Charlottesville

I haven't posted much because a close friend suffered a personal tragedy last week, and I went to be there for her and her family.

Meanwhile, the world has gotten even crazier.  I have to admit the reports from Charlottesville are disturbing, and I'm worried about what it means and where we're headed. 

I saw this on Facebook today and found it very disturbing - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1637545369612833&id=100000721566451

I hope and think that this won't get out of hand.  That many people are disgusted by these extremists.  I hesitate even to call them right wing extremists, tbh. In some ways it does remind me of the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, you see.  Things in Iraq really started to get out of control after the bombing of the al-Askari mosque, which led to an escalating cycle of violence.  There are people in the United States who seem to WANT to ignite a race war, like Dylann Roof.  I personally think they are idiots trying to unleash hell, but there are always people who seem to think they will win any such war and will gain something if they can do so (think of the Algerian independence movement, or the underpinnings of the break up of Yugoslavia, or - yes- the violence in Iraq after that bombing)

So far, the US as a whole has resisted any such thing.  For how long, though? 

If this FB post is accurate, the extremists need to be shut down, and shut down hard.  While respecting their right to peacefully assemble, and to engage in free speech.  But home invasions?  Drive by shootings?  That's not peaceful assembly, and it needs to be shut down hard.