I put “protesters” in quotes because that’s how these guys are always described, as if vandalism is just a form of protest. As if violence is just a form of protest. It’s not. It’s vandalism and violence. They’re vandals and thugs. We shouldn’t condone it, no matter how we feel about their reasons.
Jennifer Brett, Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Protesters took to the streets in Atlanta and elsewhere Sunday night, outraged over the violence in Charlottesville, where a “Unite the Right” rally clashed with counter protesters…
The Atlanta march traveled from Woodruff Park to Piedmont Park Sunday, where some damaged the Peace Monument, erected in 1911. The sculpture features an angel standing above a Confederate soldier, guiding him to lay down his weapon.
“I completely understand what happened,” said Thornton Kennedy, a sixth generation Atlantan who has taken his children to visit it many times to explain Atlanta’s history. “It’s a statue that, to the observer, looks like a Confederate memorial.”
This assumes that these vandals made a mistake. It assumes that they want peace. I guess that’s possible?
Here’s some video from that evening. You can see a chain hanging down from the monument, which apparently is what the vandals used to try to tear it down:
I like the guy in the orange hat whitesplaining racism to the black cop. Check your privilege, young man.
An angry mob doesn’t care about the reasons behind the person or thing that has suddenly made them angry. They’re just looking for someone or something to take it out on.
So now we’ve got innocent people being doxed and chased from their homes because they’re mistaken for “Nazis.” We’ve got angry mobs trying to tear down symbols of peace. We’ve got adherents of one failed ideology street-fighting with adherents of another failed ideology. And we’re still bickering over a war that ended 150 years ago.
So far, 2017 is depressing AF.
P.S. But there are signs of hope! This is how you respond.
Whoever did this, we love you forever #ParticipationTrophy #AZagainstHate pic.twitter.com/AkHawsVXoy
— ProgressNow Arizona (@ProgressNowAZ) August 16, 2017
Confederate monuments as participation trophies. I love it.
This is how you respond. Not with vandalism. Not with violence. With mockery. It’s the one attack they can’t parry.
And it gets even better:
EDIT: This was done by Rebecca Olsen McHood, a Republican activist in Gilbert, Arizona
— ProgressNow Arizona (@ProgressNowAZ) August 16, 2017
Makes sense. After all, the Confederates were all Democrats.
