with that, i would like to introduce the governor of the commonwealth of virginia, governor ralph northam. [applause] gov. northam: thank you so much for your powerful words. thank you for your leadership during these times. pam and i are proud to live in the city of richmond. thank you and good morning to everyone. i want to thank everyone watching from around virginia and around our great country. i want to thank the many guests who have joined us as we chart a new course in virginia's history. honestwe are here to be about our past and talk about our future. i am no historian, but i strongly believe that we have to confront where we have been in order to shape where we are going. than 400inia, for more years, we have set high ideals about freedom and equality. we have fallen short of many of them. hopefulamerica's most and forward-looking moments happened right here this commonwealth and in this capital city of richmond. when americans first dreamed of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they drink here in our commonwealth. -- they dreamed here in our commonwealth. a declarati

and jeff, the -- trying to figure out sort of ralph northam after all this has been reticent to talk.'s been hesitant to do things much like this. what did you make of his, and what did you make of the contrition? >> reporter: yeah, and chuck, one of the reasons why i was so happy that the governor granted this interview after i had been pushing for it for a year and a half is because here you have a man who is from virginia, was raised during one era of transformational change, the '60s, and is now leading this state which used to be the capital of the confederacy during another era of transformational change, and so i wanted to find out how that blackface scandal really informed the work he's doing now on racial equity. to refresh people's memories, one of the reasons why he said he was not going to step down when that blackface scandal happened was because he said instead, he was going to pursue the rest of his term focused on racial justice issues. and to the surprise of a lot of people, ralph northam supporters and detractors, he's actually done that. he hired a chief diversity o

. >> earlier today, virginia governor ralph northam held a briefing to discuss his decision to remove a robert ely statue in richmond. he added the statue will be put into storage at its future will be up to governor -- two government officials and community leaders. northam: good morning, everyone. ladies and gentlemen, it is time. -- >> it is time to put an end to the laws because it fully embrace the righteous cause. it is time to replace the racist symbols of oppression and inequality, symbols that have dominated our landscape with symbols that represent and summon the best in all of us, in all of our people, ones that reflect the diverse, inclusive and equitable city we are today, and we continue to strive to be. it is time to heal, ladies and gentlemen. richmond is no longer at the confederacy. [applause] is time to show our community how much love we have here. it is time we embrace our diversity. it is time we remove -- that hinder the dreams of black children in our community. years sinceplus these monuments were erected, we have known better. better during jim crow. we knew

for 4 years so the removal of confederate statues i understand that honestly i'm not sure that ralph northam is the right guy to be doing it based on his checkered past and yes the black based on the ku klux klan outfit and everything that he's been involved with i think that's pretty questionable to have this guy the irony is not lost on me that in all honesty i don't think we celebrate those a take up arms against united states and so i i don't have an issue take it down but on the same token as you mention it is a racing history it's a page of george orwell it's newspeak it's a race the past and then it doesn't exist it's important for people to understand the past so that we can learn from it i think it's extremely critical now the interesting thing about this 14 foot statue of robert e. lee that sits on top of i think 50 feet of granite is it stayed on there are other statues long monument boulevard there that are privately owned so i wonder if this statue be moved to private hands somewhere because i do believe that is important whether it's in museums or on display somewhere to talk a

ralph northam: first of all, mayor, thank you so much for your powerful words, your leadership during difficult times. i want you to know that pam and i are proud to live in the city of richmond. thank you and good morning to everyone. i want to thank everyone watching from around virginia and around our great country, and i want to thank the many guests who have joined us as we chart a new course into virginia's history. today, we are here to be honest about our past and talk about our future. i am no historian, but i strongly believe we have to confront where we have been in order to shape where we are going. in virginia, for more than 400 years, we have set high ideals about freedom and equality, but we have fallen short of many of them. some of america's most hopeful ed ford looking happened right here -- hopeful and forward looking moments happened right here. when americans first dreamed of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happyness, they dreamed here in our commonwealth. virginia adopted a declaration of rights before the united states declared independence. it said that all a

telling geoff bennett how it opened his eyes to racial inequality >> reporter: virginia governor ralph northam says the current racial awakening is long overdue. >> a lot of people that look like me have learne a lot and standing up and saying enough is enough. >> reporter: perspective from a southern governor who last year faced a national uproar after a conservative blog found and published his 1984 ml school yearbook pageerthe next day when he reversed himself. >> i am not either of the people in that photo. >> you're saying that you had no idea this racist photo was -- before it surfaced less than 24 hours ago? >> that's correct. >> reporter: the firestorm nearly forced him from office. >> do you still contend you're not one of the two men in that photo >> we've had two very thorough investigations and those investigations showed no evidence of me being in the picture. but i will tell you, geoff, this isn't about me anymore this is really about virginia, it's about this country it's about black oppression it's about systemic racism. >> reporter: northam at the time resisted widespread call

