CHARLOTTESVILLE

11 August, 2017

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,

101 Main Street #380

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Dear Congressman,

Re: Charlottesville

This, unhappily, is your Republican base—certainly the Trump base. The base of the base, if you will. The “Make America Great Again” mob, which in Trump’s rhetoric was easily understood as “Make America White Again.” And was condoned as such by the then candidate. The violence yesterday in Charlottesville was surely nothing more than an eruption of the deep-seated emotions that he called forth—still calls forth—at his rallies for adoring fans. It’s called racism.

We here along the Pacific Rim in Orange County are for the most part safely white. For the most part, still, we have been protected from the growing masses of people of color. They come to our gleaming gated communities of luxury ocean-view homes and condominiums, to clean our houses and maintain our gardens during the day. At night, they return inland to places where we fear to tread. Thus far we have been privileged and protected in your district. Given the rise in the Latino population, however, it is important for us to prepare hearts and minds for the future. We are no longer alone, and must make space for our brothers and sisters of other creeds and colors. I urge you to remember this as you vote in Congress.

As for your Trump, what a disgrace. Charlottesville offered him the opportunity to bring words of healing to the nation, to acknowledge the white nationalist source of those tragic events of yesterday, and even—would that it were so!—admit his own part in inspiring and permitting that vile expression of racial hatred. He failed that test. Instead, refusing to call out the real perpetrators, he chose to skirt the issue of white nationalism and appease his base.

Could we at least hear words from you, our Congressman, explicitly rejecting the KKK, the reborn Nazis, and others of their ilk who gathered in Charlottesville?

Respectfully

Peter Clothier, Ph.D.