In early August, violent protests broke out between white supremacists and anti-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a “Unite the Right” march, lead by white supremacists. The “Unite the Right” march was sparked to protest the confederate statues that have been taken down recently. Violence ensued after these protests and it ended up with 3 dead and 35 injured. These events have sparked great conversation all across the country and many people are torn about these issues. The President has even gone to Twitter and stated that there are good people on both sides and seems to have not taken any real side on this piping hot issue. Others feel more passionate about this issue and have taken firmer stances. Some individuals feel that the anti-protesters have legitimate concerns and that the statues that the alt-right are trying to protect are racist and have no place in today's society. People on the other end of the spectrum believe the statues should stand and that these anti-protesters have no right to take down some of those statues themselves. When a Hillgrove senior was asked his opinion on the statues he stated that “they should be taken down because they memorialize people who rebelled against America” and what we stand for as a country. Another student interviewed believed that the statues should not be taken down because they “represent our history.” Neither side is wrong when addressing this issue as long as they are not coming from a place of hate. For this problem to be resolved peacefully people just convene and discuss this topic with open minds and open hearts.
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