I do not have a drop of Confederate blood in me and have no affection for the Confederate cause.
I am not a Nazi and believe Hitler and his regime were evil, disgusting, and a disaster for Western civilization.
I voted for Obama the second time and am personally in favor of legalizing gay marriage.
Why am I telling you these things? In an attempt, probably futile, to prevent you from jumping to conclusions and keep an open mind regarding what I am about to say.
I am deeply saddened by the events in Charlottesville: the loss of an innocent life, the violence and hatred on display, and the obvious deep divisions in our society. I am also dismayed and angered by the reaction of the political establishment and the mainstream media to this event and to the response by our president.
A few nights ago, I took the time to watch a number of videos available on YouTube showing the protest in Charlottesville, including mainstream and independent sources. I also watched videos of the complete remarks of President Trump concerning these events.
My conclusion is that the President's remarks were largely justified and that coverage by the mainstream sources did not match what the raw video showed.
Even more disturbing, it appears the police contributed to the violence by not separating the groups, by not reacting to attacks by counterprotesters, and perhaps intentionally forcing the groups to mix. A startling accusation I know.
Don't take my word for it. Watch the videos. Stand with the facts.
I'm Rick Norris, and that's my perspective.
