in my writing and commentary. These kinds of discussions can lead to anger, bitterness and divisiveness, but sometimes we just have to stand up and be counted.
I read an interesting article in the San Diego Union Tribune this morning about all the Joint Chiefs of Staff speaking out against racism, white nationalism and neo-Nazis. A particular quote that caught my attention came from Charles Schmidt, the national commander of the American Legion. He wrote:
“Americans fought fascism and crushed the Nazis in World War II, and anyone who waves a Nazi flag on our soil is, by very definition, anti-American. The disgusting displays of hatred and bigotry on display in Charlottesville dishonor all veterans who fought and died to stamp out fascism.”
I believe in free speech, but there is a limit to what I am willing to tolerate. And Nazi-ism is intolerable. Those people and the intolerance and bigotry that they spread is absolutely anti-American and against the principles that this country was founded on.
Leonard Finkel