This South Carolina rep, William Chumley, doesn't seem too thrilled about taking down the Confederate flag, and comes up with the convoluted argument that we shouldn't let the hate groups influence how we live -- by taking down their symbols of hate, I guess.
We should leave them right there, where they've always been!
And then he pretty much criticizes "these people sat in there and waited their turn to be shot," apparently for not having guns. Even more to the point, for not being paranoid enough to take their guns to Bible study.
Unbelievable:
STATE REP WM. CHUMLEY: These people sit in there, waited their turn to be shot… that’s sad. But somebody in there with the means of self defense could have stopped this. And we’d have had less funerals than we’re having.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN: You’re turning this into a gun debate? If those nine families asked you to take down that flag, would you do it?
CHUMLEY: You said “guns,” why didn’t somebody, why didn’t somebody just do something? I mean, uh, you’ve got one skinny person shootin’ a gun, you know I mean, we need to take, and do what we can…
GRIFFIN: I want to make sure I understand what you’re telling me… are you asking that these people should have tackled him, these women should have fought him… that…
CHUMLEY: I don’t know what, I don’t know what the answer was. But I know it’s really horrible for nine people to be shot and I understand that he reloaded his gun during the process. [smiles] That’s, that’s upsetting, very upsetting.
GRIFFIN: Those nine families, and every black person in South Carolina, and all of the people, the white people who are against that flag believe it shouldn’t be on the state grounds, you are saying it should stay because your constituents want it to?
GRIFFIN: It stays there until the people of South Carolina say it should come down. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
