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Alt-right is the new name for neo-Nazi: #tellusatoday

Apparently when you drain a swamp, the scum floats to the top.

USA TODAY
Demonstrators rally near Trump Tower on Nov. 19, 2016 in Chicago.

Letter to the editor:

Stop using the term “alt-right” to describe white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis and all those aligning with their beliefs. This includes Richard Spencer, Stephen Bannon and President-elect Donald Trump. Their views and proposed policies are extremist and dangerous to people of color, immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ people, and others.

We, along with news media, should refer to these individuals and groups as what they are: dangerous bigots whose ideas and actions run counter to our country’s expressed values of liberty and justice for all.

I’m not so naive as to ignore our country’s racist past, which includes the genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement of African Americans and Japanese internment, to name only a few. But if we want to truly relegate those moments to shameful chapters in history, we must be honest in naming contemporary ideologies and ideologues whose hate speech and agenda threaten our very democracy.

Harris Kornstein; New York

Alt-right leader Richard Spencer recently proclaimed “hail Trump, hail our people” to a packed room in Washington, D.C. It was received with some fellow white nationalists giving the Nazi salute. Facebook comments are edited for clarity and grammar:

It’s time to stand up for America and its people. If liberals don’t like it, they can leave the country.

Lynn Russell

Apparently when you drain a swamp, the scum floats to the top ... and has a party.

Kevin Hays

Funny, there have been blacks who’ve been calling for the death of cops for over a year now, while Islamic extremists profess they will kill us, and the news media almost never highlight. But 200 white guys meet in a room in D.C. and say they want to peacefully take back the nation “we built” and you’d swear they resurrected Hitler!

Lance Cole

Congrats, red state voters. This is now part of your legacy as well.

Edward Colon

Policing the USA

We asked our followers what President-elect Donald Trump should do to ease racial tensions in the U.S. Tweets are edited for clarity and grammar:

The tension’s a symptom of the illness. Unite the U.S. to identify and target the many root causes of systemic inequality.

@DavidWJones2016

Trump can’t do anything. Hillary Clinton couldn’t either. President Obama didn’t ease racial tensions. Why do we expect politicians to do so much?

@BittmanSkip

Reconsider appointing Stephen Bannon (hate-monger) and Michael Flynn (anti-Muslim-fear-monger). Jeff Sessions too, even though he has to be confirmed.

@NelsonKanoa

1. Quit putting down others to build someone else up. 2. Quit Twitter. 3. Quit divisive tactics.

@WyomingMandyJ

How about our current president first? How many riots have there been the last three years? President Obama has done very little.

— @wifflewaffel

For more, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.

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