LETTER: Montco Commissioner Joe Gale Should Rethink Charlottesville View

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Dear Editor,

I am worried Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale is ignoring white supremacy. His comments indicate he is turning a blind eye to the black lives matter movement, and democratic socialists, and is sympathizing with the groups that terrorized Charlottesville, Virginia.

He has said. “The hateful rhetoric on both sides must end,” “Let’s not forget the tragic events in recent years. We’ve seen a series of protests, Black Lives Matter protests that turned violent. There was looting, there were buildings that were placed on fire and so much violence. We’ve seen five Dallas police officers that were murdered. We’ve seen Bernie Sanders supporters open fire on a baseball field filled with congressmen, all in recent years.”

Rhetoric means to persuade the other side to do something. The black lives matter movement has not persuaded people to murder police officers. He is ignoring that the movement is about black people being murdered by police officers, and the injustice that comes from police officers not being convicted. He should know that the homicide conviction rate is 70% for those who kill, and 33% for police that kill.

Next, former candidate Bernie Sanders has never rallied and asked his supporters to “knock” people out. He did not run a campaign on fear, anger, and hate. The person whom opened fire was killed for his terrorist attack, and Bernie Sanders immediately said, “Let me be as clear as I can be: Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms." He made this statement once. He did not blame both sides, or sympathize with the killer.

He is drawing a relationship between white supremacist terrorism, and civil rights activistism, and democratic socialism. This is an immoral comparison. One side chanted "Jews will not replace us” A man wearing his fascist clothing then drove his car into peaceful activist. He then reversed his car, and fled. He injured dozens of people and killed Heather Heyer. There were no anti-fascists in that picture. There was no one throwing a punch at the fascist who drove Heather Heyer over.

I am terrified about Joe Gale’s comparison. I strongly urge your readers to ask Joe Gale to represent all people of Montgomery County, or resign.

-Kimberly McCollum

Harleysville, PA

Patch file photo