When I heard the news of the Charlottesville riots, I felt that all of common sense had gone out the window. What most people do not know about me, is that I am multi-racial. Hearing the news of white supremacists clashing with counter protesters was just absolutely heartbreaking.

A person does not have to be of color to have the common sense that this issue should not be an issue at all. But the fact that I have a fair amount of family members of color, it gives me a sick feeling in my stomach.

There was the attack where a white supremacist ploughed his car into a crowd of protestesters and took the innocent life of Heather Heyer, a woman who was trying to spread a message of love and acceptance. The attack made my blood boil. A woman was fighting racism and her life was taken by an unremorseful man who does not even deserve to have his name plastered everywhere.

The riots, the car attack, the fighting, all happened because people could not stand to see a statue of a Confederate “hero” get torn down. I cannot understand why people want Confederate statues and flags to be waved around like they have no consequences. The Confederates wanted to secede from the United States so that they could continue to have slaves.

I cannot even put into words how angry and upset it makes me to see all the work people of color have done to get to this point be pushed back white supremacists, KKK members, and other forms of racism.

“It is very disturbing that people are still fighting over racial issues that happened decades ago,” said Floyd Newson, 11.

People need to change. People need to speak out. The worst thing is seeing my family upset because it seems we are back in the sixties, once again fighting against racism and hatred. Spread love, not hate.