“A great nation does not hide its history. It faces its flaws and corrects them.”
George W. Bush at the opening of the African American Museum on September 24th, 2016
We condemn the hatred and violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend, such thoughtless actions by white supremacists groups that continue to divide and terrorize American life have no place in Virginia or in the United States of America. It is important now more so than ever to encourage empathy, respect, tolerance, and compassion in order to combat those who seek to use extreme measures to target members of our community.
We stand in solidarity with the victims, their families and all those who were affected by this attack.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
We as a democratic nation have the power to create a better society for the generations to come through open and inclusive dialogue, not by shunning or discrediting one side or the other. We must understand our past and acknowledge that history is not seen through a single lens and that it has depth and far-reaching effects that cross over many generations. We must value our diversity and the different parts of us and our society that makes us one nation united.
“Here is the essential truth: we are better together than we are apart. Indivisibility is our essence.”
Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans in a special address on the removal of the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee on May 19, 2017