Southern Mayor SHREDS The Confederacy (VIDEO)

THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS HAS JUST GIVEN A SPEECH
THAT IS GOING VIRAL BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HE HAS SAID
SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF
POLITICIANS ARE AFRAID TO SAY.
THE WHOLE SPEECH HAD TO DO WITH
THE FACT THAT NEW ORLEANS HAS TAKEN DOWN FOR STATUES THAT WERE
DEDICATED TO CONFEDERATE
SOLDIERS, AND OF COURSE THIS HAS LED TO A LOT OF HEATED DEBATES.
OTHERS ARGUE THAT IT IS A
TERRIBLE REMINDER OF THE WAY AFRICAN-AMERICANS WERE TREATED,
AND IT IS OFFENSIVE.
MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU OF NEW ORLEANS SAYS
HERE IS THE REALITY OF THESE
STATUES, THEY ARE WRONG AND THIS IS WHY I AM TAKING THEM DOWN.
I
AM GOING TO PLAY ONE OF TWO VIDEOS THAT SHOW THE MAYOR
GIVING THE SPEECH.
>> LET'S START WITH THE FACTS.
THE HISTORIC RECORD IS CLEAR,
ROBERT E LEE, JEFF DAVIS STATUTES WERE NOT ERECTED TO
JUST HONOR THESE MEN BUT AS PART OF A MOVEMENT WHICH BECAME KNOWN
AS THE CULT OF THE LOST CAUSE.
THIS HAD ONE GOAL, THROUGH
MONUMENTS AND THROUGH OTHER MEANS TO REWRITE HISTORY, TO
HIDE THE TRUTH WHICH IS THAT THE CONFEDERACY WAS ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF HUMANITY.
FIRST HE ERECTED 140 66 YEARS AFTER THE
FOUNDING OF OUR CITIES, 19 YEARS
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THESE MONUMENTS WE TOOK DOWN WERE
MEANT TO REBRAND THE HISTORY OF
OUR CITY AND THE IDEALS OF THE CONFEDERACY.
IT IS SELF-EVIDENT
THAT THESE MEN DID NOT FIGHT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
THEY FOUGHT AGAINST IT.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN WARRIORS BUT IN THIS
CAUSE THEY WERE NOT PATRIOTS.
THESE STATUTES ARE NOT JUST
STONE AND METAL OR INNOCENT
REMEMBRANCES OF A BENIGN HISTORY.
THESE MONUMENTS
CELEBRATE THE TERROR THAT IT ACTUALLY STOOD FOR.
>>SOME STRONG LANGUAGE THERE.
YOU DON'T HEAR A LOT OF
POLITICIANS TALK ABOUT HOW
UNPATRIOTIC THE CONFEDERATES WERE DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
YOU
SEE A LOT OF POLITICIANS USING
LANGUAGE CAREFULLY AS A WAY OF AVOIDING OFFENDING PEOPLE.
I
THINK THE FACT THAT HE USED SUCH STRONG LANGUAGE IS WHY IT IS
GETTING SO MUCH ATTENTION.
>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE ARGUMENT AGAINST IT IS YOU ARE
TAKING SOME KIND OF LEGACY OR
HISTORY.
I AM FINE WITH THAT.
YOU DON'T PUT UP STATUES OF
PEOPLE THAT YOU VILIFY UNLESS IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT YOU ARE
VILIFYING IT IN A SPECIFIC
CONTEXT.
>>THAT IS WITH THE MAYOR WAS SAYING WITH THE LOST CAUSE.
IT
MINIMIZES OR ERASES SLAVERY'S ROLE IN THE CIVIL WAR AND BUILT
THIS IDEA THAT IT IS THIS NOBLE
CAUSE.
IT IS NOT BASED ON REALITY.
IF WE JUST ACCEPTED
EVERYTHING THAT WAS CONSIDERED
HISTORIC OR A PART OF HISTORY AS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD
CELEBRATE ñ DO YOU KNOW HOW RIDICULOUS OUR SOCIETY WOULD
BE OR SHOULD BE IF THAT HAPPENED?
>>LET ME CLARIFY.
I THINK WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS NO ONE IS
TRYING TO ERASE HISTORY.
