Last updated on October 21, 2019
I’m the Chair of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party in Michigan. We’re a liberal bubble where the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University are. Yesterday, following Donald Trump’s egregious “Both Sides” defense of fascists, we composed a press release and then reached out to our Republican counterparts in the Washtenaw County Republican Party asking them to join us in a joint statement.
Admittedly, we weren’t optimistic that they would respond. If you go to their website, they feature multiple photos of our booth at the recent Ann Arbor Art Fair, degrading our members and generally taking snide potshots at us.
There’s also this, THEIR booth at the Art Fair:
Still, enough Republicans are coming out against the white supremacists in Charlottesville and Resident Trump’s offensive “both sides” comments that we thought we’d give them a chance to do the right thing. So, I wrote up the press release, included their contact info and logo, and sent it off to them to add their own statement and to make suggested edits.
Our response: CRICKETS
Not even the courtesy of a “fuck you”.
So, today at noon, we sent out a revised version. Here it is:
Washtenaw County Democratic Party Condemns White Supremacist Violence in Charlottesville and President Trump's “Both Sides” Statements
Washtenaw County, Michigan – The Executive Board of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party (WCDP) condemns the violent actions of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia over the past weekend in the strongest possible terms. In addition, they vehemently reject President Donald Trump's statements that those who oppose Nazis, Ku Klux Klanners, and other white supremacists are equally to blame for the violence that killed protester Heather Heyer and injured many others.
“My grandfather fought Nazis in Germany in World War II and my mother was a civil rights activist,” said WCDP Chair Chris Savage. “It is now my generation's moral imperative to fight fascism in all forms today. President Trump's comparison of those who resist these groups to the groups themselves is offensive beyond measure. It is an insult to the brave men and women like my grandfather that an American president would give cover for the types of people they risked their lives to stop during WWII.”
“This is not a partisan issue; this is a moral issue,” Savage continued. “As Americans, we should all reject the rise of fascism in our country and the unacceptable violence and provocations from Nazis, Ku Klux Klanners, and other fascist groups. We urge our friends at the Washtenaw County Republican Party and all others to join us in our condemnation of this un-American rhetoric and violence against our fellow citizens. If there is one thing Democrats and Republicans alike should be able to come together on, it is this: Violent bigotry and racism have no place in the United States of America.”
They had their chance to take a stand against Nazis and Klanners and fascists and white supremacists and extremist murderers and they took a pass.
My grandfather is rolling over in his grave this week, this I can tell you. Bigly.
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