Who's to Blame for Charlottesville?
As the nation mourns the aftermath of Charlottesville, President Donald Trump has yet again become the subject of criticism by Democrats and Republicans alike. The media, politicians and everyday people have condemned the comments Trump made after the violence in Charlottesville.
The anger that followed Trump’s comments on the attack were regarding his statement that “both sides” are to blame. Many wanted the President to hold the “alt-right” solely accountable for the totality of the chaos. There is no doubt that the racist protesters were more at fault; many brought guns and shields to the rally, preparing for violence at an event that should have been peaceful. While the white supremacists who injured unarmed protesters and killed a woman should be brought to justice, it is has proven to be necessary to condemn both sides.
There should be no argument that the “alt-left,” as Trump says, should take some responsibility for what unfolded in Charlottesville. Alt-left protesters also engaged in violence, escalating what was already a tense situation. Videos have surfaced of both the opposing groups attacking each other without provocation. Instead of responding to violence with peaceful protest, both sides fought until a young woman died.
Public opinion does not always fall in line with the message that a President conveys. On the campaign trail, candidate Trump created a media circus and stirred much controversy, making seemingly off-the-cuff, outrageous and largely ignorant comments in an effort to appeal to voters. This conduct stands in comparison to President Trump, who may very well believe that the KKK and neo-Nazis are more to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, but made a conscious, deliberate decision not to put either group on a “moral plane.”
Even though Trump’s comments led to public outrage, he said what needed to be addressed. In the instance of Charlottesville, there were multiple parties at fault. And although it has harmed his reputation in the past, the president’s lack of care for popular opinion and being politically correct led him to make the right choice.
If President Trump had failed to hold both sides accountable for the violence in Charlottesville, one side would have felt as though they had been given a “get out of jail free” card. In fact, such a scenario played out after Trump made the mistake of not specifically calling out the KKK and neo-Nazis for the chaos in Charlottesville. Trump’s failure to denounce these hate groups received righteous criticism, especially because of its effect on group members. After President Trump’s comments, infamous white supremacist David Duke declared “victory” and even thanked the president for his statement. Only in a subsequent set of remarks did President Trump condemn the KKK and neo-Nazis for the attack.
We live in a country where political polarization increases with each passing year. The Republican and Democratic parties have shown that they have the inability to work together in Congress. Our current president was elected largely by a demographic that was angry at the establishment. The underlying cause of the violence in Charlottesville is not Confederate statues; it is each side’s deep-rooted distrust and fear of the other. In order to re-direct the dangerous path of our country, it will be necessary for President Trump to condemn both sides without letting either one off the hook.
Instead of widening the divide by responding to Trump’s statement with fury, we need to consider how we can begin to eliminate distrust and fear. By thinking before we react and looking at the culpability of both sides through a realistic, unbiased lens, I believe we can work toward uniting as a nation.