After every Islamic extremist attack, people randomly call me a terrorist because of the color of my skin. And I have it pretty easy. My Muslim friends have to fear for their lives. That’s why I feel such anger when I read accounts from people who joined the white supremacist protests at University of Virginia that try to separate the protesters from the very movement that they were marching with.
It also bugs me when people claim that these racists and Nazis were using their First Amendments rights to association and speech. The First Amendment only protects people from the government — not from society and its expectations. If I can be called a terrorist and spend extra time in airport security just because I look like I could originate from a geographic region, then I don’t understand why people who marched with white supremacists and neo-Nazis don’t suffer consequences as well.
The most glaring example I've found is Peter Cvjetanovic, a University of Nevada-Reno student who attended the alt-right protest. During the protest, he was photographed carrying a torch and screaming. This image has gone viral, and someone was able to identify him. Cvjetanovic said his life is now "spiraling out of control."
Since his identity has been released, students at his school have petitioned to have him expelled and fired. He has also received death threats. Those are all serious concerns, and I think they should fall under First Amendment protections as well. Mr. Cvjetanovic should be able to feel safe. However, what makes me mad is his other statement. He told a CBS-affiliate station “I understand the photo has a very negative connotation, but I hope that people … are willing to listen that I’m not the angry racist.”
Cvjetanovic claims that white nationalism is about protecting European heritage and culture. While I’m sure that is what some people believe, the overall tone of white nationalism is not a tolerant one. In Charlottesville, Virginia, the KKK, neo-Nazis and other fascist groups used Nazi imagery and chants during their protests.
Cvjetanovic says he isn’t a racist, but he associates with them. He chants with them and marches with them. However, he does not want the societal consequences of being a racist. I have never done anything to be considered a terrorist. Yet, for some reason, I and many other people who look like me have to call out extremists every single time something happens. Yet this man actively associates with domestic terrorists, racists and Nazis but claims he is not a racist.
Cvjetanovic's First Amendment rights should be protected. The police should listen to his fears, and he shouldn’t be put in jail for his actions. But he has to deal with the societal consequences of being a racist. Because he voluntarily associates with them, I don’t think people should think twice about calling him one.
