Last weekend's rioting in Charlottesville, Virginia, ignited the culture of deep hatred and disrespect for authority that have plagued society.

In addressing the attacks, President Donald Trump said there are wounds of division that have affected the nation for decades and it needs to stop right now.He is correct about racial divisions being a long-standing problem but finding a quick, peaceful solution has been an impossibility. Since the new millennium, we've seen a steady upswing in street lawlessness and challenges to the rule of law.In the days leading up to Saturday's Charlottesville violence, there were two new examples of divisive behavior in the South, and neither involved the removal of statues of Confederate leaders.They both showed the growing disrespect for authority - especially police and emergency personnel - proving that bigotry can't simply be defined along racial lines.The first involved an Atlanta gym, which posted a handwritten sign taped on the door of the establishment banning police officers. Jim Chambers, owner of the gym, not only defended his posted rules that proclaimed "no(expletive) cops," but he also added that military veterans were not allowed in his establishment.Chambers, a lifelong, left-wing political activist, has referred to police officers as "modern-day slave catchers," "the henchmen of the empire" and an "occupying force." He explained that his clientele is mostly made up of minorities who are "uncomfortable" around police officers.A spokesman for the Atlanta Police Department, however, stated that the anti-cop sentiment would not prevent them from responding to an emergency at the gym or stop them from lawfully doing their job.One Atlanta police officer, Tommy LeFever, even challenged the gym owner to a boxing match, stating that such an event could bring the two sides closer and help overcome their differences.LeFever believes that after punching each other in the face a couple of times in a public boxing match, he and the police antagonist could still come together after it was over and begin a healing process.The boxing match, he said, could benefit the Atlanta Police Athletic League, an organization that uses sports, education and recreation to connect police and local youth with citywide seasonal activities including summer camp, mentoring, homework assistance and sporting activities.Some states have taken action this year to protect police and first responders from doing their jobs. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed into law legislation making it a hate crime to attack a police officer or emergency responder.The state joined Louisiana as the first states to initiate "Blue Lives Matter" laws.In North Carolina, House lawmakers approved two different proposals to increase penalties for people who commit crimes against first responders, including law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. One measure enhances punishments for anyone who attacks emergency personnel during a state of emergency or in the "immediate vicinity" where a riot is either happening or "is imminent." It also increases penalties for threatening to harm officers via email, text message or voicemail.The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Clampitt, said he had been assaulted three times while working as a firefighter.Two months ago, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law amending its hate crime law. The law previously stated that during a trial, a judge shall determine whether "the defendant intentionally selected the person against whom the offense was committed … because of the defendant's bias or prejudice against a group identified by race, color, disability, religion national origin or ancestry, age, gender or sexual preference." The amendment adds "or by the status as a peace officer or judge" to that list.Similar legislation is moving forward in New York. In May, the state Senate passed the Community Heroes Protection Act which proposes to make targeting police officers and other emergency workers punishable as hate crimes.The second upsetting news story last week involves a decision by Southern Methodist University to prohibit a memorial display honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11 from being erected on campus. The display consists of nearly 3,000 flags for every life lost in the 2001 attack, and a sign that says "Young Americans for Freedom" - the name of the student group that initiated the display - as well as a sign that says "9/11, Never Forget."Last year, a memorial service was held in which flags were raised and taps was played to honor the victims.Administrators said allowing the display on the Dallas Hall lawn, where it has been for several years, would violate a new policy that states that the school "respects the right of all members of the academic community to be free from coercion and harassment." The university officials say they are not objecting to free speech, but to any interruption to the institution's daily routine.Members of Young Americans for Freedom say they are shocked that SMU views the memorial as political or potentially offensive to some people. Other student groups on both the left and right say their freedom of speech had been violated and called the new decision "restrictive and destructive."Some students believe that complaints about pro-choice and anti-abortion displays last year made university officials nervous, and that led to their overreaching decision concerning all displays.If the SMU administrators were motivated to act by lumping the 9/11 service to other politically charged, hot-button social issues, then their anti-free speech initiative is not part of a solution.By barring the memorial service from being held on campus, they became the problem.By Jim Zbick |

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