“A significant failure that has diminished the City’s faith in its elected leaders”
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5 responses to ““A significant failure that has diminished the City’s faith in its elected leaders””
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I have not had time to read more than the news media accounts, but this is a surprisingly candid and unvarnished report, not the usual CYA that follows this level of government failure. The author(s) are to be commended. I hope it is taken to heart.
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This is an exceedingly fine and candid report. It is one of a kind really, very valuable, very insightful, and informative in many ways.
It tells us many surprising things about what happened in Charlottesville and events leading up to that awful weekend. It also tells us a great deal about ourselves, our society, our times, and many of our institutions as well, locally, regionally, and nationally. I hope this report is a game changer. I deserves to be.
The authors of this remarkable report deserve great credit and thanks. We all should be shocked. And thankful for the truth.
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It’s a pretty ugly report , no question. I do not defend them but we’re in a different time and place now where people fairly heavily armed can assemble as a group and I don’t think Charlottesville was or would be alone in not getting their response calibrated acceptably on a first go.
I say this in part because looking at Richmond – and the State Police trying to figure out what to do about a possible Richmond gathering – they basically locked down so severely that it would not be anything like the Charlottesville event.
If Charlottesville had attempted to do that – I’m quite sure they would have been challenged on it… so now I’m curious if the State and Richmond will.
The “good” new was that unlike some prior demonstrations – it did not spread into a larger area and become more freewheeling street trouble.
Steve had expressed strong misgivings about such an event being held on Monument Avenue and I would say that most of us – would not want that kind of event near where we live.. no matter the First and Second Amendment.
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Bottom Line – Elected and appointed officials, from McAuliffe on down, made bad decisions. I don’t think anyone purposely decided to let things get out of hand to make a political point. But local and state law enforcement simply did not do an adequate job of keeping the peace by separating the demonstrators.
I just watched a program on the Smithsonian channel about the days surrounding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The federal government deployed troops to guard the Japanese embassy while it was being shut down and the diplomats returning to Japan. The hatred for the Japanese by most Americans was understandable, but FDR followed international law and kept the peace.
State and local officials blew it in Charlottesville. Hopefully, we will see better decisions in the future.
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This comment was written by Sam Dickson to Andrew Roesell, who passed it along to me and inserted as a comment with Dickson’s permission. — JAB
Well, Andrew….I’m sorry but some of this commentary you sent me is misleading and unfair (largely by omission) to the City of Charlottesville
For instance, look at this misleading statement;
“The Charlottesville Police Department (CPD) did not seek input from law enforcement personnel experienced in handling similar events…”
While this may be a technically true statement in and of itself as applying to the failure to consult with low level governmental agencies, it creates a misleading impression that the City did not reach out for help and instruction from the top command levels.
The City DID in fact seek advice from the highest authority.
The Heaphy report reveals this and your Bacon commentator fails to point it out and denies credit where credit is due.
Specifically, the report reveals that the City sought advice and direction from the very highest authorities in the land.
Whatever its failures elsewhere, the City did manage to appoint a liaison to interface with the Anti-Defamation League of the Bnai Brith the day before the Rally. The City had time to do that and deserves to have its efforts noted.
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