Mississippi lawmakers have responded to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Governor Phil Bryant said:
Those who practice the extremist ideals of neo-Nazism or white supremacy have no place in Mississippi. I condemn these groups in the strongest possible terms.
I have been in communication with state law enforcement leadership, and they stand ready to protect our citizens from the type of cowardly terrorism we saw in Virginia.
Anyone who violates the peace and dignity of our communities will be prosecuted under the full force of law.
Senator Thad Cochran said:
“The loss of life and violence in Charlottesville is intolerable. The beliefs of white supremacists and extremists of all ilk run counter to what our nation requires as a free and civil society. I hope the terrible events in Virginia will serve to bring Americans together to stand up to all forms of violence, hatred, and bigotry.”
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement, calling the violence “domestic terrorism”:
(The) extremist activity in Charlottesville was terrorism, plain and simple. If Muslim men were the aggressors, my Republican colleagues would be decrying an act of terror. Instead we hear from many of them the same platitudes we have heard after too many recent domestic terrorism incidents. We mourn those killed and pray for those injured in this terrible, hate-filled incident, but that is no longer enough.
With his weak words in the wake of yesterday’s terrorist incident, it is clear we cannot count on President Trump for action. Even before Trump was elected, many of us were concerned that his unwillingness to denounce and distance himself from white nationalists would be taken as tacit support by those ready to use violence to advance their racist, white-nationalistic ideology. The President must stand up to all ideologically-motivated violence, even if it is espoused by his supporters. As we saw yesterday, failure to do so puts American lives at risk.
I call on my Republican colleagues to condemn unequivocally the racism and hate being allowed to fester and even flourish in this country, and work with my Democratic colleagues and me to help stop acts of domestic terror and uphold the ideals that truly make America great.
Congressman Gregg Harper said:
“That person needs to be tried, convicted, and never see the light of day again. That’s unacceptable. Whether it’s a Bernie Sanders supporter that shot up the baseball field with Republican members of Congress, or whether it’s somebody else that because of their extreme views, tries to harm others, that’s not a part of what America is about and we condemn that in every possible way.”
