I watched what has happened in Charlottesville, Va. I have visited that town. It is a small college town very much like Grove City.

Imagine what it would be like to have such an incident happening on Broad Street in Grove City.

I find it incredibly distressing to think that we are dealing with Nazis and white supremacists in America. I grew up during World War II and the Korean Conflict and I remember the news reports and pictures concerning the horrors from Nazi actions all over Europe and the terrible things that happened in the Pacific area. My parents’ families sent five sons, three to the Army in Europe, and two to the Pacific theater — one sailor and one Marine. One in Europe was injured and the Marine in the Pacific was a prisoner of war with the Japanese when his plane went down on Bougainville.

My family was blessed that they all came home, but 85 million people died and there was unimaginable destruction world-wide.

My relatives have since passed, but what they fought for is not forgotten. I am ashamed to see Americans promoting the same things that my relatives fought to protect against and defeat around the world.

Martin Niemoller, a prominent Lutheran minister who opposed Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps, is remembered for this quotation: “First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

This does not represent the America I know and love. I must say that I stand against these groups who promote so much hatred and hostility, and I am speaking out.