In the past months, I have been having great difficulty with a trend I have seen in my local political community, and the national community as well. Conservatives have been, in my humble opinion, too ready to align themselves with folks in the Alt-Right who have in turn associated themselves with white supremacists. I get the frustration that led to this, really I do. I too am disgusted when Antifa tears up our city, shuts down our freeways and makes our downtown unsafe for decent citizens to use. I have friends who own businesses who have to pay when their windows get broken by them or just lose business because once again our mayor has told our police to stand down and let “peaceful protests” turn into full blown riots. I get it. But I also get why the Mayor of Boston is asking people to stay away from the Common today if they want to counter-protest the Free Speech rally. I think he is acting in the best interests of his city and her citizens. When Antifa and Alt-Right contingents clash violence ensues, this really should not come as a shock after the scenes that have played themselves out here in the PNW or across the country. Both sides come at one another with intent to commit violence and anyone caught in the middle pays the price.

What we saw at Charlottesville was horrific, for so many reasons. For one I never thought I would see hundreds of white supremacists with tiki torches marching through streets anywhere in my country. That was enough to make my blood boil. Add to that the stupidity of the counter-protesters trying to fight violence with violence-something that never works-and it was mayhem. As Washington Post reporter Joe Heim reported from Charlottesville (emphasis added):

“The rally on Saturday was scheduled to go from noon to 5 p.m., but by 8 a.m., the park was already beginning to fill. Rallygoers arrived in contingents, waving nationalist banners and chanting slogans. Many carried shields and clubs. A large number also carried pistols or long guns.

Counterprotesters had also gathered early. Members of anti-fascist groups yelled at the rallygoers. Many of them also carried sticks and shields. They were joined by local residents, members of church groups, civil rights leaders and onlookers.”

Now before anyone thinks that I am defending either side-just stop. Both of these groups are opposites of the same sad coin. As those of us who know our history know-the Nazi’s were, in fact, Socialists who rose to power on a Socialist platform.  Antifa is recycling the anti-fascist movement that rose in post war Germany as a last ditch effort to forge an alliance between Communists and Social Democrats-they even stole their logo. As I have said to SO MANY people this week-the only thing the two groups do not agree on is racism.

Now, to the Free Speech rallies planned in Boston and San Franciso for today. I hope that the organizers of these rallies are in fact supportive of free speech in the traditional sense. That all groups have a right to air their grievances with our government as the founding fathers intended. Unfortunately what I have seen in the past year or so is that many of these rallies have featured Alt-Right figures like Based Stick Man who as a Conservative I do not find any common ground with. How it advances the Conservative cause or recruits anyone to it when people talk about how there is a “War on whites” is beyond me. I tend to share the views of Trey Gowdy on persuasion. His speech below is amazing. In fact, it has been referred to as the “Pin Drop” speech.

I would ask those who would like to persuade others to join the Conservative cause, to support freedom of speech as our founding fathers intended, to listen to Gowdy’s advice and internalize it. Let me be honest-it is HARD. In fact, at times it may feel like your head is going to implode, but in the end, I think that our cause is worth fighting and even suffering for. Practice persuasion every chance you get. Let the two sides of the disgusting coin of fascism and communism fight it out alone. As Americans and Conservatives, we have better things to do.