In times of division, remember George Washington’s challenge

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ensures that expressions of almost all speech are protected while simultaneously guaranteeing “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” These are deemed fundamental rights because a vibrant political dialogue (a true staple of American democracy) is essential to the wealth of ideas our democracy yields, even when that dialogue is offensive.

There are limits, however.  The line is crossed when expressions of violence and threats of harm violate and diminish the individual rights of others.

{mosads}Among the handful of expressions that fall outside the First Amendment’s protections are statements and actions meant only to instill fear in the population to achieve certain political outcomes.  We call such expressions terrorism. The white supremacists who gathered in Charlottesville last weekend, violently disrupting a peaceful community with hate in their hearts, campaigned to undermine many great American values which have been protected by a long line of patriots since our nation’s founding.

Let’s be clear: These white supremacists are domestic terrorists.  They marched with their tools of intimidation — Nazi salutes, flags emblazoned with swastikas, tiki torches and eruptions of force and violence — in order to intimidate and terrorize a community and its people and to drive home a message of hatred. All Americans of good will must stand in opposition to their vile delusions.

JUST IN: Trump pushes back on taking down Confederate statues: “Is it George Washington next week?” https://t.co/SW0nU57YvB pic.twitter.com/PAqOqFLElG

— The Hill (@thehill) August 15, 2017

Followers of this particularly evil sect of the “alt-right” have a decidedly violent and anti-American objective: intimidate and threaten harm to anyone who believes in the rights enumerated in the Constitution and the principles of our nation’s founding. Terrorism, though, can never squelch the inherent truth that all people are created equal, that all are equally capable of being governed under the law and that each person is an essential participant in the experiment of self-government.

While full equality was obviously not achieved at the time of our founding, the Constitution was written as an aspirational document to guide our nation down the path toward becoming a more perfect union. So, while the history of our nation has its terrible warts which we still deal with to this day, America has always been a pluralistic nation comprised of diverse thought, heritage, and the unyielding recognition of each person’s intrinsic value.  The violence in Charlottesville betrayed this quintessential American spirit and stands in stark contrast to the particularly American ideals of ever expanding rights of individuals and recognizing each person’s inherent dignity.

The white supremacists who marched on Charlottesville reject these American ideals.  Instead, they desire an omnipotent government to force their views on others, a glaring and malevolent antithesis of conservatism and the very idea of America.

Facebook shuts down pages for racist groups after Charlottesville violence https://t.co/e3VyGkUW7X pic.twitter.com/sVEY7M7Sgg

— The Hill (@thehill) August 15, 2017

The American Conservative Union defines conservatism (i.e., “the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person”), explains its virtues and values to our fellow Americans, and protects it from those who might try to co-opt it for their own nefarious purposes. While it is our job to defend conservatism, for now we leave it to liberal leaders to call out the despicable elements who are trying to align with American liberals of good will.

In addition to their attempts to undermine the political philosophy of our nation’s founding, the alt-right is also trying to promulgate a xenophobic agenda that highlights only white protestant men as the sole proprietors and beneficiaries of America.  This narrow-scoped re-write of history would be laughable if its inherent prejudice weren’t so horrible.

Take, for instance, Crispus Attucks, a black man and the first American to give his life for our new nation so that even bigots could enjoy freedom. Or Mordecai Sheftall, a Jewish-American who risked his life and volunteered his own personal earnings to resist British imperial rule in Savannah, Ga. Or Eduardo Joson, a Filipino who helped rescue 511 white American survivors of the Bataan Death March.

Then there’s Zuhdi Jasser, an American Muslim who served in the U.S. Navy and has become a leading voice in opposition to radical Islamist terrorism.  And Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first woman to serve as ambassador to the United Nations who was immensely influential in preserving democracy, defeating communism, and establishing the alliances that continue to contribute to America’s modern strength.

These are just a handful of the countless great American patriots who have followed the example of our nation’s first president, George Washington, who sought to establish a nation where every person could exercise their rights to be free and prosperous.  In one of the most important letters ever written, Washington wrote to Moses Seixas and the Jewish congregation of Newport, Rhode Island assuring them that “the Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”

We ask that all Americans of good will rise to Washington’s challenge, that we support the rights of all Americans to live freely and to work toward fulfilling the aspirations of our Constitution.  Our time is now. This is our moment.  People on all sides of the philosophical spectrum must stand firm against those who seek to undermine this great nation.

Dan Schneider serves as executive director of the American Conservative Union (ACU), America’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.