ANALYSIS/OPINION:

In cowboy movies the guys in the white hats always win, but life is not a cowboy movie. The majority of Americans (including me) would like to see the neo-Nazi movement disappear, as people in it are nuts — but then the Constitution gets in the way, as any American has the right to peacefully assemble. So as much as we can all hate what neo-Nazism stands for, we must tolerate these people when they exercise their constitutional rights.

In Charlottesville earlier this month the guys in the white hats arrived to do battle with clubs and other weapons. Arriving is one thing, but using those weapons is against the law. In using these weapons the guys in the ‘white hats’ became the guys in the black hats. Now who’s right?

We would like the president to condemn the white supremacists and be sympathetic to the “Americans.” But to do that would in effect be lying. Mr. Trump, who did not want to be caught in a lie, said both sides were responsible for the bloodshed of that day. In his press conference he told the media to report on the event truthfully. But he added that he did not expect them to do that and he was right. The headlines were to the tune of ‘Trump likes Nazis.’

Saying that both sides were wrong is a hard pill to swallow because most of us hate Nazism so strongly. Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Trump would have made out much better if he had lied and blamed the white supremacists for everything.

JOHN PROCIDA

Flushing, N.Y.

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