INVESTIGATING NEPA August 14, 2017

 

THANK YOU TOBY FITCH !

 

 

 

 

Judge Milton "Toby" Fitch

 

I’m headed to work and thinking of my friend Toby Fitch today.  He is now a Judge in Wilson, NC but when I worked in that area, he was a lawyer, and civil rights activist.  There was a Klan Rally in Wilson, in 1989, and about 30 KKK members showed up.  About 100 counter protesters showed up, and the situation was intense.  In fact, this was the most nervous I ever felt about my safety as a few rocks and bottles flew.  Luckily there were enough police at the scene.

Mr. Fitch was the best known of the counter-protesters, and I asked him, why bother showing up; after all the KKK members even then were discredited, and fringe players at best.  He responded that he was offended that the Klan thought his hometown of Wilson, would be a suitable place to spread its message of hate, and recruit new members.  Toby Fitch would not consider staying home at a time like this. 

 

I think his attitude 28 years ago, was the same attitude most of the counter demonstrators at the white supremacist, neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, VA took when they showed up Saturday to make their own statement of “not here!”  My brother is a University of Virginia graduate, and during my visits, I found the college town to be normally a vibrant, quirky, peaceful place.  And I fear Charlottesville will now be associated with the violence.  Heather Heyer, the woman who was struck and killed by the car that drove into the crowd was peacefully making her statement againt hate, and paid with her life.  Several others were hurt.

 

 

Heather Heyer

That incident brought me back to Wilson, North Carolina, and the Klan Rally where I can remember the tension, and the hatred from the white supremacist side.  I remember the sounds of tossed bottles crashing and the racial slurs from the Klansman who was about 20, and how disturbingly comfortable he was spewing his bile.  Looking back, I feel lucky to have survived it unscathed.

 

I will also remember the combination of anger and grace Toby Fitch showed as I watched him face down the Klansmen and women.  He urged the crowd to speak, shout, and sing during the rally, and to stay calm when the bottles were flying, and fights were on the verge of breaking out.  Perhaps his leadership is why so few will remember that Klan rally in Wilson, NC was an otherwise forgettable event, compared with Charlottesville Saturday.  I bet he’s now a great judge.

In the meantime, let me share some images from the vigil in Scranton Sunday night from photographer Matt Montella, whose use of black and white captured the mood of the event.

 

 

 

 Pictures from mattmonella.com