In the past few days, much has been made of President Trump not condemning the violence in Charlottesville in strong enough terms. The media and social media are percolating with people claiming that the President should have named names and condemned the KKK and Neo-Nazis as hate-mongering terrorists. Many people are furious with the President and interpret his condemnation via generalities as a tacit endorsement of the acts of the radical groups.
Believe me, I understand their frustration. I know exactly how they feel because it is precisely how I felt during the last few years of President Obama’s administration with his refusal to condemn the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s an awful feeling isn’t it, wishing your President would speak out in no uncertain terms against something that is clearly evil, leaving you wondering why the individual in America’s highest office won’t condemn something that clearly contradicts our core American values?
The Black Lives Matter organization is a racist terrorist hate group launched in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tomeki in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman after the killing of Trayvon Martin. “Terrorism” is defined as “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims,” which fits the Black Lives Matter movement perfectly.
This extremist hate group has stoked riots in Ferguson, Baltimore, St. Paul, Baton Rouge, Dallas, Oakland, and other cities that have resulted in violence, the murder of police officers, and massive property destruction complete with signs and chants about killing white people and police officers.
The members of this hate-group vocally advocate violence against white people and the murder of individuals in law enforcement. In an essay on the Black Lives Matter Facebook page, leaders expressed unflinching support and breathless admiration for Fidel Castro, a brutal dictator, along with Michael Finney, Ralph Goodwin, Charles Hill, and Huey Newton. All cop killers.
Toronto Black Lives Matter co-founder Yusra Khogali has argued that “whites are subhuman” and suffer from “genetic defects” and has tweeted about killing white people. Then there is Eric Ukuni, a Denver Black Lives Matter acolyte who proclaimed, “Three people will die today” and proceeded to steal a truck by stabbing the owner in the neck with a screwdriver before intentionally driving into pedestrians, killing an elderly man this time last year. Sound familiar? The examples could go on and on.
Did President Obama condemn the hate-group? No, President Obama embraced it, inviting its leaders and other Ferguson protesters to the White House on more than one occasion and appointing one, Brittany Packnett, to a task force on policing. He defended the slogan “Black Lives Matter” when asked, “Don’t all lives matter?” and he went out of his way to defend the group at a memorial service for five Dallas policemen murdered by a black sniper at a Black Lives Matter demonstration. Be thankful that President Trump hasn’t gone that far.
The media, which is now obsessed with the Alt-Right, Nazis, and the KKK, did no better than the President, constantly giving fawning coverage to Black Lives Matter. In 2015, Time named Black Lives Matter a runner-up for its annual “Person of the Year.” Can you imagine living in a country where the KKK was a runner-up for “Person of the Year” for a major mainstream publication? You think things are bad under President Trump?
We cannot afford to have selective memories and selective outrage. We can’t be against hatred when it suits us. You can’t condemn Charlottesville but try to justify Ferguson. You can’t decry Neo-Nazis and the KKK and support Black Lives Matter. If you do, you are the worst kind of hypocrite. Hatred is hatred is hatred. Let’s stand together against all of it.
Paul Rivers
Chattanooga
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Mr. Rivers hit a home run with this post!
The nut cases that riot at a legal protests need to be locked up and the police share some fault in this one taking their time to react (a la Baltimore). No one should disagree that those bent on destroying American values (KKK, BLM etc.) are on the edge BUT the Constitution gives them the right to be as nasty as they wish as long as they don't physically harm another.
I wrote Obama off when he went to play golf as an American's blood was still running into the sand after his head was cut off. I most definitely applaud President Trump for waiting for ALL the information to come in before making statements that could come back on him (remember "the police acted stupidly)?
Face it America, this President absolutely cannot win regardless of what he does/says as far as the media is concerned. I liked what Ms. King had to say today, she too hit a home run.
Sue White