THERE
IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEARNING ABOUT HISTORICAL TRUTHS IN A
MUSEUM VERSUS HAVING CONFEDERATE STATUES IN A PUBLIC AREA THAT
ESSENTIALLY CELEBRATES THOSE
INDIVIDUALS.
THOSE ARE THINGS WE SHOULD LEARN ABOUT AND SHOULD
KNOW ABOUT BUT UNFORTUNATELY WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN TERMS OF
THE CIVIL WAR IS THIS RIDICULOUS
WHITEWASHING OF THE SITUATION.
I REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST
SEGMENTS I DID REGARDING THE CONFEDERATE FLAG GOT AN
INTERESTING RESPONSE BECAUSE I TALKED ABOUT THE CONFEDERACY AND
HOW THEY WANTED TO MAINTAIN THE SOCIETY THAT WAS OKAY WITH
SLAVES.
THEY SAID IT WAS NOT ABOUT SLAVERY IT IS ABOUT PROPERTY
RIGHTS.
>> THOSE COMMENTS ARE IN THIS VIDEO.
>>I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE
CONFEDERATES AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE CIVIL WAR BUT IT
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO CELEBRATE INDIVIDUALS WHO LITERALLY RISKED
THEIR LIVES IN ORDER TO HAVE SLAVERY, AVOID ABOLISHING
SLAVERY.
>>I DID A SONG ABOUT THIS CALLED THERE IS A SHIT TON OF RACIST
MONUMENTS IN AMERICA.
THERE IS AT LEAST NINE HIGH SCHOOLS NAMED
FOR ROBERT E LEE STILL.
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER MEMORIALS
ARE REMEMBERING THE DEAD WHO FOUGHT FOR A CERTAIN CAUSE.
PART
OF THE ARGUMENT IS ñ I AM NOT CLEARLY GOING TO GET BEHIND IT,
I'M SURE THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF TOUCHING STORIES OF
FAMILIES TORN APART.
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE
DIFFERENT THAN SAY THE EDMUND PETTIS BRIDGE.
THEY RAN THE
CLAN.
I DON'T THINK EVERY STATUE BY SOMEONE WHO HAD A ROLE IN THE
CONFEDERACY SHOULD BE REMOVED BUT I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE
STATUES THAT WERE REMOVED ñ THERE WAS ONE STATUE THAT SHOULD
NEVER BE DESTROYED AND IT IS OF
NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST OUTSIDE NASHVILLE.IT IS
THE CRAZIEST LOOKING THING, IT
IS BRIGHT GOLD.
IT IS AS RIDICULOUS AS THE IDEA OF MAKING
THE STATUE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>>THERE ARE POLITICIANS THAT DISAGREE WITH TAKING THESE
STATUES DOWN.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A STATEMENT FROM REPRESENTATIVE
CARL OLIVER FROM MISSISSIPPI WHO WAS ENRAGED AT THE THOUGHT THAT
THESE CONFEDERATE STATUES WOULD BE TAKEN DOWN.
AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE ONE OF THE BIGGEST
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE STATUES IS THAT THEY PERPETUATE A RACIST
CULTURE.
THAT THEY CELEBRATE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT IN ORDER TO
KEEP SLAVERY INTACT.
THE FACT THAT HE USED THE WORD LYNCH, YOU
ARE PROVING THEIR POINT RIGHT.
THAT IS AN UNACCEPTABLE TERM.
>>IT IS REVEALING.
>> THAT GUY IS RIDICULOUS.
USUALLY PEOPLE THAT I END UP AT
LEAST UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM SAY STUFF LIKE
WE HAVE GREAT FOOD.
THIS ONE IS YOU ARE EVEN AVAILING YOUR
RACISM.
>>AGAIN REINFORCING THE ARGUMENT THAT PEOPLE CONTINUOUSLY MAKE
ABOUT WHY THESE CONFEDERATE STATUES ARE WRONG.
THAT KIND OF
LANGUAGE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE INCITING VIOLENCE
EVEN IF YOU ARE JUST AN AVERAGE
CITIZEN.
IF YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE USING THAT KIND
OF LANGUAGE IS SO DANGEROUS AND SO IRRESPONSIBLE.
