Virtue Signalling over Charlottesville
Vincent J. Curtis
14 August 2017
Compared with a routine weekend in Chicago, IL, a small
disturbance took place in Charlottesville, VA, last Saturday. But from the
reaction to it in the media, one would think that a shattering apocalyptic
event took place. Perhaps one did, but
more on that later.
First, some background.
One of the tacit acts of reconciliation of the American Civil War was the
acceptance, or at least toleration of, some of the Civil War heroes and symbols
of the South. That included the tolerance
of the erection of monuments and statues of important Southern generals, such
as, for example, Robert E. Lee. General
Lee, the Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, is perhaps the most
important figure of the war on the Southern side. He is certainly one of Virginia’s most famous
sons and is perhaps the most respected general on either side of the war.
Of late, it has become common that these old monuments and old
flags be disrespected. It is as if
people woke up one morning and suddenly realized that these symbols represented
the cause of racism and slavery. For
several years now, statues of Confederate generals have been taken down from places of prominence they occupied for over a century, and are
being put where they cannot be seen.
That old compromise of the acceptance of remembrances to the courage and
sacrifice by and for Southerners for a bad cause was being broken.
It came to pass that the city council of Charlottesville,
VA, contemplated removing a statue erected to the memory of CS General Robert
E. Lee from the public square. In
reaction to this perceived desecration, a rally was organized under the
auspices of a Unite the Right committee.
The group obtained from the city a proper permit to hold a rally around
the statue. As you might expect, a small
group numbering perhaps a couple of hundred from several states came together
in the ironically named Emancipation Park.
These people were described as “white nationalists” (whatever that is; I
get the ‘white’ part), members of the alt-right movement, neo-nazis, white
supremacists, and members of the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan (both of them). I believe I have accounted for all the
left-wing dog whistles used to describe the ralliers.
If they were described in the media as the “lunatic fringe,” much of the newsworthiness of the rally and of the violence that followed
would disappear. However, for the
purposes of criticizing President Donald Trump, these groups and this rally was
held out as being vaguely representative of something white, conservative, and
Trumpish. And thus of significance.
The Antifa movement couldn’t let this one go. Used to shutting down free speech of those
they dislike, Antifa haters, progressive left-wingers, communists, anarchists,
Black Lives Matter racists, and assorted left-wing fringe groups organized a
counter-protest in order to disrupt the original rally. And violence did occur between the two groups
before the original rally got started.
The most significant act of violence was the running down of one of the
Antifa side by a car, which killed her and in its career injured nearly two
dozen more of the Antifa side.
This killing is being held up in the media as being
significant for all the wrong reasons.
It is being offered as an act of terrorism by “white nationalists” and
as symbolic of the truth of the alt-right and possibly of conservativism itself
(through association). These
insinuations give the media circus an opening to condemn Donald Trump for not
denouncing with sufficient ardor those they see as his hardest core of
supporters.
This killing was not an “act of terrorism.” It merely resembles one. An act of terrorism is perpetrated against
innocent people going about their daily lives; the act is planned; it is done
in a cold emotional state, and most importantly it is done for a definable
political cause. The running down of
people on Westminster Bridge or in Nice, France, were acts of terrorism to advance
the Islamist cause. The killing in
Charlottesville was not done against innocent people going about their daily
lives but against violent counter-protesters who had no business being there; the act was done in anger and
frustration, it was not long planned, and it is not exactly clear in whose name
or what cause this supposedly political act was done. This was not an act of terrorism, but an
ordinary act of homicide – murder in the second degree or criminal negligence
causing death (if the driver hadn’t formulated the intent to kill.)
The Antifa movement couldn’t be more pleased with itself,
for it got what it came for and more. It
got a martyr. It got an act it can point
to as an act of terrorism by “white” “right-wing” “nationalists.” It completely disrupted the rally it intended
to disrupt before it got started. And it
brought a bright media spotlight on people and causes it hates, that had
nothing to do with the original rally. And nobody is asking what Antifa was doing there.
Prominent conservative spokesmen were falling all over
themselves condemning “white nationalists,” the alt-right, and KKK, and called
on other white conservatives to do the same.
The provocative actions of the Antifa movement were completely
ignored. All the blame fell on the “white
conservative movement.” Even Newt
Gingrich on Fox News Sunday fell into this trap, failing to mention the Antifa
movement in an even-handed condemnation, which to me is a sign of how powerful
left-wing prejudices are in the public mind.
Leave it to Trump to act with the wisdom of Solomon and
condemn the violence which came from many sides. Trump is president of all Americans, not just
left-wing or right-wing Americans, as his immediate predecessor often acted. Trump’s even-handed condemnation of violence
and political division infuriated the media because they wanted him to make a
one-sided condemnation of his alleged supporters and thus separate him from
them. Trump out-smarted the media –
again – and this only redoubles their fury as it adds to their confusion.
If I seem to be going a little light on the “white
nationalists” it is because I see the Antifa movement as the more dangerous to
public policy. Nobody takes the tiny
right-wing fringe movement seriously, but the wacko-left seems to be taking
over the core of the Democrat party. The
right-wing fringe aren’t going to revolutionize public policy, but the Antifa
hate movement has had serious repercussions causing a loss of scope of free
speech. Free speech is not allowed on
most college campuses in America, and now in the major American corporation Google. Only approved speech is allowed, and the
Antifa movement has and will react violently to challenges to their regime of
approved speech.
Everybody is expected to tolerate demonstrations by
left-wing groups, be they BLM, LGBTQWERTY supporters, transgender supporters,
racial segregation groups, etc. But the
equivalent on the alleged political right is not going to be tolerated, and
that lack of even-handedness I deplore.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Trump was right in saying that deep political division has
long been present in America; and that he condemns violence from any side is
the wisdom of a president of all the people.
That white and conservative commentators are reacting defensively looks
bad on them, and shows the power of left-wing prejudices in the public forum.
Charlottesville is being blown way out of proportion by a
media looking for another excuse to put conservatives on the spot, and to make Donald
Trump dance to their tune for once. Besides, Chicago is a Democrat city.
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