After Virginia violence, governor denounces hate, says Arkansas' Confederate monuments should stay up

Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters from the Little Rock Marriott Hotel on Friday, Aug. 11.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters from the Little Rock Marriott Hotel on Friday, Aug. 11.

After a deadly weekend ignited by a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Gov. Asa Hutchinson stated that racism must be “rejected,” adding that he’s against dismantling Confederate monuments erected in Arkansas.

White supremacists and neo-Nazis descended on the Virginia town to object to the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue Friday. The move sparked violent clashes over the weekend and led to the death of a 32-year-old counter-protester.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed Saturday when a man drove into a crowd. James Alex Fields, 20, of Ohio was arrested in the slaying.

Following the attack, many restarted efforts to remove Confederate monuments from public places. The city of Baltimore removed statues during early Wednesday, The New York Times reported.

Some Arkansans echoed the sentiment. Ozark Indivisible, a group in northwest Arkansas, launched an online petition to remove a tribute to a Confederate soldier in downtown Bentonville. It's gotten a few thousand signatures so far.

In a Wednesday statement, Hutchinson denounced hatred, saying the “whole concept of white supremacy or neo-nazi dogma must be rejected at every turn.” He added that when it comes to monuments, history cannot be undone.

“We should not start taking down monuments just because they remind us of an unpleasant past,” Hutchinson said.

“Refusing to face our history by dismantling it is a mistake. We should use our historical markers as teaching opportunities to provide greater leadership for the future.”

The governor said learning from the past was also his aim in advocating for legislation that separated the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Robert E. Lee Day.

Dozens of statues commemorating the Confederacy dot the state, including the Confederate Soldiers Monument, also known as Defense of the Flag, on state Capitol grounds. A bronze angel holds a wreath aloft while a Confederate soldier stands below.

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