A North Dakota father penned and published a powerful letter to his white nationalist son who participated in Saturday's violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In the letter, which was published in the Fargo (N.D.) Forum, Pearce Tefft tells his son, Peter Tefft, that he's no longer welcome at family gatherings.
The letter reads in part:
I, along with all of his siblings and his entire family, wish to loudly repudiate my son’s vile, hateful and racist rhetoric and actions. We do not know specifically where he learned these beliefs. He did not learn them at home.
I have shared my home and hearth with friends and acquaintances of every race, gender and creed. I have taught all of my children that all men and women are created equal. That we must love each other all the same.
Evidently Peter has chosen to unlearn these lessons, much to my and his family’s heartbreak and distress
Peter Tefft was one of the participants from the Charlottesville publicly identified by the Twitter account @YesYoureRacist, which started a social media campaign aimed at calling out those in attendance.
This charming Nazi is Pete Tefft of Fargo, ND -- spotted in @UR_Ninja's video: https://t.co/2oslzXHtRZ #GoodNightAltRight #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/Zqd2gm8mOC
— Yes, You're Racist (@YesYoureRacist) August 12, 2017
Shortly after he was identified, Peter Tefft's family began receiving threats.
His nephew, Jacob Scott, told the online news outlet Inforum that everyone in the family "reject(s) him wholly."
But it was the public condemnation from his father that helped the public understand the family's plight.
Heart-wrenching & honest letter from the family of a white supremacist in ND. Reminder that silence is not an option https://t.co/Fbj6wRy4o4
— Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) August 14, 2017
The country needs more fathers like Pearce Tefft. Thank you Mr. Tefft. Let's hope America is listening. https://t.co/XYtvNipplr
— RiotWomenn (@riotwomennn) August 14, 2017