Lawmaker regrets lynching comment
He sharply criticizes dismantling of Civil War monuments
A Mississippi lawmaker recommended lynching over the weekend for New Orleans’ leaders who have had four Confederate monuments dismantled in the past month, and it took until Monday — under pressure from state politicians — for him to apologize.
In a Saturday Facebook post, state Rep. Karl Oliver, a Republican from Winona, also compared the actions of Crescent City officials to Nazis.
“The destruction of these monuments, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific. 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 last of the Confederate-era monuments was removed early Friday. The 16-foot-tall bronze statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed from its perch high above St. Charles Avenue on Lee Circle where the Confederate general had stood watch for 133 years.
“Rep. Oliver’s language is unacceptable and has no place in civil discourse,” Gov. Phil Bryant, also a Republican, said about Oliver’s Facebook post.
In a written statement issued in late morning Monday, the firstterm legislator apologized and then removed his Facebook post. “I, first and foremost, wish to extend this apology for any embarrassment I have caused to both my colleagues and fellow Mississippians. In an effort to express my passion for preserving all historical monuments, I acknowledge the word ‘lynched’ was wrong. 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.”
Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn has supported removal of the Confederate emblem from the Mississippi state flag, but said he cannot get enough support from his GOP House caucus. Before Oliver’s apology, he also condemned the Winona lawmaker’s social-media comments.
“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,” Gunn said.
Oliver, who is in his first term, has been a mostly quiet backbencher in the Mississippi state Legislature.
But last year, he responded to the concerns of a resident of Gulfport, Miss., about cuts to public education, foster care and other programs that the Legislature was considering with an email saying he “could care less” about her views because she was not a Mississippi native. He also suggested that people in Illinois would love to see her return.
When he’s not doing legislative business, Oliver is president and director of Oliver Funeral Home in Winona, about 90 miles north of Jackson, Miss.
Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes of Gulfport, chairwoman of the state Legislative Black Caucus, said an apology from Oliver “is not enough.” House and Senate Democratic caucus chairmen Rep. David Baria and Sen. Bill Stone issued a joint statement calling Oliver’s remarks “repugnant.”
GOP state Rep. Karl Oliver compared the actions of officials to Nazis in a Facebook post. It took him two days to retract his remarks. “Rep. Oliver’s language ... has no place in civil discourse.” Gov. Phil Bryant