“Generations of Americans have lived up to their responsibility of confronting white supremacy and racial hatred, and ours must do the same.”
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi released the following statement in response to the events of the last two days in Charlottesville, Virginia:
“In response to white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville and the death of an anti-racism protester, I am calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as our nation’s top law enforcement officer, to fulfill his responsibility to protect the public by devoting all necessary resources to combat the threats posed by white supremacists and other hate groups. Generations of Americans have lived up to their responsibility of confronting white supremacy and racial hatred, and ours must do the same.
Over the course of the last twenty-four hours in Charlottesville, we have seen men and women rally in support of white supremacism, including hateful ideologies born of the Confederacy and Third Reich. Many marched through the streets last night bearing torches and chanting ‘blood and soil,’ a direct translation of the Nazi doctrine of ‘Blut und Boden.’ Their choice of words was not accidental.
Today, twenty protestors who assembled in opposition to racism, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy were injured when a car rammed into the crowd. One of the victims has since died while others continue to receive treatment for life-threatening injuries. We must keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
But to truly honor the casualties, Americans from every background, race, and creed must join together in opposition to the forces of hate we have witnessed over the last day in Charlottesville. Our commitment to our common humanity and shared values is not only fundamental to our country’s greatness, it is who we are.”
