A serious political lesson to be learnt from down in Florida

A recent episode highlights the inroads groups such as the Proud Boys are making in American life, writes Holly Baxter

A Black Lives Matter supporter confronts members of the Proud Boys as they protest near the Friendship Torch, where people gathered to remember George Floyd on the first anniversary of his death (AFP/Getty)

Over the weekend, a local newspaper called the Sarasota Herald-Tribune published a piece written by a “concerned local mom”. In it, Melissa Radovich wrote that “attacking Proud Boys does a disservice to caring school parents”.

“When I think about the Proud Boys, I think of fathers, business owners and veterans,” she added. “These fathers have spoken at many school board meetings. They are concerned about the direction their local schools are heading in, and I commend them for coming to school board meetings.”

Radovich may think of fathers and veterans when she thinks about the Proud Boys, but most people think of a white supremacist hate group populated by self-described “western chauvinists”. Radovich outlines why she thinks so positively of the men in her community who identify as Proud Boys, stating that they are anti-abortion, stand against homosexuality being included in sex education, and oppose mask mandates.