Editor:

Like Inspector Reynaud in the movie “Casablanca” who was “shocked” to find gambling going on, Karl Schmidt in his letter “The left can’t leave peace alone” claims that racist groups “hijacked” a supposedly peaceful march in Charlottesville.

Of course, he failed to mention that the demonstration titled “Unite the Right” was organized by Jason Kessler, a white supremacist. Who did Schmidt expect at the rally if not various violence-prone racist groups like the neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan? If there was anyone there who actually followed Schmidt’s idea of peaceful protest to defend Confederate history, they apparently were few and far between.

Perhaps Schmidt could give us a list of the non-racist groups who attended the rally and didn’t get involved with violence?

Schmidt claims that “the Confederacy wanted freedom and independence.” He forgot to conclude his statement with the words “to keep our slaves.”

Schmidt says that “only the historically-bankrupt can waive a Nazi and Confederate flag together.” Is that the worst he can say about racist groups violating his traditions is that they’re historically-bankrupt?

Apparently, Schmidt finds it difficult to criticize white supremacist groups that supposedly smear his traditionalist ideas with hate and violence.

Schmidt shows he is much more comfortable in blaming everything on the mythical “left-wing media” which reported the incidents. Schmidt has taken a page from President Donald Trump. Don’t like the message, attack the messenger.

 

James Peca

Farmville