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Mississippi Republican Thinks Lawmakers 'Should Be Lynched' For Removing Confederate Statues
Mississippi Republican Thinks Lawmakers 'Should Be Lynched' For Removing Confederate Statues
Photo via The Clarion-Ledger

Mississippi Republican Thinks Lawmakers 'Should Be Lynched' For Removing Confederate Statues

Mississippi Republican Thinks Lawmakers 'Should Be Lynched' For Removing Confederate Statues Mississippi Republican Karl Oliver. Photo via The Clarion-Ledger

A Mississippi Republican believes that anyone that takes down a Confederate statue "should be lynched."

The statement comes following the removal of Confederate statues throughout New Orleans, with the city getting rid of several of the statues.

Karl Oliver, a Republican member of Mississippi's House of Representatives, took to Facebook on Saturday to voice his outrage of the statues' removal, with the post accompanied by an image of the Robert E. Lee statue New Orleans took down last week.

"The destruction of these monuments, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific," Oliver wrote. "If the, and I use this term extremely loosely, 'leadership' of Louisiana wishes to, in a Nazi-ish fashion, burn books or destroy historical monuments of our history, they should be lynched! Let it be known, I will do all in my power to prevent this from happening in our State."

The post has since been deleted by Oliver, with the Mississippi representative issuing an apology for the comment on Monday.

"In an effort to express my passion for preserving all historical monuments, I acknowledge the word 'lynched' was wrong," Oliver said in a written response. "I am very sorry. It is in no way, ever, an appropriate term. I deeply regret that I chose this word, and I do not condone the actions I referenced, nor do I believe them in my heart. I freely admit my choice of words was horribly wrong, and I humbly ask your forgiveness."

Oliver's remarks faced criticism from multiple lawmakers, including Mississippi's House Speaker Philip Gunn.

"I condemn the comments recently posted on Facebook by Rep. Karl Oliver," Gunn, also a Republican, said in a statement. "They do not reflect the views of the Republican party, the leadership of the House of Representatives or the House as a whole. Using the word 'lynched' is inappropriate and offensive. We call on Rep. Oliver to apologize."

Source via the Clarion-Ledger