A bunch of Neo-Nazis on Saturday and Sunday chanted antisemitic slogans, waved Nazi flags, and jumped on a driver who confronted them near the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida.
That’s all you need to know in terms of background. The rest are tweets that say everything. Of course, by definition, tweets are great examples of personal journalism, but because they are so random and erupt at the reader without context and other editorial constraints, they also tend to abandon perspective and proportion. So the reader knows very well what happened, when, and where, but remains fuzzy on the why.
But in this case, our first Twitter user already cited the immortal Elwood J. Blues, played by Dan Aykroyd, the surviving half of the Blues Brothers:
I hate Florida Nazis. pic.twitter.com/NMyrTcoi9i https://t.co/W1NFzB3ZhH
— J Dean Haddix (@doctor_eon)
Vax the Jews? The slogan has a threatening feel to it, but mostly if you think vaccines are bad for you. It takes me back to the Black Plague in medieval Europe, when the Jews stayed alive because of their better hygiene.
This Nazi fella was a poster boy for anyone who thinks the US should have stayed out of WW2:
More closeups of the Florida Nazis seen in Orlando. Really disgusting to see this but this is what the constant misinformation, conspiracy theories, and hateful rhetoric that is prevalent in right wing Florida politics leads to.pic.twitter.com/fxA2yJ0UgE
— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn)
The great thing about the next tweet is that it depicts real Florida Nazis doing their real Florida Nazi thing, but it also shows there aren’t so many of them. Introducing: Florida Nazis maintaining proper socila distancing:
These are actual Nazis in Florida. This is today’s Republican Party. All Americans must forcefully reject this hate movement.pic.twitter.com/Dy4FsiSj8H
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch)
Here’s the brawl we mentioned in the opening. OK, this is scary. Very 1938:
My son just witnessed nazis in Orlando. He said there were dozens hanging on the corner. The guy getting assaulted got out of his car and pushed one of them. pic.twitter.com/HUvNgI3zwl
— DP (@DawneyNP)
Finally, this jarring tweet from StopAntisemitism.org. Except, of course, I don’t know if you can (stop antisemitism). But you can come home to a Jewish country where antisemites can get thrown to jail if they dare put on a show like in Orlando.
“The Jew is the devil”
“Jews rape children and drink their blood”
“Jews brought slaves here”A horrific antisemitic, anti-black rally is happening right now in Orlando, FL orchestrated by white supremacist Eddie McBride and his group NSM
Why are local PD allowing this? pic.twitter.com/QImbMY8xiJ
— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites)