In 1991, a man would run for Louisiana governor as a Republican. Despite running on the mainstream conservative platform, he would be denounced by both President George H. W. Bush and the Republican National Committee, who would endorse his Democratic opponent. That man was David Duke — the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
Sometimes, in our politicized world, we make concessions on the people we platform in favor of the policies we hope will best serve us and our nation. Other times, rare that they are, we have an obligation, a duty, to stand firm. A duty to ourselves, to our community and to our nation to put politics aside. A duty to draw a line in the sand and declare a belief so unconscionable that those who hold it cannot, and must not, be given the platform or power to elevate that belief.
It is in those times that we must find it within ourselves to bridge the political divide and guard against truly damaging beliefs that threaten our great nation and her founding principles.
One of those times is upon us here, at our beloved Ole Miss. On Sept. 29, James Fishback, a man with the platform of a mainstream conservative who espouses the beliefs of a white nationalist, will speak on campus for a Turning Point USA event. I would implore students of all leanings to come together, to denounce white nationalism and give Fishback no fine welcome.
Fishback openly referred to a Black candidate for Florida governor as a “slave” and a “DEI hire.” At a campaign stop in April, a Black man asked about allegations that Fishback had engaged in sexual relations with a minor, to which Fishback responded that the man asking deserved to be “lynched.” Fishback has been known to positively greet supporters donned in shirts bearing the words “American Reich” on them, with no expressed opposition to their reference to the German Nazi’s third Reich. He has repeatedly defended supporters of Nick Fuentes, a far-right political commentator and white nationalist.
Fichback’s speech is protected, but that does not mean he is owed a listening ear. We must stand here together, for that is all we can do. I fear what will happen if we allow the seeds of white nationalism to take root if we deem it acceptable in the name of political victory. If inviting a speaker who praises white nationalist thoughts to campus does not cross an uncrossable line, what does?
Will Vernon, a contributor to The Daily Mississippian, is a junior chemical engineering major from Parker, Colo.
