Initially planned as a simple protest against the removal of a statue honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee, the "Unite the Right" rally, otherwise known as The Sacred Movement to Save and Restore the White Race, escalated from there, turning into a nation-wide call for all members of the so-called 'alt-right' (white supremacists, nationalists, secessionists and neo-nazis) to gather to 'take back America'. Speakers from across the spectrum (see photo below) were scheduled including noted fascist Richard Spencer, League of the South founder Michael Hill and former head of the KKK, David Duke (the same KKK/David Duke Donald Trump, then campaigning, claimed to know nothing about and refused to condemn at the time until, in order to "be fair", he was allowed to do a little more research). Duke explained the intent of the rally this way:
"This represents a turning point for the people [at least the white ones] of this country. We are determined to take our country [the white one] back; we're going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump, and that's what we believed in, that's why we voted for Donald Trump because he said he was going to take our country back and that's what we gotta do."
*It began much as one would expect with marchers on one side variously estimated in numbers from dozens to hundreds, reminiscent of the rallies in 1930's Nazi Germany but without the brown shirts (replaced by polos, plaid flannel and 'dad jeans') shouting antisemitic phrases like "The Jews will not replace us!", "White Lives Matter!" and the nazi slogan "Blood and Soil". The daytime placards were replaced by lit Tiki torches after dark as if CostCo had a sale and you bought in bulk. It was inevitable that violence should break out at some point, escalating from the shouting and name calling into pushing and shoving, placards and those lit torches becoming clubs, fists and blood flying. As the violence spread around the statue of Thomas Jefferson, founder of the university that was the center for this rally, the two groups met in force, the larger consisting of the 'alt-right'/nationalists surrounding the smaller one of counter-protesters. The skirmish that ensued was met with pepper spray and was declared an 'unlawful assembly' and broken up. However, possibly having not used their nightly allotment of insults, The Cavalier Daily reported that some of the 'alt-right' protesters, while waiting for their rides (MOooOm, can you pick me and my friends up at the mall, please?) , decided to begin throwing misogynistic, antisemitic and homophobic insults at reporters and others who had gathered to ask them questions, one of whom was thrown to the ground.
The next morning at 11:00 a.m., after the violence of the previous night, the city declared a state of emergency citing continued concern over "an imminent threat of civil disturbance, unrest, potential injury to persons, and destruction of public and personal property." An hour later Governor Terry McAuliffe also declared a state of emergency. Breaking off into groups and not being ready to surrender their Noble Mission to Save the White Race, one numbering about 500 continued the slogan-chanting, moving off under waving confederate and nazi flags until they found themselves in a face-off with a group of about 1000 counter-protesters which resulted in more punches, some kicking and thrown water bottles before riot police once again cleared the scene, calling it an unlawful assemblage. It was at this time, and despite the fact that any continuance of the same might be considered illegal that a group of about 100 die-hard followers moved on to the place where several notables like Spencer had been scheduled to speak followed by a larger crowd of protesters. This was about 11:40 a.m. and within about two hours things would take an unexpected turn to tragedy. Unexpected, but considering the hateful tone of many of the participants, sadly not surprising.
What was not expected, at least by the majority of those there on either side, was that one pathetic 20-year-old man-boy as a way of pledging loyalty to his white brothers would end up taking this same time to prove his unadulterated devotion to the Gospel of Hate and Racial Purity by turning a car (should I say 'allegedly' just to sound fair?) into a murder weapon, plowing into the crowd injuring 19 and taking the life of 32-year-old Heather Heyer.
