HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released a statement on the “Unite the Right” Rally, a gathering of white nationalists and neo-Nazis, in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

"What has happened in Charlottesville over the last 24 hours should be a call to action for every American who has grown complacent under the assumption that our nation's moral arc naturally bends toward inclusion and tolerance,” said Murphy. “Racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia are tragically alive and well in America today. And make no mistake – these insidious psychologies have been given license to be brought out in the open air by a president that openly seized upon these hatreds during his campaign, and continues to traffic in divisive rhetoric and hateful policies in the White House. 

Murphy continued, “Today, every leader of national or local significance must condemn the neo-Nazi rallies in Virginia, and the attack on counter-protesters, in the loudest and most unconditional terms. Ours is a nation whose greatness has been forged in the tough work of binding together peoples of different skin color, national origin, religion, and sexual orientation into one great powerful whole. Silence or weak condemnation will be rightly read as complicity with this newly emboldened racist movement. Further, as images travel the globe of what are reportedly anti-black, anti-Jew militias patrolling the streets of Charlottesville who are masquerading as law enforcement and brandishing military grade tactical weaponry, we need to take stock of whether our laws meet the new public safety challenges that confront our nation.”