"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
That quote comes from Abraham Lincoln, but it applies as much today--perhaps even more so--than it did in 1861 when Lincoln started his fight to save the Union and end the travesty that was slavery in parts of this country.
Today, we are met with another terrible threat--the rise of white nationalism aimed at a number of minority groups like blacks, gays, Hispanics and Jews. It is gaining momentum at a vicious rate and the results are devastating.
A dozen killed at a black church in North Charleston, gays attacked and killed in big and small cities, Muslims threatened throughout the country.
On Saturday, they came after the Jews. 11 died, ranging in age from the late 50s to a 97-old Holocaust survivor who was simply going to her temple to pray to her God. Eleven people simply living their lives, murdered by a sick soul who thought he could save the white race by gunning them down.
The haters are winning and they are winning because the good people of this country will not stand up to them and force them back into their dark caves. They are winning because, yes, they think they have an ally in the White House and they are winning because they are using the Internet to connect with like-minded crazies who actually believe they are better than the rest of us.
Most importantly, they are winning because not enough people are standing up to them and forcefully disagreeing with them.
Today, must be the first day that changes. It must be the first day that all good people, Jew, Christian and Muslim, straight or gay, black or white, stand up together and start to fight back.
Many of my more liberal friends will place the blame squarely at the feet of President Trump. I disagree. These haters were here long before Trump ascended to the presidency and they will be here long after he is gone.
Yes, I wish he was more forceful in condemning these groups, but, as he says, he did not create this mess. Society did and only society can solve this problem.
Today, the Jews are protesting. The next time the blacks or gays might be the victims and they will protest. That is not enough. All good people must stand up to the haters now and tell them that their crazy conspiracy theories are just dead wrong.
Today, ALL of us must stand together and say that ALL LIVES MATTER and that all people regardless of faith, race or sexual preference have the same rights. The haters will win if we do nothing. The haters will win if good people do not speak up and stop this madness.
Seth Mendelson is a veteran business writer and editor.