Re: "Antifa." I understand the desire not to let others define your words.
I also understand:
1. “Antifa” is short for “anti-fascism” and we can all agree fascism is bad.
2. There was a real organization called “Antifa” in Europe in the mid-20th Century.
3. There are pages claiming to represent “Antifa” groups in the US in the current day, although a good number of those have been determined to be fake.
That being said, the whole “I am Antifa!” thing some of you are insisting upon—Is that really the hill we want to die on?
Yes, your grandfather fought in WWII. No, he wasn’t “Antifa.” He was a uniformed member of the US military.
Like it or not, the term “Antifa” has been co-opted by Trump and the right to paint the picture of a non-existent terrorist group based on a small handful of fringe weirdos made up mostly of anarchists and right-wing provocateurs who mess up otherwise great protests.
And honestly, it’s not that even great of a name. People have no clue how to pronounce it.
So while I understand the impulse of some to want to take back the word “Antifa” from the right...is it really worth it?
I think we can all say we are anti-fascist, anti-racist, and anti-police brutality. Why bother with trying to identify a term that is just a weird misnomer and a red herring.
Stop trying to make “Antifa” happen, Gretchen.
= new reply since forum marked as read