we have not heard from ralph northam much after the black face controversy.very, very reticent about doing interviews. it will be really interesting to hear what he has to say. katy. >> from what i heard so far from that interview, it has been revealing and good on geoff bennett for getting it. vice president joe biden, chuck, is also set to hold his first major public campaign event since the beginning of the pandemic. and just a few minutes, biden is going to unveil his plan to safely reopen the u.s. economy and the suburb of darby, pennsylvania. that's where he is, just outside of philadelphia. we're going to bring that to you once it begins. last hour, biden met with small business owners to discuss what they need to stay afloat in these unprecedented times. the events both of which follow social distancing guidelines, are in contrast with president trump's plan for a packed rally in tulsa this weekend. they're obviously quite different events as well, chuck. >> absolutely. this afternoon, by the way, both of oklahoma's governor and senator james langford

lee in richmond virginia now this is the virginia governor ralph northam a few days ago announcing that the statue of the statue would come down take a listen to what he said yes that statue has been there for a long time but it was wrong then and it is wrong now. so we're taking a damn i know some will protest some will say lee was an honorable man i know many people will be angry but my friends i believe in a virginia that studies its past in an honest way i believe that when we learn more we can do more and i believe that when we learn more when we take that honest look at our past we must do more than just talk about the future we must take action professor you know he said we have to learn about our history these confederate statues this iconography it did not arise beginning in 865 after the civil war. it does the u.s. public doesn't know the history here that these these statues for example they arose in the 20th century are people aware of that. well that's a complicated question although it sounds simple on the surface on the one hand the premise of your question since to sugge

nineteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the united states and on tuesday, virginia governor ralph northamneteenth an official holiday in the state. juneteenth has also been designated as an official holiday for the city of philadelphia there's also a growing list of the will recognize june nineteenth as a holiday. and they'll be holding an 8 minute 45-second moment of silence to support the plaque community. joining the community is google, jcpenney, lyft, postmay wates a more >>> nbc's miguel almaguer has the search for solutions >> reporter: already faced with change, major airlines are doubling down on their policy requiring passengers to wear masks. those who refuse will be placed on an internal travel restriction list, losing their flying privileges for a duration of time to be determined >> you know, i think wearing masks is a must right now. >> reporter: companies across the nation are looking for new ways to protect consumers and employees. at amazon, distance assistant technology allows staff to see if they're keeping their social distance and when they don't >> now, view how cro

ralph northam said the statue of robert e lee, who commanded the confederate forces during the americany, robert e lee has looked out over the city of richmond. but not for much longer. these protesters voiced their anger at what they see as an ongoing symbol of racial injustice. and state officials 110w seem to agree. yes, that statue has been there for a long time. but it was wrong then, and it is wrong now. so, we're taking it down. robert e lee commanded the forces of the confederate states in their rebellion against the north during the american civil war. some still think of him as a hero, fighting for a lost cause. but even his descendants have come to believe that enough is enough. this statue is a symbol of oppression, and if it is a symbol, it becomes an idol, and if it becomes an idol, i am convinced as a christian, that the idols must be torn down. cheering this issue is hardly new. various statues and symbols of the confederacy have been taken down in recent years. but the protests of the last few days over the killing of george floyd have added an extra sense of urgency. t

. >> earlier today, virginia governor ralph northam held a briefing to discuss his decision to removeert ely statue in richmond. he added the statue will be put into storage at its future will be up to governor -- two government officials and community leaders. northam: good morning, everyone. ladies and gentlemen, it is time.

