History is watching

Fascists must be put down, Terry Glavin, Aug 18. Glavin is right to demand ac t i on f r om t he democratic s t ate empowered with weapons to defend its citizens against factional threats currently posed by the alt-right.

He is also wise to remind individuals of their moral responsibility when pivotal moments in history necessitate that the political become personal.

Often politics is a bad judge of character. After Canadian volunteers returned from fighting in the Spanish Civil War in 1936, their society identified them as premature anti- fascists and shamefully deprived them of their rights. History vindicated those who were early in understanding the notorious quarrel with the Nazi prototypes of the current alt- right extremists — who claim special status for whites and deny it for all others.

Now politics is repeating its bad judgment of people. Lincoln’s democracy, “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, which allots political power according to the result of a popularity contest, made a big mistake in electing populist Trump to the most famous office in the world. Now history is verifying Trump’s moral failure with his inability to simply tweet the righteous historical — “Fascism shall not pass.”

Instead, Donald Trump’s Charlottesville infomercial for the alt- right will live in infamy.

Consequently those choosing to arrive late to this ongoing quarrel with the white supremacists should remember that history as the final judge of character will certainly shame them. Those belated anti-fascists who are failing Thomas Paine’s test — “These are the times that try men’s souls” — and letting fascism pass will occupy the space reserved for the morally corrupt. Tony D’Andrea, Toronto