Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer Says City Is Committed To Progress | Morning Joe

>>> BACK TO CHARLOTTERLOTTESVIL. THINGS GOT HEATED YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON WHEN THE ORGANIZER OF THE WEEKEND'S WHITE NATIONALIST
RALLY TRIED THOUGH HOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE.
[ SHOUTING ] [ BLEEP ]
[ SHOUTING ] [ BLEEP ]
>> I'LL BE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. [ BLEEP ]
>> VIRGINIA STATE POLICE ARRESTED A MAN ACCUSED OF
SPITTING ON JASON KESSLER, THE MAN AT THE PODIUM.
THAT MAN IS CHARGED IS MISDEAMNOR ASSAULT AND BATTERY.
JOINING US NOW THE MAYOR OF CHARLOTTESVILE, MICHAEL SIGNER.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. YOU AND I SPOKE YESTERDAY
MORNING ABOUT THIS TIME OVER ON THE "TODAY" SHOW AND AGAIN I
WOULD EXTEND MY SYMPATHIES TO YOU AND THE FAMILIES OF THE
STATE TROOPERS AND TO HEAD THEY ARE HEYER THE 32-YEAR-OLD WHO
WAS KILLED THERE IN THAT INTENTIONAL CAR RAMMING.
LET ME ASK YOU NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE BENEFIT OF 48 HOURS OF
DISTANCE FROM THIS, WHAT IN YOUR MIND HAPPENED ON SATURDAY?
OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD THE PERMITS, YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING, YOU
FELT YOU WERE PREPARED IN TERMS OF POLICE PRESENCE AND SECURITY
AND EVERYTHING ELSE. WHAT HAPPENED THERE IN
CHARLOTTESVILE? >> WELL, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT
CHARLOTTESVILE. CHARLOTTESVILE WAS RECENTLY
RANKED AMERICA'S LITERALLY THE MOST CHARMING CITY IN AMERICA.
>> BEAUTIFUL PLACE. >> WE HAVE A SAYING HERE ANY
TIME YOU COME IN IT'S THE HOOK, THERE WAS A NEWSPAPER HERE
CALLED "THE HOOK" FOR THAT IDEA THAT IT'S SO BELOVED, SUCH AN
AMAZING PLACE. YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T LEAVE.
PROBABLY THE FRIENDLIEST PLACE YOU'VE EVER BEEN.
IT'S AN INTERESTING PLACE. CORE TO THAT IS THE VALUE THAT
WE PLACE ON DIVERSITY AND TOLERANCE.
WE HAVE A MAJOR RESCUE COMMITTEE HERE.
HUNDREDS OF POLITICAL REFUGEES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
MANY OF THEM ARE MUSLIM AND THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL THRIVING HISTORIC AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY HERE. WE'VE ALSO GOT A LOT OF EFFORTS
THAT WE TAKE ON ISSUES LIKE RACE AND EQUITY.
WE GOT AN OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SOMETHING CALLED
CHARLOTTESVILE DIALOGUE ON RACE THAT WE JUST BEGAN.
CONSISTENT WITH THOSE THINGS WE STARTED A PROCESS ABOUT A YEAR
AND A HALF AGO AT LONG LAST A GREAT SOUTHERN CITY TELLING THE
FULL STORY OF RACE IN OUR CITY, TELLING THE TRUTH.
AND WHAT THAT DID WAS THAT PUT US ON THE MAP FOR A LOT OF THESE
FORCES ALL OF WHOM CONVERGED THIS WEEKEND WHO WERE TRYING TO
DESTROY THAT SORT OF PROGRESS, THAT STHAT SORT OF TRUTH TELLINT
OUR HISTORY. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT
WHO CHARLOTTESVILE IS, THAT DIVERSITY AND CHARMING QUALITY
WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE'RE AAA BOND RATED.
WE GOT VIRGINIA'S LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT OF ANY CITY.
WE HAVE 50 BIOTECH COMPANIES. >> YOU'RE A GREAT MAYOR, MR.
MAYOR. THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS
THRILLED. >> IF THEY THINK -- BUT IF THEY
THINK THAT THEY ARE GOING TO STOP THAT SORT OF PROGRESS, I
THINK THEY PICKED THE WRONG CITY.
IF ANYTHING WE'RE GOING, TO AFTER THIS AWFUL WEEKEND NOT
JUST PICKING OURSELVES UP, BUT DOUBLE OUR PROGRESS KNOWING THAT
TOLERANCE IS EQUAL TO PROSPERITY.
>> IT'S A GREAT AMERICAN CITY CHARLOTTESVILE, VIRGINIA.
BUT YOU'VE BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN. >> COME HERE AND SPEND MONEY
HERE. >> WE GOT IT.
SO YOU'VE BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES AND THE CLIMATE YOU BELIEVE HE'S CREATED THAT
LED TO THE FREEDOM THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SAW MARCHING
THROUGH YOUR STREETS ON SATURDAY FEEL TO BE OUT IN THE OPEN, TO
GO OUT AND HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD AND HAVE THEIR VOICE
AMPLIFIED IN MANY WAYS. COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT A
LITTLE BIT. WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DO YOU THINK
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BEARS FOR WHAT HAPPENED
ON SATURDAY? >> LOOK, I THINK SOME OF THIS
SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. WE SAW THE CAMPAIGN THEY RAN, WE
SAW THE FOLKS THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES, WE SAW PEOPLE LIKE
DAVID DUKE SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT.
