I was struck by the anger in the letter to the Cape Gazette of June 5-8 (Viewpoints page 7) on the topic of antifa. The writer expressed considerable hatred toward this “group” because they are “extremists” “whose goal is to disrupt American unity, destroy our Constitution, and usher in communism.” Wow.
But does the writer really know who/what antifa is? Antifa is short for antifascist and is a movement that has no defined organizational hierarchy or membership process. It started out as a multiparty front in Germany in 1932 to counter Nazism and has been resurrected in recent times as a foil to the white supremacy groups that have popped up in the U.S.
So, if the writer is so vehemently opposed to antifa, does this mean he supports white supremacy groups? I hope not. Nowhere have I seen pictures of heavily armed protesters labelled as “antifa,” yet I have seen multiple pictures of heavily armed (with AR-15s no less) people at white supremacy rallies such as Charlottesville and at state capitol grounds such as Michigan. Looking at those pictures, who should we fear most: those armed with shields who shout slogans and may throw rocks or those dressed in camouflage and machine guns who may actually shoot someone?
Ed Robinson
Millsboro