UNFORTUNATELY
HE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL ENOUGH PEOPLE CRITICIZE HIM FOR
AND CALLED HIM OUT.
TO BE FAIR LET ME READ YOU HIS APOLOGY
ABOUT THIS.
>> HE DOESN'T SAY WE SHOULDN'T
HAVE VIOLENCE.
HE IS SAYING I
SAID THE WORD I SHOULDN'T HAVE.
A LOT OF THESE MONUMENTS ARE PUT
IT BY THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF
THE CONFEDERACY.
THEY FINANCED THINGS LIKE THE ABILITY AND A
HANDFUL OF STATES TO STILL GET THE BATTLE FLAG ON
YOUR LICENSE
PLATE STILL.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
IT IS NOT JUST THE
CONFEDERACY.
IN WILMINGTON THERE
IS THIS PLACE CALLED THE PLAYGROUND AND SPLASH PAD. IS
SUPER FUN, PLAY AROUND THERE IS A SLIDE.
THIS IS A GUY WHO WHEN
THE CITY COUNCIL GOT INTEGRATED
HE ORGANIZED A BRUTE SQUAD TO GO AROUND AND HE BRAGGED ABOUT
KILLING BLACK PEOPLE AND INTIMIDATING THEM AWAY FROM
VOTING.
WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHO WE ARE NAMING
THINGS AFTER.
AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THERE IS A MALL YOU
WALK DOWN.
THEY ARE ALL LINED UP AND THERE IS A BIG CONTROVERSY
ON CAMPUS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THE DEFENDER OF IT IS SAYING IS THE
GUY WHO ORGANIZE THE FINANCING DECORATED IT WITH HIS HEROES.
THAT IS THE KIND OF PEOPLE.
JUST BECAUSE THEY ORGANIZE THE
FINANCING OF IT THEY SHOULD
LEAVE THESE PEOPLE STATUES UP?
I JUST DON'T THINK SO.
ESPECIALLY
IN A PLACE LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN.
>>IS ANYBODY BUYING HIS APOLOGY?
I DON'T CARE IF HE MEANS IT OR
NOT, HE SAID I REGRET I USED THE TERM LYNCHING.
YOU KNOW HOW
RACIST PEOPLE HAVE A SLIP OF THE PEN ALL THE TIME?
JUST BECAUSE
SOMEONE APOLOGIZES DOESN'T MEAN THEY DESERVE FOR ME TO ACCEPT
IT.
FUCK YOU AND YOUR APOLOGY.
I DON'T ACCEPT IT, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE.
>>KEEP IN MIND THAT TO STATE REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED AND THEN
WHEN ONE OF THEM WAS CALLED OUT
HE WAS LIKE OH I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT.
>> I WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THING ABOUT THIS ñ I THINK IT IS
ALSO INTERESTING THAT
REPRESENTATIVE OLIVER REPRESENTS THE SAME DISTRICT IN MISSISSIPPI
WERE EMMETT TILL WAS LYNCHED.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT YOU
SHOULD BE CONSCIOUS OF.
HE SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT A WORD
LIKE LYNCHED REALLY MEANS.
I THINK PEOPLE USE LANGUAGE WAY
TOO LOOSELY.
>>WITH THIS IT IS NOT JUST STATUES.
THE STATE FLAGS OF MANY
SOUTHERN STATES ARE ODES TO THE
BATTLE FLAG.
LOOK AT MISSISSIPPI STATE FLAG?
IT IS A MIX OF THE
STARS AND BARS IN THE
CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG.
THEY VOTED TO KEEP TWO VERSIONS OF
THE CONFEDERATE FLAG ON THEIR STATE FLAG.
AND THESE ALL WERE
NOT THE PRE-EXISTING FLAGS OF
MISSISSIPPI.
THE GEORGIA FLAG THEY JUST CHANGED IS JUST THE
STARS AND BARS WHICH IS THE OFFICIAL CONFEDERACY FLAG WITH
THE GEORGIA LOGO IN THE MIDDLE.
THEY CHANGED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR TO MAINTAIN THIS PRIDE IN THE
LOST CAUSE.
>>THE LAST CAUSE THAT IS A WHITEWASHED FAKE VERSION
OF HISTORY.

Southern Mayor SHREDS The Confederacy (VIDEO)

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