For condemnation of right-wing extremism to be credible, we also must condemn left-wing extremism

We must remember this truth: No matter our color, creed, religion or political party, we are ALL AMERICANS FIRST. pic.twitter.com/FesMiQSKKn

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2017

No responsible person on what's considered the mainstream right has ever condoned or defended Nazis, white supremacists, or the Ku Klux Klan. They are vicious, stupid, odious, racist hatemongers who deserve nothing but contempt.

Many conservative Republicans, including Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, explicitly condemned white supremacists yesterday in the aftermath of a vehicular homicide committed by a despicable white nationalist. President Donald Trump, in what is widely considered an error of communication, condemned "hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides" which, while a proper thing to do, did not single out the white supremacists for particular denunciation. It was only belatedly that he did explicitly name white supremacist groups. For Trump to have immediately identified white supremacists would have been appropriate, both to the circumstances of yesterday's atrocity and the uniquely monstrous character of these cretins who hold on to an ideology that has caused the killings and oppression of millions of people over time.

But, from a purely logical standpoint, Trump was not wrong to condemn bigotry and violence on many sides. Indeed, it was necessary, since the failure of the political left to condemn the violence and hatred perpetrated in the name of its causes has emboldened neo-Nazis and their ilk to rear their ugly heads in greater numbers and has led to street battles between left and right wing extremists.

During the 2016 American election campaign, Antifa, so-called "anti-fascists," whose methods and ideology are as fascist as anything Benito Mussolini dreamed of, physically attacked innocent people for the 'offense' of attending Trump rallies or even for wearing Make America Great Again baseball hats.

During the last few years, far-left activists have violently attacked and shut down talks at publicly funded universities by conservative speakers.

Yet where was the condemnation of Antifa from the political left? Leftist mealy-mouthed denunciation of violence always seemed to be equivocated with an expression of understanding of why Antifa and their fellow travellers would be triggered by the likes of harmless gadflies such as Milo Yiannopoulos and Charles Murray.

Black Lives Matter is a hate-filled movement of Black supremacist, racist, anti-semitic, anti-capitalist extremists who have shut down thoroughfares, putting peoples lives at risk and which has inspired and praised the murders of police officers. Where is the condemnation of Black Lives Matter from the political left? Instead, left wing politicians and leftist groups clamor to give awards and seek photo-ops with that organization of vicious hatemongers.

The fact is that while neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and white supremacists may be the most reprehensible, detestable, violent hatemongers, they are not the only reprehensible, detestable, violent hatemongers. There needs to be condemnation of all such evil in our society if our institutions hope to maintain credibility.

It's time for the center to speak out forcefully and act to take the momentum away from extremists before the extremes are all anyone has to choose from.