We Have 'More in Common Than Not': Utah Proud Boys-BLM Collaboration Provides a Model for Reconciliation
In the slugfest following the first debate, President Trump’s comments when asked to condemn a group called the Proud Boys received overwhelming attention. He told them to “stand back and stand by,” which he clarified the next day. He was telling the group to stand back and stand down so that law enforcement can handle the riots and other crimes going on in some of our major cities. Trump also shared that he was not familiar with the group or its aims.
Props to the president for not outright condemning a group he knew little, if anything, about. While some Proud Boys chapters seem to engage in direct confrontation with antifa protestors, not all do. Conservative commentators and even some liberal outlets like the
Los Angeles Times acknowledge that the all-male group is racially diverse, even if they do not care for their tactics. The national leader of the group is Cuban-American.
Joe Biden threw out the Proud Boys’ name when debate moderator Chris Wallace asked Donald Trump to denounce “white supremacists and right-wing militias,” citing recent situations in Portland and Kenosha. This question was inaccurately framed since there is no evidence the shooting in Kenosha was related to either one. And the Trump supporter shot in Portland was actually a member of Patriot Prayer, not the Proud Boys.
m.washingtontimes.com