the top general from the pro-slavery confederate states in the 19th century american civil war ralph northam made the decision in response to george floyd's killing saying the state can no longer owner a system based on and slaving people at least and she was one of several in the state's capital richmond that commemorate confederacy similar monuments across the u.s. have been used by protest protesters to highlight the country's history of white supremacy i believe in a virginia that studies its past in an honest way i believe that when we learn more we can do more and i believe that when we learn more when we take that honest look at our past we must do more than just talk about the future we must take action. so i am directing the department of general services to remove the statue of robert e. lee as soon as possible. still ahead here and i'll deserve here's the coronavirus is now out of control in nicaragua and people are blaming the government. but. i know there was a gay conditions across much of north asia but plenty of town further to the south its all time to see this time of year

yesterday governor ralph northam, who had his own controversy over a black face photo, announced thatwill be taken down. the war heroes of the confederacy have long lined richmond's monument avenue. the biggest of all, six stories high, the statue of general robert e. lee, has stood since 1890. >> yes, that statue has been there for a long time. but it was wrong then, and it is wrong now. >> reporter: governor ralph northam said virginia could no longer honor a system that support slavery. >> so i am directing the department of general services to remove the statue of robert e. lee as soon as possible. [ applause ] [ clanhants ] >> reporter: the monuments have become a focal point of protests in the aftermath of george floyd's death. wednesday night, an image of floyd was projected on the base of the lee statue. >> glad like they're taking action and taking what we're seeing seriously. so we're glad to hear that our voices are being heard finally. >> i hope that it's not just performative. i hope that real change actually comes. >> reporter: the former capital of the confederacy raise

governor ralph northam says a statue will be taken down. >> when a young child looks up and sees somethingig and prominent, she knows that it must be important, and when it's the biggest thing around, it sends a clear message. this is what we value the most, but that's just not true anymore. >> a descendent of general leah period there supporting what he called a symbol of oppression. this week it was lit up with the face of george floyd and the words, no justice, no peace. >>> let's take a quick look at the markets this friday, jobs day. european markets opening higher. futures on wall street, they look like they are poised for a rally as well. look, it has been a remarkable run for stocks. the nasdaq is closing in on an all-time high. the s&p 500 just reported its strongest 50-day rally in history against the back drop of nearly unlimited support from the federal reserve and trillions of dollars in bailouts from congress. a record run on wall street during one of the darkest periods in history, main street, protests. wall street is signaling will be swift when it comes. >>> bankrupt jcpe

louis by the way, begging for mercy from tyrants like lightfoot or ralph northam or mayor de blasio or garcetti, the more you bag the more they take. it doesn't work. if you have a 401(k), if you own a home or heaven forbid something you want to own a home, if you want safe streets and you want police to show up, good police of course when you need them, do not expect joe biden is going to be able to help you. if joe biden wins in november of the nt five blm crowd is going to go through him like a hot knife through butter. whoever is really going to be governing the country will keep trying to cut deals with the president. until the main symbol of america will just basically be a bunch of nasty graffiti and chard buildings and those will be our monuments. equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law will be replaced with a ring of cultural terror and retribution against the old order. just ask the law-abiding residents of seattle. this is what their culture of revolution looks like. [chanting] "black lives matter." these liberals are what they are going after. all of us who stil

how can governor ralph northam countenanced this and how are the teachers unions driving these decisionse answer to the last two questions is likely, a lot. keep the chaos going through the fall in the streets and in the homes. it will be terrible for the larger economy, terrible for the unemployment numbers in god awful for students. not a good situation for any oyrsincumbent president. politics is already poisoned the school curricula across america. propaganda from the 1619 project already seeping into history classes, we talked about that last week. sensible school choice initiatives are blocked by democrats. they trap at minority kids in underperforming schools. but politics should never affect whether schools open for regular classes.ns in the coming days and weeks school districts across america will be announcing their decisions on schedules and classroom learning. mothers and fathers make their voices heard on this loud and clear. our kids need to be back in school.n widespread closures will have terrible n long-term consequencs for our children and will do little, if anything,

governor ralph northam held a briefing today on the state response to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as protests over the death of george floyd. the governor as protesters to refrain from tearing confederate statues down, saying the state is working on removing them. announced virginia continues to decrease new covid-19 cases and hopes to enter phase two soon. gov. northam: good afternoon, and thanks to all of you for joining us today. it's good to be with you again. we plan on this being a short briefing today. i want to touch on our health metrics, number one, reopening education, andr our revenue numbers for the month of may and what they mean for our financial planning as we move into the latter part of this year. first, i want to speak briefly to the ongoing protests and the confederate monuments. i have said that i believe the confederate monuments are divisive and glorify a racist and painful time in our history. that's why we are working to monumente lee enrichment, which our state owns. the richmond city council has also agreed that it will remove the other confederate monum

