(01-13-2020 11:23 AM)mrbig Wrote:  OO, 69/70/75, and Tanq - I cited a few different articles explaining why there were not "very fine people" at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. In addition to the couple articles I linked, I also read quite a few other articles. All these contained pictures and/or video. In addition, I am drawing upon my memory of other pictures and video from that rally (and the night before where the dudes were marching with torches). I have put forward evidence that there were not "very fine people" at that rally on the right. I think everyone admits that there were some "very fine people" on the left because everyone has seen videos and photos that included the peaceful protesters on the left (like the girl who died). If you believe there were actually "very fine people" rallying alongside the white supremacists, nazis, and anti-semites that we all seem to agree were at the rally, then I am just asking if you have any evidence to support your belief. Trump's "very fine people on both sides" comment isn't evidence. I don't have anything else to say on the specific issue unless someone presents actual evidence. Maybe I'll be forced to eat crow, it has happened plenty of times before. I'm world-class at eating crow and falling on my sword.

I you read Trump's complete statement, instead of just one sound byte taken out of context, he basically condemned bad people on both sides, and the quoted part was sort of offered as recognizing that not every person was evil. I actually think that was probably the case.

What I think happened is you had what was originally conceived as a protest in favor of keeping the statues (not an evil position, whether you agree or not) that the KKK (who are certainly evil people) latched onto, and the alt-left in the form of Antifa (who are also IMO evil) decided to show up and have a rumble. My guess is that there some essentially good people who got caught up on both sides, as that would be par for the course in such situations. Some non-racist persons who opposed destruction of the statues were almost certainly dragged in on one side, and non-violent persons who favored destroying the statues were almost certainly dragged in on the other.

Trump did a poor job in that he allowed a sound byte that was too easily taken out of context. As I asked before, what if he had said there were "some bad people on both sides"? I'm quite certain that's a true statement, and probably closer to what he meant to say, but he can clearly be President Malaprop.