Terrorism. Racism. White supremacy.
These words attempt to summarize but cannot possibly describe the horrifying events that occurred in Charlottesville this past weekend. Hatred and bigotry have no place in our country, yet they are still being practiced by neo-Nazis and white nationalists.
White supremacists need to be condemned for their hateful beliefs. The people who protested against them are brave in ways I greatly admire. So why is it that the president claims there are two sides to the story? Why is the leader of our country refusing to hold these terrible people accountable?
There is one side. There is the side of hatred, racism, and anger. There is the side of flags with swastikas, white masks, and torches.
I am outraged. I am heartbroken. I am afraid. Right now my biggest fear is that, as a white person, I’m not doing enough. But my fears are nothing compared to the fears of black people my age.
Our country is falling apart. Not because of, as the president says, “beautiful statues” that are being taken down. Our country is falling apart because people still define their peers by the color of their skin.