Alabama State Rep.: ‘Every Confederate Statue and Flag Literally Represents the Oppression of Black People’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT clip starts ░░░░░░░░ These statues are not ░░░░░░░░ remembrances of a benign ░░░░░░░░ They ignore the death ░░░░░░░░ terror and enslavement that ░░░░░░░░ actually stood for clip ░░░░░░░░ LUI New Orleans governor ░░░░░░░░ Landrieu talking about why ░░░░░░░░ removed statues in his ░░░░░░░░ city In Alabama lawmakers ░░░░░░░░ to protect their confederate ░░░░░░░░ Kay ivy signed a ░░░░░░░░ making it illegal to ░░░░░░░░ monuments more than 40 ░░░░░░░░ old The bill s ░░░░░░░░ defended that move saying ░░░░░░░░ Alabama memorial preservation act ░░░░░░░░ designed to preserve all ░░░░░░░░ of our history Condoleezza ░░░░░░░░ stating Destroying our history ░░░░░░░░ its most painful parts ░░░░░░░░ a disservice to future ░░░░░░░░ wishing to study it ░░░░░░░░ Sanders opposes the new ░░░░░░░░ He joins me now ░░░░░░░░ Montgomery How do you ░░░░░░░░ here and thank you ░░░░░░░░ joining us here today ░░░░░░░░ Thank you LUI How ░░░░░░░░ you respond to what ░░░░░░░░ Rice and Matt butler ░░░░░░░░ saying Sanders Well first ░░░░░░░░ me say that monuments ░░░░░░░░ not history Monuments are ░░░░░░░░ of how somebody feels ░░░░░░░░ history We re not ░░░░░░░░ any history The history ░░░░░░░░ history and remains the ░░░░░░░░ That s simply about ░░░░░░░░ monument that s about ░░░░░░░░ somebody feels about something ░░░░░░░░ somebody that happened in ░░░░░░░░ and it s a ░░░░░░░░ It doesn t destroy ░░░░░░░░ And anybody who says ░░░░░░░░ monuments are history are ░░░░░░░░ confusing the issue LUI ░░░░░░░░ does one not confuse ░░░░░░░░ issue then What would ░░░░░░░░ your suggestion to both ░░░░░░░░ Matt Butler the sponsor ░░░░░░░░ defended the move as ░░░░░░░░ as Condoleezza Rice how ░░░░░░░░ you Go ahead Sanders ░░░░░░░░ bill started out with ░░░░░░░░ protecting monuments that are ░░░░░░░░ years old And if ░░░░░░░░ go back to when ░░░░░░░░ bill was first introduced ░░░░░░░░ 2015 that was the ░░░░░░░░ of the 1965 Voting ░░░░░░░░ Act So they were ░░░░░░░░ to protect monuments that ░░░░░░░░ that were established before ░░░░░░░░ Not all monuments It ░░░░░░░░ into that Second or ░░░░░░░░ these these are statues ░░░░░░░░ names and buildings and ░░░░░░░░ and other things of ░░░░░░░░ who not only believed ░░░░░░░░ white supremacy but they ░░░░░░░░ believed in slavery and ░░░░░░░░ vowed to keep people ░░░░░░░░ slavery They are messages ░░░░░░░░ our children that these ░░░░░░░░ people that we should ░░░░░░░░ and these are people ░░░░░░░░ we should be like ░░░░░░░░ having black children having ░░░░░░░░ go to school here ░░░░░░░░ Montgomery Alabama in a ░░░░░░░░ named after Jeff Davis ░░░░░░░░ did everything that he ░░░░░░░░ could to keep black ░░░░░░░░ enslaved Or Robert E ░░░░░░░░ imagine what that does ░░░░░░░░ them psychologically Can you ░░░░░░░░ any white person allowing ░░░░░░░░ children to go to ░░░░░░░░ school that was named ░░░░░░░░ turner who was enslaved ░░░░░░░░ and struggled to free ░░░░░░░░ and others They would ░░░░░░░░ to it strongly In ░░░░░░░░ that was a fellow ░░░░░░░░ who said well the ░░░░░░░░ are all right They ░░░░░░░░ t do any good ░░░░░░░░ I asked him would ░░░░░░░░ allow your child to ░░░░░░░░ to a school named ░░░░░░░░ Malcolm X And I ░░░░░░░░ Malcolm X hadn t ░░░░░░░░ anyone he hadn t ░░░░░░░░ anyone He spoke out ░░░░░░░░ his people And he ░░░░░░░░ absolutely not But he ░░░░░░░░ then said well I ░░░░░░░░ your point LUI Right ░░░░░░░░ And then people you ░░░░░░░░ who are like Nathan ░░░░░░░░ only fought to keep ░░░░░░░░ people enslaved but he ░░░░░░░░ th Klan all over ░░░░░░░░ country and then the ░░░░░░░░ waged a hundred year ░░░░░░░░ And it was state ░░░░░░░░ And I say it ░░░░░░░░ state sanctioned because the ░░░░░░░░ didn t try to ░░░░░░░░ anything to prevent it ░░░░░░░░ didn t try to ░░░░░░░░ anybody who did it ░░░░░░░░ it represents all of ░░░░░░░░ LUI A lot Sanders ░░░░░░░░ confederate statue and flag ░░░░░░░░ represents the oppression of ░░░░░░░░ people.”