“Politics is seldom ever so clear cut, but this is truly a moment of moral clarity. Richard Spencer is a neo-Nazi, and his supporters are neo-Nazis. These are the same white supremacists that descended on Charlottesville, armed to the teeth, and looking for a fight. An innocent woman was murdered because of these people. Make no mistake, they are coming to incite violence.

 

“The ideology of Spencer and his supporters directly attacks the mere existence of so many who call our state home—black, Hispanic, Jewish, LGBT—when any group of Americans are under attack, it is incumbent upon us all to treat it as an attack against every American. 

 

“And contrary to what Donald Trump would have you believe, the violent white supremacists and hatemongers invading Gainesville this Thursday are not ‘fine people’. Any politician who fails to challenge our President for his stunning lack of moral leadership—our governor chief among them—is unfit to lead a state as diverse as Florida. 

 

“The Florida Democratic Party reiterates its support for all peaceful protesters who are standing up and speaking out. We have a moral obligation to refute hate and bigotry whenever they present themselves. White supremacy is an evil we cannot ignore. When leaders like our governor fail to challenge the President for embracing white supremacists, it becomes all the more urgent that the rest of us speak out—clearly, unequivocally, and loudly. We must let it be known that we reject hatred in all its forms.”

 

###