Somehow, Pikeville is still standing this week after opposing forces armed with bad language and self-righteousness squared off at the courthouse. The threat of violence shut down every business in town, but drew hundreds of big time rasslin fans.
They left disappointed. Pikeville's version of the Gunfight at the OK Corral didn't account for a single shot fired. Nobody got smacked with a folding chair, there wasn't even a good sleeper hold.
In fact, law enforcement turnout pretty much doubled the number of demonstrators and counter demonstrators combined.
At least that's what Meat told me. I had other things to do than to go listen to one side saying despicable things and another side whining loudly about it. But Meat loves a good fight and thought this was the best chance to see one in Pikeville since the Hatfields and McCoys started picnicing together.
Like at the OK Corral, this exercise in guerilla theater featured two groups that aren't exactly without sin. Obviously the Traditionalist Worker Party is wrong. It's pretty easy to get that an American carrying a Nazi flag or wearing a swastika is confused at the very least.
But it is every idiot's right to speak their mind, to gather with like minded individuals. Our constitution says it plainly. It's cut and dry.
If anything makes this country great, it is our right to free expression without fear of reprisal or prosecution from the government. In my mind, the 1st amendment is sacred. It is why we have a free press, it is why we have great art, it is why we have thriving religious institutions.
But today we have a president who wants to change that amendment. He's stated it explicitly. He wants to hinder the press and he wants to limit the free expression of ideas.
And unfortunately, there are self-righteous groups who want to do the same thing. It takes two to tango and the cluster that was Pikeville last Saturday was made possible by a group who appears to believe violence is the way to deal with ideas you don't like.
Antifa is supposed to stand for Anti-Fascist which is quite ironic considering they want to silence people they don't agree with. It appears their respect for the 1st amendment is about the same as the Liar in Chief's.
Just as the visiting Nazi's are high on prejudice, the visiting Antifas are high on butt-hurt self-righteousness. Both groups are stoned out of their minds.
Both groups showed up because they believe we, the actual denizens of this area, are easy prey for their wacked out ideas. Neither side believe WE are capable of dealing with our issues. They're here to save us like so many zealots before them.
The threat of violence between these two groups with no business in our business shut down a peaceful counter demonstration actually organized and to be attended by our own. That local gathering would have easily outnumbered the TWP AND the antifa 3-1.
A great American said, "I may disagree with what you say, but I'll fight for your right to say it." Meat comes up with some good ones sometime.