Lexington can win by shunning violent outsiders

Don’t worry that there may be violence if a group opposing removal of the courthouse statues comes to town to demonstrate. There is a simple and effective way to ensure there is no violence.

If you support removal, don’t show up or stage a counter demonstration. You have made your point, been successful and won your case. If you are a newspaper, television or radio reporter, stay away. Don’t give the protesters any publicity. That’s what they want.

If they don’t get any publicity or any confrontation, they will come, march, say their piece, leave, and no one will know they have been here. If the police are allowed to do their job, there will be no laws broken and no one will be hurt or killed.

The national media won’t like it since it will prevent them from telling the world how backward we are. But we will be the winners, which is the result we all want. It will be OK if we use our heads and exercise a little discipline.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 7:17 PM with the headline "Lexington can win by shunning violent outsiders."