Charlottesville

[L Verge]

I may be forced off the forum for my thoughts, but here they are. While many are trying to heap the blame on President Trump, I happen to agree with his original tweet that there is hatred on many sides that needs to stop. Very few people are guiltless in this game, no matter your race.

Most of you already know my opinion of the one-sided members of the press nowadays, and I will further state that I consider them to be part of the blame for this event in particular. For a week ahead of time, the news people (at least in the DC area) were practically frothing at the mouth in anticipation of a confrontation in Charlottesville. They wanted coverage and ratings, and they got just that -- and we are listening to the event re-broadcasted over and over with nothing new and different and no attempt at quelling further violence. And, the press members deliberately collar our politicians who they know will give them the sound bytes they are looking for. In other circumstances, these forms of news media personnel would be called instigators.

And, they group everyone out there who want to keep the statue of Lee and others as "white supremacists." I guess that includes me, even though I have a multitude of African American friends and colleagues as well as friends of other ethnicities -- and I just presented a talk on Immigration, Inclusion, and the Appreciation of Diversity to a large, mixed audience and got rave reviews. My wanting to keep reminders of our country's history, trials, and triumphs does not make me a white supremacist.

Finally, I consider that some of this is race baiting, pure and simple, on the part of the press, but also on the part of our enemies (seen and unseen) who are working to bring our nation down. They have found what is perhaps our weakest point, and they will continue to hit us on it. I hear comments all the time in my area about this unseen billionaire who pays $$$/hour to anyone who will go out and protest for any and all causes that will work against us.

I have lived through segregation (in a segregated state), watched our country torn apart by real hatred in the 50s and 60s, taught in the early days of desegregation with forced busing, and the like. I truly feel that there are evil people out there trying to force us back into those times of turmoil, and they come in a variety of colors!