Columns

What indeed should Berkeley do about the proposed alt-right on August 27? An answer to Jacquelyn McCormick.

Ralph E. Stone
Saturday August 19, 2017 - 10:14:00 AM

Here is my two cents worth on the subject. 

What if a hate group held a rally and no one showed up? 

White nationalists and other hate groups conduct rallies with the expectation that the rallies will lead to jeering from counter demonstrators and violence by so-called anarchists. The hate group gets what it wants -- a spectacle that will headline the news the next day. 

Those who come to oppose the hate group know or should know from past experience that their appearance will inevitably lead to violence, especially if anarchists are involved. 

Why don't we just not show up when the white nationalists come to San Francisco on August 26 and Berkeley on August 27? Denying the hate group of a spectacle is the worst insult they can endure. 

I know this is wishful thinking on my part. The rally will be held, counter demonstrators will appear, violence will occur, and the white nationalists will get their headlines.