Hate is wrong.
The public display last weekend at Charlottesville, Virginia, was a horrible sight. The array of symbols of hate, including Nazism and white supremacy, was beyond disturbing. The terrifying public attack as a man mowed down those he opposed with his car - killing a young woman - speaks to how we need to draw a firm line. We have to remember the United States has traditionally been the great melting pot. We are a free people, and we are about freedom for all. We must denounce hate.
As Americans we have the freedom to our beliefs, but that freedom doesn't give a pass to hatred. President Donald Trump receives a vote of no confidence on this issue. The discussion of race and equality in our nation is at a crossroads into another, proper and long-due affirmation of the importance of accepting our diversity as Americans. Civil rights are inherent. They are part of our being. Totalitarianism and hateful intolerance are abhorrent.
Organizations supporting hate are wrong. These groups hate people with different-colored skin or different ethnicity. They hate diversity of sexual orientation, religion and have even shown hate toward those with membership in the Masonic order. It's a seething and growing hate. The point has come when we as a people, who believe similarly, must say, "no more." We can't have any more hate, and all those who believe in peace and freedom should live and act that way. Most people believe this. What we fail to do is tell those who hate that there's no place in the world for hatred.
The words of Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and other mainstream commentators, who speak to Americans directly, have rightly characterized what has occurred and that hate is wrong. President Donald Trump's failure to immediately denounce Nazism and the hateful spectacle itself was a failure - a historic failure. The Trump presidency has brought us an incredible amount of distress regarding North Korea. More hate of a different nature. Hate possibly avoidable if there were a statesman in the Oval Office. There is not. Our president's inherent hostility is dangerous.
This newspaper joins all other media of the same opinion to tell the public that we believe hate is wrong. We believe this land of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can be better. We are still smart enough to overcome any spin and see that hate is wrong. We've been taught to love one another. We are better.
We have to be better and demand better from each other.
This is about basic civil human rights across all fronts. These are rights with which we are born.
We can no longer stand by and allow the degeneration of our nation on this issue. Hate is wrong, and we all must work in thought, word and deed to change the direction of our nation.
- Matt Johnson, publisher of the Monroe Times.
The public display last weekend at Charlottesville, Virginia, was a horrible sight. The array of symbols of hate, including Nazism and white supremacy, was beyond disturbing. The terrifying public attack as a man mowed down those he opposed with his car - killing a young woman - speaks to how we need to draw a firm line. We have to remember the United States has traditionally been the great melting pot. We are a free people, and we are about freedom for all. We must denounce hate.
As Americans we have the freedom to our beliefs, but that freedom doesn't give a pass to hatred. President Donald Trump receives a vote of no confidence on this issue. The discussion of race and equality in our nation is at a crossroads into another, proper and long-due affirmation of the importance of accepting our diversity as Americans. Civil rights are inherent. They are part of our being. Totalitarianism and hateful intolerance are abhorrent.
Organizations supporting hate are wrong. These groups hate people with different-colored skin or different ethnicity. They hate diversity of sexual orientation, religion and have even shown hate toward those with membership in the Masonic order. It's a seething and growing hate. The point has come when we as a people, who believe similarly, must say, "no more." We can't have any more hate, and all those who believe in peace and freedom should live and act that way. Most people believe this. What we fail to do is tell those who hate that there's no place in the world for hatred.
The words of Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and other mainstream commentators, who speak to Americans directly, have rightly characterized what has occurred and that hate is wrong. President Donald Trump's failure to immediately denounce Nazism and the hateful spectacle itself was a failure - a historic failure. The Trump presidency has brought us an incredible amount of distress regarding North Korea. More hate of a different nature. Hate possibly avoidable if there were a statesman in the Oval Office. There is not. Our president's inherent hostility is dangerous.
This newspaper joins all other media of the same opinion to tell the public that we believe hate is wrong. We believe this land of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can be better. We are still smart enough to overcome any spin and see that hate is wrong. We've been taught to love one another. We are better.
We have to be better and demand better from each other.
This is about basic civil human rights across all fronts. These are rights with which we are born.
We can no longer stand by and allow the degeneration of our nation on this issue. Hate is wrong, and we all must work in thought, word and deed to change the direction of our nation.
- Matt Johnson, publisher of the Monroe Times.
