By Grace Pohl
Staff Intern 

Now more than ever, America needs our help

Write to the Point

 

Last updated 8/17/2017 at 9:16am



The past few days have been extra saddening for the United States. I usually do not like to talk about negative things happening, but it has gotten to a point that it needs to be discussed and people need to be informed.

For those who do not know what happened in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend, there was a protest about the city officials planning on taking down a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. White supremacists, neo-Nazi groups and hateful protesters lined the streets of the town.

There was a group of counterprotesters that showed up as well to the rally. But a car driven by James Alex Fields Jr., a 20-year-old male from Maumee, Ohio, ran into that specific crowd and ended up killing one woman while injuring 19 others.

Two state troopers also died that day as Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M. M., Bates were in a helicopter monitoring the demonstrations when the aircraft then fell and burst into flames.

At the end of the day, about 34 people were injured.

The President of our country has not made it any easier as he stated that there was “a display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides” and did not just single out the white supremacist groups that did the damage at the protest.

Trump might have heard some criticism as he had a different story to tell on Monday. He said that “Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”

Because of what happened in Virginia, there have been many vigils and peaceful rallies around the country, including Spokane. The day after the horrible events, hundreds of people traveled to the City Hall building downtown. People lined up on the steps of the building while holding signs along with flags that denounced white supremacy and the presidency of Donald Trump. The rally lasted for about an hour-and-a-half.

I am hoping that this is rock bottom and that there is nowhere but up from here as a country instead of people fighting back even more. The fact that these events happened are awful and I hope it is the last time that I have to read and hear about it happening.

It is just sad to me that it is in the middle of 2017 and these are still issues that we have to deal with. More than ever, this is the time in America that we need to band together instead of fighting each other. We are supposed to be moving forward as a country, not taking steps back into our history.

It is time to make America united as one.

Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com.

 

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