a sad day

Today it is a sad day for Charlottesville, VA, and for all of us. I've lived in Virginia for two years, and the UVA's town was one of our favorite places to go with our children. Walking down the main street, having a real "gelato" before spending some hours at the hands-on-museum, was a blast for our young family. It reminded me of my medieval town in Italy, with its cobblestone streets, trees and benches, people enjoying just walking with no purpose, the real European "flaneur" spirit (strolling without a real goal, just for the pleasure of it). We thought that America was the best place to live, a place where two boys can kiss in the square and nobody stops and stares at them, where all the races can live and work together, the melting pot, the (finally) first black president, and so on.
What is happening now?