“There were decent people on both sides”
Trump on Tuesday claimed that there were decent people on both sides of the conflict in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday. While it could be said that there were some indecent people in both groups using violence as a means of expression, it cannot be said that there were decent people amongst the Nazis, White Supremacists, White Nationalists and other Alt-Right groups.
This should be obvious because any decent person arriving in Charlottesville on Saturday, even if they were ignorant to the Nazi style “torch rally” the night before, would have instantly turned tail and ran when they saw who their fellow protesters were. There are, of course, plenty of decent people who feel strongly that Confederate statues should be left in place throughout the country. But, at a protest where outspoken and obvious members of the KKK and other White Supremacist groups are present, any decent minded, non-racist would have the fortitude to instantly pack up and leave, not wanting to be associated with such scum.
Thus, anyone who stayed and protested with known racists cannot honestly be considered “decent”, according to what the term actually means. Protesting alongside Nazis is a clear sign that a person puts their southern pride ahead of racial equality and honor.
“Confederate statues should be left in place”
Thursday, Trump sent a series of tweets condemning the removal of “beautiful” statues memorializing and praising members of the Confederacy. While it can certainly be said that not all Confederate soldiers and officers were bad people and were merely products of their time, the Confederacy itself was primarily based on keeping blacks in chains, making sure that their society was one that recognized them as being strictly and legally inferior to whites.
This can clearly be seen in the Cornerstone Address, an oration delivered by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at the Athenaeum in Savannah, GA on March 21, 1861. Stephens made clear what the principal goal and purpose of the secession and the Confederacy actually was:
Our new government is founded upon exactly [this] idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.
During and after reconstruction following the Confederacy’s loss in the Civil War, Confederate statues were placed throughout the South as a way for white racist leaders to make sure blacks knew their place. Regardless of the fact that they lost what they called the “War of Northern Aggression”, whites were still in charge. And, naming parks, buildings, roads and dedicating statues in prominent locations was their way of hammering in this shameful point.
Now, it is true that history should not be erased, and everyone should learn a lesson from the traitorous Confederacy and their subjugation of an entire race. That is why these statues belong in museums rather than in places of admiration, no matter how southerners feel about it. The mere fact that the Confederacy attacked our great nation as a band of racist traitors should be enough to avoid any praise of them. It’s time our children learned the truth about this part of American history. These statues are a reminder of the absolute horrors perpetrated by southern states during and prior to that time.
“If we take these statues down, who’s next … George Washington”
Trump’s comparison here is obviously ludicrous. It is true that Washington was a slave holder. But, the Confederate statues are not being removed simply because they depict men who owned slaves. They are being removed because they depict traitors to our young nation who fought a war, causing the deaths of over a million Americans, primarily to preserve the institution of slavery and the inferiority of black people.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were, indeed, slave holders who lived in southern states. But, they are founding fathers who never took up arms against us. They fought against a tyrannical king who taxed them without representation and treated colonists as lesser men and women. They were fighting for liberty rather than against it, and our country was born as a result. We celebrate them not for their owning of slaves, but for their courageous fight against oppression.
In short, men like Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson were traitors fighting for racial superiority in their culture. George Washington, on the other hand, was fighting against tyranny and a monarchy that refused to be reasonable and was guilty of atrocities where innocent men and women were murdered. All in all, the Confederacy lost for good reason, both tactically and morally, and that truth should be recognized.
Traitors who fought for racism should not be celebrated. They should be studied and learned from, but honoring them is a ludicrous proposition that has gone on for far too long. Let’s make a museum to the Confederacy and be done with it. And, if it upsets White Supremacist groups and those who choose to protest alongside them, we can be confident we are doing the right thing.
The reasoning behind Trump’s words should be obvious. I don’t think our President is a racist or White Nationalist. I think he is a Trump Supremacist. Anyone who is not as successful as he is not his equal … in his words, they are “losers”. His reasoning has to do with the fact that White Nationalists and White Supremacists support him, compliment him, and, most importantly, voted for him. As has been made entirely too clear, Trump is willing to befriend any group that expressly supports him. And, he will do whatever he can to make sure they aren’t offended out of fear of losing that support.
Now, some may say that all politicians think like this. But, that is incorrect. Courting voters is all too common and expected, but when it comes to the Alt-Right, White Supremacists, White Nationalists, Nazis, and the KKK, the vast majority of politicians would do the right thing. They would speak honestly and state the obvious when it comes to any White Supremacist group. There were certainly decent people on the side of the counter-protesters. They were standing up against racism, attempting to stick up for blacks, Jews, and immigrants … an undeniably honorable pursuit, for we saw in the 1930s what can happen when we don’t stand up to brown-shirt Nazi thugs. But, there were absolutely no decent people who chose to stay and protest marching alongside obvious and outspoken racists using actual Nazi insignia and slogans to profess their love for a group of traitors who fought and killed to keep slavery in place and make sure that black people knew their inferiority to whites.
It’s time for all Americans to recognize how despicable Trump’s words and sentiments were regarding the protests in Charlottesville. He has sold his soul in exchange for support from the most vile, evil, despicable and un-American citizens our country has to offer. We cannot forget and we cannot forgive him for this unless he specifically asks for our mercy … which we all know will never happen, as our President sees apologies as a sign of weakness.