You can actually make a good argument that it was the counter-protesters who had the stronger motive for violence to break out since that circumstance achieved their goal of effectively shutting down the demonstration. Also, authorities on Durham allowing “good” protesters to tear down a Confederate statue without even a hint of hindrance, certainly shows the national culture of treating these “sides” very differently.

Here is where I am in the extremely bizarre situation of feeling as if Trump actually got a raw deal in the apoplectic reaction, even on the “we are SO not racist!” right, to his refusal to assess specific blame before all the facts were in. Based on what we knew at the time of that first statement, I sincerely thought that Trump, while typically unartful and tone-deaf, was basically correct on the substance.