I'M FINISHED TALKING ABOUT FORTUNATE.
THE NATION SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE WHAT THEY SAW HERE AND
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT. WE HAD 600 CITIES DORALIES IN
SOLIDARITY WITH CHARCHARLOTTESV. I THINK CHARLOTTESVILE IS GOING
TO BE SYNONYMOUS WITH THE NATION IN TURNING THE PAGE ON THIS
HORRIFIC CHAPTER IN AMERICAN POLITICS WHERE BIGOTS AND FRINGE
AFT FRINGE WERE INVITED INTO THE MAINSTREAM OUT FROM THE SHADOWS
WHERE THEY BELONGED. THAT JUST CAME TO AN END THIS
WEEKEND. THE PRESIDENT -- I FEEL FINE IF
I DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM VERY MUCH.
HE'S BEEN ON THE SIDELINES FOR SO MUCH IN THIS COUNTRY FOR
WORKING PEOPLE AND FOR A COUNTRY THAT REALLY NEEDS PROGRESS AND
HEAL AND TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR HISTORY.
THE NATION IS SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE.
THERE WAS A RALLY IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE MAYOR OF BOSTON, BY MARRIAGE I'M IN THE MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY
AGAINST MY WILL, A PATRIOTS FAN, BUT HE CALLED ME YESTERDAY AND,
YOU KNOW, ASKED ME WHAT THE COLORS OF THE CITY WERE BECAUSE
THEY ARE DOING A VIGIL TONIGHT AND THAT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY. SO WE SO APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT
AND LOVE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I THINK THE COUNTRY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND KNOWS WHAT WE
HAVE TO DO. >> MR. MAYOR I HAVE A COUPLE OF
OTHER PEOPLE WITH QUESTIONS. RICK TYLER.
>> YOU SAID YOU WANT TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR NAYS'S HISTORY.
I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT. THERE WAS DESIGNATION MADE BY
YOUR CITY TO REMOVE THE STATUE OF ROBERT E. LEE.
SOME OF THE ANTI-PROTESTERS RALLIED AROUND ANOTHER STATUE OF
THOMAS JEFFERSON. THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS A SLAVE
HOLLER AND FATHERED CHILDREN OF A SLAVE.
HE'S THE FOUNDER OF YOUR GREAT COLLEGE.
HOW DO WE RECONCILE OUR PAST? HOW FAR DOES THIS GO?
>> LOOK I FELT -- THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT DIVIDED A LOT OF
PEOPLE. PEOPLE OF VERY GOOD FAITH WHO I
SYMPATHIZE WITH WHO SAY IF THERE'S SOMETHING OFFENDS ME SO
DEEPLY WE HAVE TO MOVE IT OR GET RID OF IT, PUT IT IN A MUSEUM.
I GENERALLY HAVE BEEN OF THE POSITION WHAT WE DO IS WE ADD
MORE HISTORY, MORE CONTEXT, TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE BY TELLING
THE FULL STORY, WE PUT IN MORE MONUMENTS, MORE CONTEXT.
I CAN ONE PEOPLE WHO DIFFER WITH THAT.
THAT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY PICTURE THAT YOU SAW ON FRIDAY
NIGHT. AS I UNDERSTAND IT BLACK LIVES
MATTER MEMBERS OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY RALLYING
AROUND A STATUE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON WITH ALL OF HIS
COMPLEXITIES AND HIS HUMAN MISTAKES AND SOME OF THE EVIL
DOING HE DID ESPECIALLY THE WAY HE TREATED THE CHILDREN OF,
SLAVE CHILDREN ON HIS PLANTATIONS PURELY FOR ECONOMIC
BENEFIT, SOME OF THE RECORDS HAVE SHOWN, SO EVEN WITH ALL OF
THAT THEY SAID I'M GOING TO PROTECT THIS FROM THAT THAT I
SEE RIGHT THERE WHICH IS BASICALLY MODERN DAY, YOU KNOW,
DOMESTIC TERRORISM HERE. PEOPLE ARE JUST TRYING TERRORIZE
US AWAY AND INTIMIDATE US AWAY FROM ANY AND ALL PROGRESS.
SO WE KNOW IN SOUTHERN CITIES THESE ISSUES ARE EXTREMELY
COMPLICATED. ANYBODY TRYING REDUCE THEM TO A
TWEET, TO SOMETHING THAT WILL FIT INTO 140 CHARACTERS JUST
DOESN'T FIT INTO THE DEBATE. WE'VE COME TO OUR OWN APPROACH
IN CHARLOTTESVILE. WE HAD A LOT OF DIVISION ON THIS
ISSUE. WE HAD DIVIDED VOTES ON CITY
COUNCIL. WHY WE HAD UNANIMITY VOTING 5-0
PUTTING $5 MILLION TO OVERHAULING THESE CONFEDERATE
PARKS PUT IN THE HEIGHT OF THE JIM CROW ERA.
WE ARE MOVING NOW TO PUT IN NEW STATUS AND CHANGE THE CONTESHTS
AND TELL THE STORY HOW WE GOT HERE.
TELL THE STORY OF WHO WE

Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer Says City Is Committed To Progress | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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