Originally posted on The Coalition of the Brave.
Sometimes it’s difficult to comment properly on a situation as it unfolds. Sometimes, it’s really really easy. What’s going on in Charlottesville, USA, is very easy to properly comment on. It’s about racists wanting to enable more racism, under the guise that they’re the poor, oppressed class, even though none of them have actually known true oppression.
This all started (or at least the excuse that will be given is) because of plans to remove a statue of US Civil War General Robert E. Lee, who fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the conflict. Plans to remove a pro-slavery symbol have been met by marchers – who appear to consist of almost entirely white men – protesting against… well, I’m not sure they even know. How exactly are they being victimised or oppressed? Will one of them strike up the courage to explain this to me?
Do they know that the symbols they march with – the Confederate flag, the Swastika – are in fact emblems of evil and violence? Surely no one can be so ignorant, not least of all when the history of these symbols are so well known?
I’ll probably end up writing about this a lot more – highlighting Trump’s weak attempt to spread the blame for this – and the scary and open displays of bigotry, but not right now. At the time of writing this, at least one person has died when a car ploughed through a crowd of anti-far right protesters, and that’s just too sickening. Worse still, Trump hasn’t had the conviction or courage to even mention this. Let’s just hope, no matter how bad this is now, it can serve as a lightening rod for those who wish for a better way.
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