Editor’s note: The following letter is in response to the letter “Misplaced Blame On Charlottesville” by Thomas Euell, published Sept. 8.
Whether or not the group of progressives had a permit is really beside the point, as every American has the right to defend against the action of those other Americans, who were there with an agenda, and it wasn’t about the removal of a statue of a Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee.
It is quite apparent that Mr. Euell does not have the historical perspective of Mr. Rosen (“E Pluribus Unum: Out Of Many, One,” Aug. 25). Most Americans recognize the Nazi inspired “trappings” with anti-Jewish slogans and chants; is this what Americans are about… division? Indeed it is not, nor will it ever be acceptable in a democracy.
I, like most Americans, defend the First Amendment, but using this freedom to “incite to riot” is not what our forefathers envisioned.
Years ago, when I attended psychology lectures in college, our professor labored hard to be able to distinguish between real logic and another kind of logic. He gave us simple examples such as “man eats meat” and “dogs eat meat.” Now, he explained, both statements are true, but the problem comes in what we make a conclusion that can be false and often deceitful; such as, “therefore, man is a dog.” Now, this is a fairly easy to understand example of a complicated issue, and many people like Mr. Euell, either consciously or unconsciously, use this to drive an opinion based on their own bias.
Discussing Bernie Sanders and Robert Byrd does nothing to further your argument and may demonstrate an unresolved discrimination. I want to thank you for your service, but want to point out that our current president had five deferments and never served.
By the way, your hatred for all things liberal should lead you to refuse Medicare and Social Security, both liberal programs!
In conclusion, I would like to end our discussion by pointing out, that if you receive any Social Security, you should return the check, a product of tainted fruit, as Social Security was the idea and platform of the leader of the American Socialist Party and candidate for president, Eugene V. Debs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt later took Social Security into his Democratic platform.
Richard Nielsen, Royal Palm Beach
