Antifa vs. Alt-Right

Here's some information about the Antifa (Anti-Fascist) members you might find interesting. I'm NOT saying that the Alt-Right is OK, or without blame. Neither side covered themselves with glory in Charlottesville. The trouble is, BOTH sides think they were the put-upon one.

From what I could see (both in the TV news, and online videos), almost everyone in that situation made some bad choices.

• The Alt-Right - for deliberately provoking with their use, or accommodation of Nazi symbols, Supremacist chants, and confrontational attitudes. Perhaps, as they claim, all of the marchers weren't in those groups. But, by allying themselves with those who were, they undermined their position, and supported those fringe-element aims.
• The Antifa - for their use of violence in previous actions - throwing things, vandalizing, assaulting people. Their history made a tense situation even worse, as their opposition had some justification for feeling threatened. I especially disliked the use of facial coverings - if they believe that they are right, why are they afraid of letting their identity being known?
• UPDATE: Lord, as though there wasn't enough blood spilled already, some of the participants are organizing to do more damage.
• The city - they used poor judgement in refusing the permit, then, after allowing it at the location chosen, taking it back, and forcing the marchers to re-locate. They are also said to have ordered the police to do nothing in the face of violence.
• The police - they allowed the situation to escalate, then forced the marchers to pass close to the Antifa group. They should have kept them far apart. I don't care what the orders are - the role of the cops in the field is to make their own assessment, and act to prevent violence.

I do think, however, that - on both sides - they are PEOPLE. Not Evil Monsters. Not inhuman beasts to be attacked, disrespected, or killed. The proper Christian response to hate is to love (the person inside, not the sinful actions outside). Given the disrespect and levels of hostility between the groups, it isn't surprising that an unbalanced man took action that killed one person and injured others.

That's what happens when you demonize your opposition.

I've been thinking about the topic of how we - by that, I mean the people who are NOT screaming at each other in the streets - might do our part to reduce the level of suspicion, anger, and divisive behavior.

Confrontation is not working. Screaming at each other in the streets is not helping - in many ways, BOTH sides become more sure of their own position, and less inclined to listen to concerns from the other side.

Why is that important? We are all God's precious children - yes, even those that reject Him. Like any father, he is pained by his children's arguing and fighting. He does love both sides, even when they think harshly and act badly.

So, no, screaming, throwing things, and deliberately trying to provoke a violent reaction are not what we should be doing.

Somehow, we have got to love God enough to make the effort to love each other. To try to understand each other's fears and hurts. To WANT to find common ground, and begin to re-build a country torn by hate, fear, and very deep suspicion of each other.

The ones that think SOME people are beyond help, and need to be screamed at, scolded, hounded out of their jobs (the irony of this is HUGE - one of the BIG complaints of the Alt-Right is that, if they don't TOTALLY fall in line with Leftist thinking, they experience difficulty keeping their jobs), and - if they don't perform a PUBLIC mea culpa, complete with confession that they are worthless scum, banished from American life.

I get the feeling that only suicide, followed by tearing apart the corpse and scattering the pieces to the winds, will satisfy the Left. Maybe not even then.

Don't think people can change? Don't think transformation of spirit can be done? You might want to read a moving, and transformational story of hate turned to love.

And that isn't the only time we have come together in love.

Sarah Hoyt has the outsider's view of the whole thing (Yes, she is an American now, but she spent her youth in Europe, and has a different perspective on it).

The young people who want to see the statues taken from their public place should re-focus their goals, not on tearing them down (vandalism), or bullying others into going along with their removal, but on changing hearts, so their opponents will WANT to see them removed. You can FIGHT your opposition, or you can work to TRANSFORM them into your supporters.

BTW, if the Leftists don't watch it, they will BECOME their opposition - hatefilled, violent, and unwilling to leave the past behind.

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