Certainly the protests in Virginia were a disturbing thing. That is not disputable.
I think the deeper, and more disturbing thing, is that these White Nationalists believe they have more of a voice here in the US.
Truth is, this violence last week in Virginia is just a symptom of a much deeper issue, an issue our president had an opportunity to address – but instead, candidate Trump used this fear and anger to propel him to office.
During the campaign trail, he not only didn’t call out those violent and extremist voices, he actually encouraged them with his own verbal examples.
And as President, he has proven himself below the challenge
of addressing National unity in any healthy way. He’s included in his staff people proven Alt-Right,
White Nationalists. Some Alt-Right leaders
from the Virginia protests have been quoted as saying they know they are
President Trumps base, and that he knows this too.
Is it a surprise that this kind of violence occurred in Charlottesville? I’m surprised it didn’t occur earlier to be
honest.
And I see this happening again,
unless we get some kind of adult leadership in this country, people to step up
and lead us through a time such as this.
On Monday, he initially blamed both side for the violence, then a day later -- after criticism for that first comment, he amended his statement to specifically identify and call out the White Supremacist groups. But later returned to his initial statement that these White Nationalists/racists weren't the only ones to blame for teh violence. It is as if he is giving the White Nationalists some kind of moral equivalency with the opposition. And they are not! This is stunning coming from our president.
What do these groups - on the Right and Left stand for? We know what this Right stands for... and what they want is just not acceptable in a free and open and diverse society. What they stand for is antithetical to not only our foundation as a nation of "all people are created equal", but the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Do they have a right to speak? Yes, they do. They have a constitutionally protected right to publically put words to their ignorant and racist thoughts -- as odious as it is for us to hear.
These words they speak seem to be a precursor to a deeper cancer that exists in our nation.
Some feel this should be resisted through prayer vigils, others stand against this by standing more firmly for diversity and openness. Others feel they cannot negotiate with this kind of ideology.
I'm still making sense of all this...
It goes much deeper than just the protests and marches in Virginia. And much higher too.
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