The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:22 AM

OUR VIEW: 08/13/2017 - Charlottesville Issue Is Not A GOP Or Trump Issue - It's An American Issue

The clashes erupted when white supremacy groups marched through Charlottesville protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue and were met with anti-march protests that turned ugly quickly.

A 20-year old Ohio man drove his car into the crowd of anti-march protests killing 32-year old Heather Heyer. In addition, two VA State troopers died in a helicopter crash responding to the riots.
The President responded to the violence with the following statement. “We condemn the strongest possible terms this degree of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides," adding that he found the situation "very, very sad."

"This has be going on for a longtime in our country, not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama, this has been going on for a long, long time," Trump told reporters, during a previously scheduled bill signing ceremony for Veterans Affairs legislation. "What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives."

Trump added, "There are so many great things happening in our country, so when I watch Charlottesville, to me it is very, very sad."

Trump spoke to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe late Saturday, whom the President said agreed with him that the hate and division in the U.S. needs to stop "right now."

"We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation, and really I say this so strongly, true affection for each other," the President said.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he "stands behind the President in condemning the violence," adding he stands opposed to "any message of hate and intolerance." Sessions also said the Department of Justice personnel are assisting at the scene. "This kind of violence is totally contrary to American values and can never be tolerated," Sessions said.

Before making his public statement, Trump wrote about his feelings on Twitter.

“We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!.”

Though the President did not specifically mention Charlottesville in his original tweet, he followed-up later by calling the situation in Virginia "sad!"

"Am in Bedminster for meetings & press conference on V.A. & all that we have done, and are doing, to make it better-but Charlottesville sad!," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Less than an hour prior to the President's initial remarks, first lady Melania Trump similarly spoke out against the violence in Virginia.

"Our country encourages freedom of speech, but let's communicate w/o hate in our hearts. No good comes from violence," she wrote on Twitter.

Despite this, President Trump's critics and haters took to the airwaves slamming the President for not condemning the white supremacy groups in particular but calling out "both sides" for the violence.

"The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms
of violence, bigotry and hatred. Of course, that includes white supremacists, KKK, Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together,” the spokesperson said from Trump’s private golf club in Bedminster, N.J.

Trump was criticized by leading Democrats and Republicans for not singling out white supremacists in his comments in the immediate aftermath of the deadly clashes Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. All the while his critics totally ignore the depth of his statement of condemnation given at his press conference in New Jersey shortly after being advised of events in Charlottesville.

Still, lawmakers were saying Sunday that Trump should have been more forceful in his condemnation of the white supremacists behind the rally. The protests were in response to a statue of Robert E. Lee being removed.

On Saturday, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, also a Trump rival in the 2016 GOP presidential primary, tweeted: “Very important for the nation to hear @POTUS describe events in #Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by #whitesupremacists.” .

Hours before the White House statement Sunday, Ivanka Trump, a daughter of the president and a White House adviser, tweeted: “There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazis. We must all come together as Americans -- and be one country UNITED. #Charlottesville.”

Trump also got support before the White House release from Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and another Trump rival in last year’s GOP presidential primary.

“Donald Trump, I thought, was very explicitly clear in condemning what happened,” he said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” “He will never satisfy those who hate his every word.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., tweeted that Trump must “speak out against the poisonous resurgence of white supremacy. There are not 'many sides' here, just right and wrong."

Our thought is simply this. Where was Schiff and his cronies on the left and right when President Obama refused to call out the Black Lives Matter movement for advocating the killing of police? Was there not two sides to that issue? There IS just right and wrong and simply put you don't go around killing cops or advocating such. But such is the nation we live in.

Until BOTH sides of the racial aisles admit there are issues that divide us - those divisions will never be healed. There are several sides Mr. Schiff but none of your left leaning loon friends would ever want to really address the realities of those. It's simpler to bash the President over every single word than to look in the mirror as to what has brought us to this place in our nation.

We strongly condemn the violence in Charlottesville period. We condemn the clashes and riots that broke out prior to this criminal running his car into a crowd of anti-protesters. We condemn the rhetoric from politicians who love to Monday morning quarterback when these tragedies take place instead of realizing that there are truly two sides to this debate. Neither side has the right to use violence to make their point. We mourn the loss of life and those injured. Our prayers and condolences to the family of Ms. Heyer and the families of the troopers involved in the crash.

As President Trump said, it's just "Sad."

America does need to take a look at itself in a mirror. If we want a real dialogue about race let's have it. But let's bring BOTH SIDES to the table and make BOTH SIDES accountable. What the left wants is a one-sided white-bashing conversation. That is not where unity will come from. True unity begins when both sides admit blame and reconcile with the other as both sides move forward to improve relations with the other.


 

Christopher McDonald, Publisher, Editor in Charge

Great Smoky Mountain Journal

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