WALK IT BACK

Mississippi Lawmaker Apologizes for Calling for Lynching

They should be LYNCHED!” he originally said of those responsible for Confederate monument removals.

Mississippi state Rep. Karl Oliver on Monday apologized for his previous comments calling for the lynching of officials responsible for the removal of Confederate monuments from New Orleans. The Republican lawmaker wrote on Facebook over the weekend: “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 post, whcih was removed Monday, was made in response to three monuments being removed from New Orleans. In a statement, he apologized: “I, first and foremost, wish to extend this apology for any embarrassment I have caused to both my colleagues and fellow Mississippians,” Oliver said. “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.”