I’ve been hesitant to write about this weekend’s events in Charlottesville, Virginia, since we’d all be better served by not giving more attention to two groups of people whose congregations always end in violence, riots, arrests, and the like.  The BBC aptly described both groups below:

The alt-right – a disparate group of pro-Donald Trump provocateurs who critics say are bigoted white nationalists – has a reputation for trolling and online bullying. Now some believe they may have met their match in the form of a group of left-wing anarchists whose tactics are arguably more extreme.

They’re called “antifa”, short for “anti-fascist”. The movement has its roots in 1930s Europe, but has had a low profile for much of the intervening period. Now the recent surge in nationalist movements across the globe has given it a new enemy to fight.

Antifa activists say they are committed to fighting fascism and racism in all its forms. Some aren’t averse to violence, and the movement wasted little time in making its presence felt. Protests held during Donald Trump’s inauguration turned violent. Restaurant windows were smashed, a car was set on fire and objects were thrown at the police. More than 200 arrests were made.

Everyone who shows up to these gatherings expects some sort of “counter-protest” from the other side to materialize near them, which is why they come prepared with weapons of all sorts, including bats and other blunt objects, and sometimes firearms, often carried openly.  In the case of Antifa, they will sport face coverings/masks, so their identities aren’t “doxxed” to the public.  Indeed this is something they should be afraid of, as their employers (assuming they have jobs, of course) would likely not continue to employ them if they knew their employee voluntarily attended a protest they knew would turn violent.  Which is why I state the following, in the clearest of terms:

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Tesla proponents love to remind people how their vehicles are “carbon free” (in spite of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s own carbon profligate lifestyle):

Fact: the Tesla Model S is an environmentally friendly, zero emissions electric vehicle that won’t pollute the air like gas-powered cars. Carbon emissions from a gas car’s tailpipe has a dangerous impact on global warming…. In addition, Tesla CEO Elon Musk explains that, “combustion cars emit toxic gases. According to an MIT study, there are 53,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone from auto emissions.”

But in reminding people about how they don’t burn fossil fuels, they make sure to omit and/or obfuscate all the other emissions-laden factors that go into production of Tesla automobiles, including the oft-unspoken costs of the vehicles to the taxpayer and to other auto manufacturers.

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