Since the 2016 election, it seems that an already divided nation has only become more polarized. Citizens expected to see protests from both Democrats and Republicans, but one (unexpected) group that decided to show up to the table is the Alt-Right.
The Alt-Right is a male-dominated group that takes mainstream conservatism past its limits and turns it into white nationalism. This ideology has been around since pre-biblical times, but only arrived here in the 1600’s, with the first importation of slaves to the colony of Jamestown. In the mid-1800’s the abolition movement arose to fight off white nationalism, and it reigned supreme. As a result, so came the diminishment of the vile movement.
Although racism stayed prevalent, it was never to the extent of the white nationalist sentiment The United States felt in the 1800s. (This is all discounting the Klu Klux Klan because that is/was an issue in the South and not the entire nation.) However, in November of 2008 we felt the rise of this movement once again, but under a new name: The Alt-Right.
Some questions you should ask yourself now are: Why is this group such an issue for America? Why does it even matter?
Well, some of the beliefs of the Alt-Right are: preserving and protecting the rights of white men, rights for some (white men), women and all other races are below white men.
These ideals are cancerous, to say the least, for the nation because they promote hatred and fear throughout the country. It is especially dangerous because the man that we now have in office has not outwardly condemned the group, and yet slowly but surely pushes exactly the Alt-Right’s agenda. Muslim ban and ending DACA, ethnic cleansing; the quote from his Access Hollywood interview, “Grab ’em by the pu**y. You can do anything,” misogynistic; ending and removing Transgender people from the military, homophobic.
There are hundreds of other instances that I could write about, but then I would have to write about 100,000 more words, and I do not plan on writing a book at the moment. The Alt-Right has wedged its way into mainstream politics through our President; there is no telling what is to come next.
The Alt-Right group is a loose cannon. The only way we can fight them is as a nation. We must put aside our differences; forget your race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
We must remember we are here to relish in the American ideal of equality for all. We must protect these beliefs for it is what our Founding Fathers guaranteed us when they declared independence from the tyrannical Great Britain; it is what hundreds of thousands gave up their lives for and continue to give up their lives for.
Always remember, we are stronger together than we are apart. If we stand divided, the nation will succumb to the death of racism. Stand together and we can put an end to this despicable group.