It was the first weekend of June in 1944. The President would decide to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital to spend a quiet weekend in nearby Charlottesville, Virginia in the estate of one of his trusted aides. However, he also wanted to hear from his top military chief about the initiation of a top-secret military mission in the quietness of Charlottesville, a charming university town, the university being established by one of the original founders of the nation. The long-planned operation, code-named “Operation Neptune” was a part of the extended “Operation Overland” that was coordinated with allied countries. It was intended for a complete annihilation of the evil Nazi-machinery of the Third Reich of Germany. This particular mission was set to start in the very early morning of coming Monday by invading the beaches of Normandy in France. But, the weather in the area that day would not cooperate. Though dejected, he remained calm deciding to go back to the capital to carry on his other presidential duties. However, his military strategists, fearing any more loss of opportunity, decided to strike on very next day on June 6, now known as D-day. At the end, multitudes of patriots from various countries would sacrifice their lives to get rid of the Nazi-evilness from the face of this earth. But, the seeds of hateful Nazi-ideology along with its visual emblems remained rooted deep in many countries around the world to sprout out at different times and locations.
More than seventy years later of that summer in 1944, it was another gorgeous summer weekend in 2017 in Charlottesville. Words spread through the social media that protesters would converge on this small town to protest the recent removal of statues of past confederate leaders from civil war era from various parts of the country. To the dismay and horror of local residents, on first night, hundreds of white youths and their leaders, belonging to various underground right wing extremist groups of neo-Nazi, with names like White Supremacy and KKK marched through the downtown carrying lighted torch as a show of intimidation, reminiscent of Nazi brown shirts. Next day, they appeared in bright daylight wearing swastika-emblazoned red armbands, while waving Nazi flags and chanting racist and xenophobic slogans. They carried arms that they used mercilessly on counter protesters preaching peace and harmony. While, the rest of the country shook in horror and revulsion, the thugs had a friend in a high place. Current strongman preached them bigotry well during his election campaign. Even now, he could not denounce their presence and violence unequivocally, always vacillating between his past and present statements.
While surviving veterans from the D-day invasion wonder “For which ideal we fought for?” the rest of the country takes a deep look into the mirror and it doesn’t like what it sees. While preaching others, this country lost its own moral compass.
More than seventy years later of that summer in 1944, it was another gorgeous summer weekend in 2017 in Charlottesville. Words spread through the social media that protesters would converge on this small town to protest the recent removal of statues of past confederate leaders from civil war era from various parts of the country. To the dismay and horror of local residents, on first night, hundreds of white youths and their leaders, belonging to various underground right wing extremist groups of neo-Nazi, with names like White Supremacy and KKK marched through the downtown carrying lighted torch as a show of intimidation, reminiscent of Nazi brown shirts. Next day, they appeared in bright daylight wearing swastika-emblazoned red armbands, while waving Nazi flags and chanting racist and xenophobic slogans. They carried arms that they used mercilessly on counter protesters preaching peace and harmony. While, the rest of the country shook in horror and revulsion, the thugs had a friend in a high place. Current strongman preached them bigotry well during his election campaign. Even now, he could not denounce their presence and violence unequivocally, always vacillating between his past and present statements.
While surviving veterans from the D-day invasion wonder “For which ideal we fought for?” the rest of the country takes a deep look into the mirror and it doesn’t like what it sees. While preaching others, this country lost its own moral compass.
