I had a hard time finding out exactly what happened in Charlottesville, so bless BBC for these articles:
What Trump Said Versus What I Saw
A Day of Reckoning in Charlottesville
Here is another one from the Washington Post:
Recounting a day of rage, hate, violence and death
Why do I care? Because I kept hearing the argument that yes, the people opposing the march used violence too, but they were on the right side, they were against hate, not for it. I can’t see how fighting hate by swinging sticks, punching, spraying chemicals, and throwing balloons filled with paint or ink lessens the hate in the world.
My hero there is Tyler Lloyd:
A lone figure stood inside Emancipation Park, offering water and holding a sign that said, “Free Hugs.” Tyler Lloyd said he came hoping for a peaceful solution. The rallygoers accepted his water but declined the hugs.
—-Washington Post
A bit naive? Maybe. So how about Ben Carson, the only African-American member of Trump’s cabinet, whose house was the target of anti-Trump vandals earlier this summer. He didn’t call the police —- he believes in taking the high road and focusing on dialog and education. He says it’s important to fight hatred, but we need to find the right tools. Is that naive too?
I am with Ben Carson here.
Me too!
one thing is sure. when it escalates into a mob on either side … nothing is achieved but bloodshed and more anger. it fuels itself.
these people … the Nazis … cannot or will not be reasoned with. it’s pointless.
at least on street level when their whole purpose is to be as confrontational as they can in their “march” I can’t help but wonder how they would respond if nobody came to their loud and stupid party. if it got no coverage. if nobody cared enough about them to even give notice of their chants and ignorance.
it would be interesting to see how it would affect them. would they be like a firecracker that simply fizzles?
bullies are in their hey day whenever they can get a rise out of you.
we’ll never know of course. by being ignored they might have started breaking windows and vandalizing. but then the police could have dealt with them.
I liked the young BBC reporter.
I liked him too, but he excused the people using violence against the paraders. He said they were mostly locals and didn’t want the paraders using their streets to broadcast hate. I think the violence hurt their cause. And the confrontations are bound to get worse.
I agree, fighting hatred and violence with more hatred and more violence simply escalates the situation. Nazis and fascists have to be politically out-manoeuvred. All those people who oppose them have to work together to deprive them of any influence.
Amen to that!
I too like Ben Carson’s approach. Hating the Haters doesn’t seem like a formula for reducing hate.
Hitler claimed he was thrust into politics when he was compelled as a young man to join a Marxist trade union, and then indoctrinated into their methods of violence and coercion. He then adapted and employed those techniques for a competing ideology. Having read both, the amount of hate that is in Mein Kampf is about the same as the hate that is in Das Kapital. Maybe someone can tell me why the hate of the neo-Marxists is good, while the hate of the neo-NAZIs is bad?
Maybe most people are unaware of Antifa? I never heard of them until a couple of days ago. “Antifa leaders admit they’re willing to physically attack anyone who employs violence against them or who condones racism — as long as force is used in the name of eradicating hatred.”
Doesn’t sound like an effective strategy to me.
Yes, the Antifa shows up at all the rallies here in California. They come from the Identity Politics world, which – by definition – does not involve hate or racism. The local newspapers organize the counter protests, which are about three or four for every alt-Right protest. When my wife worked in downtown Oakland the company would give out a schedule of the Antifa protests since this would always have an impact on BART accessibility.