MS State Rep’s remarks ignite fire in the capital

A story that started on Facebook has once again thrust Mississippi into the spotlight, as State Representative Karl Oliver recently made an offensive statement regarding the removal of New Orlean’s confederate monuments.
State Representative Karl Oliver is in hot water for comments he made on his personal Facebook page regarding the recent removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans. The phrase that’s drawing criticism “they should be lynched, let it be known.” Since the post, Oliver has been widely condemned by the public and Oliver’s peers. Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves said, “I don’t spend a lot of time on Facebook, but I did understand and was told what he said and I think it was an inappropriate and not a responsible thing to say.”
While the removal of the monuments depicting Confederate generals has garnered national attention, NAACP Board Member James Crowell says Oliver’s words have once again painted our state in a negative light. “That Mississippi hadn’t changed. We say we’re a new Mississippi, but we basically keep doing the same thing and to make a statement like that I would think he needs to be removed.”
Oliver has since delivered a public apology on Facebook, saying, “I acknowledge the word ‘lynched’ was wrong. I am very sorry. It is in no way ever an appropriate term.”
Speaker of the House Philip Gunn said, “I don’t want there to be any doubt or question that we believe, I believe, that those types of comments are certainly inappropriate, offensive, I don’t know what other adjectives to use. I haven’t gotten my thesaurus out.”
“I think it’s inappropriate and foolish. It’s inappropriate and foolish,” said Lt. Gov. Reeves.