Before getting to President Trumps statement, consider the permit legal injunction and other background info on the Charlottesville event as described in my article entitled Background Info on Protests in Charlottesville Virginia on August 12, 2017 if you have not already read it.
Now for President Trump’s statements.
President Trump gave an initial statement about the Charlottesville, Virginia incident at a briefing on the signing of the Veteran Healthcare Bill. He gave the initial statement on the same day only a few hours after the incident occurred. I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt as to what he knew about the details of what had happened at the time he gave the initial statement.
Of course when he gave the initial statement, it is probable that he and his staff had not been able time-wise to ascertain and confirm exactly what had happened including what the protesters and counter-protesters had done. At that point it was known that someone had been killed but exactly what happened probably was unclear at the time he gave the initial statement. Because a purported member of the protesting group did something so terrible does not mean the whole group or even its leadership approved of what he had done.
Clearly President Trump and former President Obama have different personalities. But President Trumps initial statement was comparable to Presidents Obama’s initial statement concerning the shooting of police officers in Dallas with respect to blame and the need for us as a nation to address the issues together since we all share in some of the blame, collectively speaking. For example, President Obama in hiss initial statement on the Dallas shooting said “We still don’t know all the facts”. President Trump in his initial statement on Charlottesville said “So, we want to get the situation straightened out in Charlottesville, and we want to study it. And we want to see what we’re doing wrong as a country where things like this can happen.” These are comparable statements.
A young woman named Heather Heyer was run over seemingly intentionally at the rally. Two state trooper died in a helicopter crash trying to control the situation.
Heather’s mother said the following:
“Conversations have to happen. That’s the only way we’re going to carry Heather’s spark through.
“Find what’s wrong, don’t ignore it, don’t look the other way,” Bro said. “Say to yourself, ‘What can I do to make a difference?’ And that’s how you’re going to make my child’s death worthwhile.
“I’d rather have my child, but by golly, if I have to give her up, we’re going to make it count,” Bro said to a round of applause.
“I want this to spread, I don’t want this to die,” she said. “This is just the beginning of Heather’s legacy.”
Although different words and different emphasis are employed I think the theme of President Obama, President Trump, and Heather’s mother was/is comparable in terms of the general problem and the need for us all to better work for a solution.
I certainly do not approve of White Supremacy attitude or actions. Neither do I approve of Black Supremacy attitudes or actions. I denounce racial supremacy of any type.
I certainly would not accuse all the protesters of murder because one of them committed murder.
Certainly it would be improper to blame the Black Lives Matter rally attendees in Dallas in July 2016 for the sniper who killed five police officers in the vicinity of the rally right after the rally ended.
A video only of the President’s overview (initial statement) response on August 12, 2017 just hours after the incident may be found below. A transcript and video of the overview (initial statement) can also be found here.
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A video and transcript of the President’s more detailed (subsequent statement) response on August 14, 2017 can be found below as well as here.
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