The following is a facebook comment written today by one of my former student volunteers at WPSC-FM where I was General Manager for a number of years. I’m not sure that I could summarize the horrific event at Charlottesville VA any better.
“There was a terrorist attack on US soil today that was perpetrated by the greatest threat to American freedom and democracy in our time….it wasn’t Muslim extremists, it wasn’t a North Korean dictator…it was neofascist white supremacists who have endorsed and espoused the hateful rhetoric of the president. This wasn’t a lone gunman or a disturbed individual. This was hundreds of bigoted terrorists disguising themselves as patriots. These are not my brethren; I share more in common with the pacifists of Syria or the humanitarians of Venezuela than these thugs. These actions and the false-equivalence vague response of the commander-in-chief are reprehensible. These are not my people, and that is not my America.” Alex Chilowicz
The following is reputed to be the very last Facebook post by Heather Heyer, an activist against the heinous activities of the White Supremacist movement who died as a result of the Charlottesville violence.
“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” Heather Heyer, Murdered by a terrorist in Charlottesville VA.
The following is a portion of the statement made by Virginia’s Governor Terry McAuliffe.
“We need to call it out for what it is,” Gov. McAuliffe said Sunday. “To the white supremacists and the neo-Nazis that came to our beautiful state yesterday, there is no place for you here in Charlottesville. There is no place for you in Virginia. And there is no place for you in the United States of America.”
With these comments in front of you I suppose a big question is : Was the Charlottesville event a Terrorist act or not? Opinions seem to differ. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump have not used the word ‘Terrorism’.
Former Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz did identify the event as Terrorism in strong terms. Another former Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio also identified the event in terms of terrorism by “white supremacists”. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) called it domestic terrorism by white supremacists.
Perhaps an ordinary citizen said it best. “Jennifer Rolf-Maloney, 24, of Virginia Beach, decided to make the two-hour drive to join the counter-protest. She was inspired by history. ““Back in World War II, the Nazis came to power because people turned a blind eye,” she said. “This is home-grown terrorism.””
Home grown terrorism is a term I favor. It describes a kind of outrageous behaviour designed to attack any and all who apparently don’t share the ideology of the attacker. In the case of the Charlottesville event the ideology is racist, hatred and general vitriol of white supremacists, Neo-Nazis, Nazis and their ilk many of whom if not all support President #45 and his desires to rid the country of illegal immigrants be they Mexican or citizens of largely Muslim countries of the Middle East. The White Nationalist goal in Charlottesville seems to have been a desire to spark a confrontation with any who stand for the right of democracy to forge ahead toward building a society free and equal.
Such democracy feelings run deep with many people. Senator John McCain tweeted that white supremacists are not patriots. He called them instead traitors and called for Americans to unite against bigotry and hatred. Senator Orin Hatch says it is important to call evil by its name and not to let Nazi idea go unchallenged here. Former Vice President Joe Biden: “We must be stronger, more determined and more united than ever”
Would that the current administration hear and take to heart the condemnations of the White Supremacy ideas and ideals and work effectively to put America back on track as a nation of equality for all. Terrorism must be stopped in all its forms.
In my second novel about Sean-Guy Odwyer-Lariviere and his team of Canadian Anti-terrorism Service agents, I am writing about home grown terrorists in Saskatchewan, Canada. Yes this novel, A Prairie Vendetta, is still a work in progress and I am not able to tell you yet when it will be finished. The topic is difficult to deal with because as I suppose one would rather not admit such a problem could exist in one’s own country. But in fact it does exist, so I work to create a realistic story in which a small group of disillusioned and somewhat idealistic Metis youth are led to commit a gruesome crime. Their goal is to get the Canadian government to effect greater reparations that have historically been available to their people. But kidnapping and murder will get in the way before they are stopped by the CAS investigation guided by Everet Tailfeathers working undercover..
As Always, Thanks for your support. Good reading Friends.
Ron Stotyn, PhD 
I am a retired college professor and former broadcast journalist. I live in Vermont with my wife. I write near the shores of Lake Champlain. As an author I cast characters in the task of anti-terrorism efforts. The setting for my stories is Canada. My first novel is The Chechen's Revenge, a story of Sean-Guy O'Dwyer-Lariviere and his team of Canadian Anti-terrorism Service agents on the trail of a rebel Chechen, determined to create havoc and death on Toronto's Go Train system. The Chechen's Revenge is now in print and can be ordered online at https://mkt.com/northof49publishing.
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