Can We Talk 2

Local Heartbreak Continues

         Truth is not something the media is very interested in pursuing. Even half-truths filled an email from the rector at the university sent to thousands of people yesterday. And so anger and outrage is growing. No one is owning up to any errors in judgment or improper planning. No one is apologizing.

         The sorrow which prevails in my town began when some neo Nazis marched across the campus of a liberal university after dark, carrying torches and chanting anti-Semitic statements. It sounded like indoctrination from some other time period. Why at that place? There is little religion at all on that campus of any kind. Of course, that sparked reaction, but the reaction grew too fast and got out of control and with no thought of safety.

         The original permit had been for 400 people on Saturday, but over 1000 showed up, counting the KKK, and the Polynesian group that's new to me. Add to that the counter group of protesters. There were some people on both sides who only wanted to make a point and be heard. There were some people on both sides that were looking for a fight. That was too many people in a limited space, some ready to fight, some ready to argue and unprepared for a fight, and some who just wanted to be in the middle of the drama. I'm sure both sides had some people who just went along with their buddies for something to do.

         Maybe it's my age, but the Friday night thing would have scared me into staying at home and finding some other way of expressing myself. Neo Nazis have been around a while, and are like gang members. They are ready to die. They feel disenfranchised and just want a cause to belong to. That makes them dangerous. Protesting against them isn't going to phase them. Instead, it will make them dig in their heels.

         Meanwhile, in the background are two civil war statues that are considered works of art, no matter who they portray. It will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to move them. I have talked to several black people who say they don't mind them. They played around them when they were kids. But people look at them in different ways and see different things, rewriting history as they do. Most people have a flawed perception of the Civil War and how it began. But that's not the point here. There were a few people at the rally, very few, who were protesting moving the statues. That sort of got lost in the melee that ensued.

         It really just turned into a big hate fest. Left hating extreme right and anyone who could have been stereotyped in with them, right hating left, white fighting white. There was hatred on both sides and intolerance. I still want to hear someone in these groups say "I defend your right to your opinion and your free speech. I will not hurt you. Now you respect my rights and don't hurt me." We'll never all agree with each other or like each other. But that doesn't mean we have to hurt each other or interfere with our abilities to take care of ourselves and our families.

         Safety has to come first. There may come a time when you simply have to take a stand and be firm. But until that time comes, practice safety precautions. Stay away from dangerous groups; be aware of what's going on around you. And when you start criticizing some other person or persons, take a look at yourself first and be sure you aren't doing the same thing to them.