Charlottesville Solidarity Vigil

On Sunday night (8/13/17) San Diego held a vigil for Heather Heyer, the victim of a white supremacist terror attack. Like many others I felt I needed to do *something* to show my support for her and for those that stood up against white nationalism. The vigil was attended by a couple hundred people of various backgrounds. There was a lot of comfort in seeing a community thousands of miles away from Charlottesville come together to express solidarity. There was singing, there was crying, and there was a lot of hugging. All these things are needed and are comforting

But.....

It isn't enough. If we are only coming together to mourn the loss of those fighting against Nazis and white nationalist, we will be doing a lot of mourning, a lot of singing. and a lot of hugging.

It is well past time that we (here I specifically mean white people) stop making our Black, Jewish, LGBTQ, Latinx, and Muslim friends be the front line against white nationalism. It is time to have uncomfortable conversations with your family and friends. It is time to call out those that propagate hate, it is time to recognize our complicity in allowing hate to prosper because it doesn't effect us.

I have often looked at images from the Selma march and wondered "if I was alive then where would I have stood?" Would I have stood with "law and order" or would I have stood with justice?

Would I have stood with the families of law enforcement as they watched their husbands/fathers beat the marchers? Would I have stood at home and ignored the whole thing, because it isn't about me?
I don't know where I would have stood then, but I know where I stand now.

Vigils are nice, but actions are better

Below are links to various groups that help fight against white nationalism (in varying ways)

SPLC

Redneck Revolt

Life After Hate