Dear reader, I find myself pondering what you discern in this image, which emerged from the unsettling events in Charlottesville just last weekend. For me, this photo is etched in my memory, yet I realize our interpretations may vary significantly. According to our president, one individual in this photograph is a “very fine” person, while the other is my son.
One of these individuals held a “permit” to protest against the removal of Confederate symbols while shouting, “Jews will not replace us!” The other, according to our president, was “also very violent.” Indeed, there are “many sides” to this narrative.
This photograph, however, fails to capture the entire context. It overlooks the banner my son and his friends proudly displayed, which boldly proclaimed, “The Confederacy Lost and So Will You.” This very message incited the man clad in makeshift riot gear to snatch away their banner, grab my son by the shirt, and strike him with his baton.
What this image does not show are the moments that followed when this man stumbled, allowing my son to seize the baton and retaliate against his attacker. There are whispers of a YouTube clip documenting this altercation. I have not viewed it, nor do I wish to. My mind is already inundated with enough distressing imagery. However, I understand that the videographer initially captured the chaotic scene of bodies and anger before zeroing in on the final moments of the fight, where my son is seen striking a “very fine” person with a stick.
I suspect that, if he ever sees this footage, our president will fixate solely on this snapshot, adopting the perspective favored by his supporters. “Look at the violent left,” they would argue, and suddenly my son would be transformed into a symbol of their moral equivalence, the embodiment of their “violence on all sides” rhetoric. In this digital age, I can only imagine a troll somewhere is crafting a distorted image of my son to further their agenda, complete with an Antifa logo and captions like, “See?! See?” suggesting that both my child and the late Heather Heyer somehow deserved their fates.
From my perspective, blurred by maternal love and admiration for a child I implored not to attend that rally, I wish everyone would view him through the same lens. Yet, when our president chose to label the protesters as radical alt-left and, for the second time, implied that the “very fine” man with the baton had every right to assault my son, it ignited a fiery rage within me. It was a spectrum of anger: blood-red, molten lava red, MAGA-hat red.
“But how can you blame Trump?” his supporters question me in futile Facebook debates, leading to a standoff as we gaze at our screens in disbelief, unable to reconcile our opposing viewpoints. “How can anyone be that blind?” we each wonder. The reality is, I’m uncertain what corrective lens might aid those unwilling to acknowledge the truth.
Although I was not present in Charlottesville, this much remains vivid in my recollection: the “very fine” man brandished a stick, while my son wielded a historical truth. Our president and his backers may choose to overlook this reality, squinting to deny its existence or scrambling to fabricate an alternate narrative. However, even if Trump fails to comprehend it, the rest of the GOP would do well to recognize the undeniable message emblazoned on the yellow banner carried by courageous Americans who refuse to relent. Racist ideologies, Confederate symbols, and Jim Crow monuments have long lost their legitimacy in the eyes of the American populace. To continue ignoring this evident truth would only lead to further decline.
In summary, this reflection serves as a reminder of the stark contrasts in perception and the importance of recognizing historical truths in the face of revisionist narratives. For those considering family planning options, exploring resources such as this home insemination kit or learning more about in-vitro fertilization can provide valuable insights. Additionally, Modern Family Blog offers expert advice on these topics.