In the wake of several instances of violence perpetrated against Trump supporters outside of a Donald Trump rally on Thursday evening, there has been a emerging theme between those who realize that both sides are capable of violence and those who deny that Sanders supporters could have committed any wrongs at all.
On Friday evening, Bernie Sanders addressed the violence and the recorded instances in which a brawling crowd began to shout “Bernie” over and over.
Many were calling for Sanders to respond to the violence perpetrated in his name and disavow those who would lash out in anger. Fortunately, he did just that, saying that those who resort to violence are no supporters of his.
“I understand how reprehensible and disgraceful Donald Trump’s positions are, how ignorant they are, how much he is appealing— and I can understand the anger, I surely can. The bigotry that is coming from his mouth, the insults to the Mexican community, the Latino community and the Muslim community, and women, and African-Americans, and veterans. I understand the anger.“But we are not going to defeat Trump, you know, by throwing eggs or getting involved in violence of any kind. We defeat Trump when we stand together as one people and fight for a progressive agenda.”
For this writer, this statement from Sanders was long-awaited and completely necessary. Those of us on the side of peace and change must stand up the strongest of all when hate and violence is perpetrated from those who claim to follow the same ideology. If we do not recognize and rebuke the violence even when it is committed by those we love against those we hate, we will have no room to stand on when it comes time to decry the violence coming from the other side.
Thank you, Senator Sanders.
