Original Script-
HI
My name is Kevin Conner, and I am a writer. I've written novels, comics and games, for all age groups.
I want to talk about what happened over the weekend in Charlottesville, because it relates to both this novel: Geb and to my novel: John Rocket.
I've shared a lot of posts and thoughts on the subject, not many are designed for general consumption by those who may be younger and may not understand what's going on.
I decided the best way to approach this is to write a script, and share a video for people to share with their family and the internet.
150 years ago, our country fought a war. This war directly involved slavery.
The Southern States, declared that they wanted to be their own rulers, they wanted slavery, they wanted to pass their own laws.
The Northern States said they couldn't. We are one nation, and we must all stay one nation.
It was a brutal war and a lot of people died.
Even after losing their war, a lot of people in the Southern States refused to admit defeat. They kept their flags up, and made statues of their leaders, generals and soldiers. They also made an organization that hated other people based on their religion and skin color. Because of these people, these statues and flags represent something horrible.
On the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, lawmakers decided these statues and flags should come down.
These people who hate others, decided they want to speak out and defend these statues and flags.
In our country, we have the “First Amendment”. This is our right for everyone, regardless of who they are, to say and believe whatever they want. This means that sometimes bad people get to say and believe whatever they want. This also means that good people get to say and believe whatever they want.
This is good, because when you are talking to someone, and allow them to speak, and they allow you to speak, that means you aren't fighting.
This also means the truth will win the discussion.
These people, who hate other people, had to go to court to defend their right to say what they want in public. No matter how bad their speech is, they had that right.
There is a group called the ACLU which believes in protecting everyone's rights. Even if the ACLU doesn't like a person- that person can be a very bad person – they will still make sure that person's rights are protected. If you protect everybody's rights, then nobody can lose their rights to live or speak or do what they want.
This is good. We need to protect everyone.
So the ACLU helped these people who hate to speak freely.
Many ask the question: “Why did you do this?”
The ACLU answers: “Because even the least, and worst, of us deserves human rights. If we make it legal to take away the rights of one group, then that group can claim it's legal to take the rights away from another.”
This is very difficult for some people to understand, but it is a truth that has been proven in many countries, such as Germany, Russia, China, North Korea and Greece.
IF Stan hates other people, but obeys the law, then Stan has rights.
If you don't like Stan because he hates other people, and take away his rights, then you are telling Stan it's ok for him to take away someone else's rights. What if Stan becomes president, and decides he wants to take Johnny's rights away because he doesn't like Johnny?
That is why the ACLU did what they did, and why they believe what they believe. The ACLU wants to make sure everybody, everywhere, has rights.
So these Angry People, with the help of the ACLU, were allowed to march in public. This is called a protest.
People who don't like the Angry People said “If the Angry People can march, then so can we!” This is true. They can. This is called a counter-protest.
Now you have a Protest filled with people who want to keep their flags and statues. These people also hate other people because of what they believe and the color of their skin.
You also have a counter-protest with people who do not want the flags and statues. These people believe everyone should be welcome, regardless of what they believe or the color of their skin.
This is legal.
What isn't legal is what happened after --- many people who were protesting, the angry people who want their flags and statues, decided to start hurting other people. This is very wrong.
In response, some people from the counter-protest decided to start attacking people back. Unfortunately, this is wrong too, unless in self defense.
You are always allowed to protect yourself when someone attacks you,but you are not always allowed to attack someone first.
Now everybody is angry, and full of hate. Everybody is blaming everybody else.
Some people are attacking the ACLU. Some people are attacking the First Amendment. Some people are attacking the counter-protesters. The majority are attacking the angry people who started protesting.
Some of the Protesters, the people who hate people for what they be
Comments