THUNDER BAY – The ugly head of hate, bigotry and racism was on full display in Charlottesville this weekend. From the depths of the horror that saw a neo-nazi drive his car into a crowd of people however came a lesson for America, and a lesson for cities across the world who are faced with hate.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared, “It is about politics in that political rhetoric in this country today is breeding bigotry. We need to call it out for what it is. For the white supremacists and neo-Nazis who came to our beautiful state yesterday, there is no place for you here.”
“We are stronger than you. There is no place for you here, there is no place for you in America”.
The violence that laid bare the terrible face of racism and hate resulted in the death of one woman, and injuries to 19 other people also saw two Virginia State Troopers die in a helicopter crash.
The initial reports in many media outlets called the groups responsible for the violence “White Nationalists”.
Those neo-Nazis, racists, and haters were rallying in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Civil War General Robert E. Lee.
Alex Fields Jr. allegedly drove his vehicle into a crowd of people protesting the racist groups who had come to Charlottesville.
Taking a solid, strong stand, with powerful words, the Governor of Virginia demonstrated exactly what any elected official should be doing, and saying.
Speaking at a press conference, the Governor explained that there needs to be a movement in America to bring people together.
Those are words that need to be spoken in Canada, in Ontario, and in Thunder Bay.
James Murray