Comments of condemnation began to come from all sides and both political parties. Melania Trump (whether personally or through an aide) even expressed her condolences which tended to show more genuine sympathy than the rather feeble well-scripted outrage her husband would eventually deliver. And that. in it's own way would, compound the tragedy even more since not only was it delivered sans any degree of emotion but he refused to name it an act of white supremacy or domestic terrorism since it's only those acts, when committed by peoples of color, we need to fear, especially if they're not 'christian'. Originally scheduled as a mid-vacation photo-op to sign an act on veteran's benefits, the comments on Charlottesville, which some are calling his 'Katrina moment', were added at the last minute so maybe he (or his writers) simply didn't have the time to choose just the right words they felt were needed. But after the statement, when asked if he felt his 'outrage' was strong enough and possibly should have used those particular terms, he ignored the question and walked away. I mean, why should he call them out by name when they're a major part of what/who helped put him in office in the first place? Of course, the White House did what they usually do; put out a statement that helped clarify his remarks by saying it should be evident that racists, neo-nazis and white supremacists were the ones he was talking about. I mean, why use all those extra words when you'd be depriving those who need to come out and say 'what he meant was...' of a paycheck. Of course we also have a certain un-named 'senior White House official' who decided that the fault lies with the "leftist thugs". Really? Un-named? In a case like this, you'd think we deserve a name (and for some reason I have a feeling the name rhymes with either "LEAVE CANON" or "HEAVIN' STILLER" because it sure sounds like something either one of them would say).
Included in the voices claiming Mr Trump "didn't go far enough" were people from across the board, even members of his own party including Orin Hatch and, possibly most notably, Ted Cruz, but one not impressed was one of the main voices of the event, his 'dear fried', David Duke. After Trump tweeted "We ALL must be united and condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Let's come together as one." Lashing out in a series of tweets of his own, David shot back "So, after decades of White Americans being targeted for discriminated (sic) & anti-White hatred, we [referring to the white 'alt-right groups only] come together as a people, and you attack us [despite the fact that no one group was mentioned by name].....I would recommend you take a good look in the mirror and remember it was White Americans who put you in the White House, not radical leftists....White Americans are so afraid to speak out that we've allowed our country to be invaded and our children to be propagandized by marxists." Well, seems the little cupcake was upset, and I reiterate that not one of the groups involved in the planning or organization of this event was mentioned by name or affiliation so I can only guess that it was the words "All", "be united", "condemn...hate" and "come together as one" that got his sheets all in a bunch. After all, once you vote for someone and he gets elected, he belongs to you and must do as you (and only you) say and to think that he was actually elected to represent every American (regardless of those stupid things like race, color, creed yadayadayada people are always yammering about) is simply ludicrous. I'm sure the evangelicals can relate.
It's now being said that Mr. Trump intends to schedule a press conference to possibly help clarify his position. Time and place TBD because, after all, he is still on vacation and too much time has been wasted already on all this miscellanae and has started to negatively affect his stroke. Hmmmm, is it perverse that I find the words 'Trump' and 'stroke' strangely attractive? But I digress. We, or at least some of us, can only wait to see if it happens and if he decides answer any related questions or simply wander the dais aimlessly, grinning and waving, before leaving a group of bewildered reporters behind shouting questions in hopes of getting answers he never intended to give in the first place.
The possibility of a news conference aside, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this for some time, including the reasons why it happened. For some reason I have a feeling the words 'suffering from a mental disorder' will come into play but considering why he was probably there in the first place that should be fairly obvious. In the meantime I'm also sure that it's an incident that the White House will find easy to brush aside, what with all the "locked and loaded", "fire and fury (and power. Don't forget power)" talk being used as a welcome (?) diversion from all that "Russia? Russia? Who's got the Russia?" talk on FAKE NEWS. I am wondering, though, whose bedroom door is going to be knocked on and who's going to be the next lucky recipient of a no-knock warrant? Jared? Ivanka? Are you decent?
NOTE: It may not appear that way but this whole thing has been very upsetting and unsettling. This is just the way I cope with things. I would never consciously trivialize a matter like this and I apologize if anyone is offended. Sarcasm and Snark are my coping mechanisms. And screaming. But screaming doesn't translate well to the written form. Thank you.
*Augustus Invictus is one of the stranger loved ones of this movement. Born Austin Gillespie he has a B.A. with honors and a law degree. A Republican who became a Libertarian, he was later dropped by that party after writing a paper endorsing eugenics in which he says only the strong and intelligent should be allowed to breed while the stupid and weak should not (although the government cannot be trusted with following through on such a program) and for performing a sadistic ritual sacrifice of a goat and drinking it's blood, though he denied the 'sadistic' part. He has claimed to be a god and a prophet and has been accused of psychologically and physically abusing women. In other words, he's a real nut case.
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