that agenda includes abortion up until the moment a child is born, or if you follow that whacko ralph northams born. and there is no way any true christian or any american with a semblance of a conscience can vote to support somebody like joe biden who supports that barbaric agenda. and, lou, i want to tell you something, yes, there's been a little softening in evangelical support, just a little bit, but that's temporary. but evangelicals can focus on this election after labor day, and they compare president trump's solid accomplishments in the pro-life, pro-religious liberty, pro-israel, pro-conservative judiciary arenas, when they compare that to joe biden's absolute commitment to undo every one of those accomplishments, i predict evangelicals will turn out by ian greater numbers -- even greater numbers for president trump than they did in 2016. lou: well, the -- and to watch the left, one would think that would be animating conservatives, republicans, independents because we're watching also the left here not only carrying out mob violence, filling our streets with hate, but attacking chri

governor ralph northam announced the statue would be torn down. >>> ladies and gentlemen, richmond isconfederacy. [ applause ] it is time to show our community how much love we have here. it's time that we embraced our diversity. it is time that we remove barriers that hinder the dreams of black children in our community. >> nbc news reporter deepa joins us from richmond. what's the timeline and what's the pushback? >> ali, it been a long week here in richmond. you just missed a moment behind me, around the statue there is a circle and protesters here were peacefully marching for 20 minutes, shouting things like "black lives matter" george floyd and breonna taylor." in the background of all of it is literally the six story foot tall statue of the former con fr confederate general. that's the argument that richmond leaders and the governor is talking about why it important to talk about this, to remove a terrible symbol for so many people of this country. the pushback has been there. folks argue taking down these monuments will be erasing history. others argue it's matter of what kind

governor ralph northam also appointed him to a state crime commission.start with you and i'd recommend your op-ed that you wrote to everybody that can possibly take a chance to read that, what'd you like in the executive order today that the president announced and did anything trouble you? >> i think the biggest thing is information sharing, the state anfederal government, the more those entities talk, the better it will be for those departments as well as for the citizens that they served. the biggest issue is, nothing about race or racial profiling and the executive order at all and the problem with that is the killing of george floyd was not just the matter of a historical relationship, but also about the state and its citizens and the abuse of the power, the use of excessive force. and so while you can address some of the excessive force things, you also have to call out the racial profiling and racial tensions between black communities and the law enforcement officers that serve them or you will never end of the in the bud. >> dana: let's get your

they are going to treat him as they treat someone like, i don't know, ralph northam. you either give us what we want, or we are going to make your life miserable. and biden will give them what they want. that's the bad news for the rest of us. now, more than ever, we need a president with courage to stand up to the hard left. because if they get power, they will make americans suffer through intimidation and bullying campaigns. disagree with them, and you'll be branded a racist. and if you're black and you disagree with them, you are just an uncle tom. it's disgraceful, what is going on, and it is already happening. the idea that a president biden would return america to some quaint, imagined past, is a dangerous fantasy. if he wins, the hard left wins. and that means that the culture wars are going to get a lot worse than they are right now. his administration will use the full reach of the executive branch to torment all political and cultural enemies. anyone who has a traditional view of american history or, let's say, christians, jews, muslims, all will be marked

governor ralph northam announced the statue will be removed from richmond's well-known "monument avenue he said the state can no longer showcase a cause that sought to preserve slavery. >> i believe in a virginia that studies its past in an honest way. i believe that when we learn more, we can do more and i believe that when we lea more when we take that honest look at our past, we must do more than just talk about the future. we must take action. >> woodruff: the lee statue is going into temporary storage. business closings and cutbacks during the covid-19 pandemic have claimed another 1.9 million jobs. today's report means more than 21 million workers in the u.s. are receiving jobless benefits. the number peaked two weeks ago, at nearly 25 million. the head of the centers for disease control and prevention voiced fresh fears today that protests drawing thousands into the streets will lead to new coronavirus outbreaks. robert redfield told a congressional hearing that demonstrators need to find out if they're infected. >> those individuals that have partaken in these peaceful protests

you know, i'm sure you saw the news that the virginia governor ralph northam announced that he would be tearing down the confederate statues including that one of robert e. lee. i want to know what you think of this. we seem to have been here before and have this conversation. but i wonder if you feel this time it does feel different. derrick: it absolutely feels different. this nation -- we have been living in this duality. and that is a constitution that states very clearly that all men and i'm adding women are created with inalienable rights, yet, we have allowed a large segment of our population through our tax dollar appropriation to celebrate the confederacy. that duality is alive and well, not only in many southern states but across the country. in the state of mississippi emblem is ide, the embeded in the state's flag. you go across the landscape, and you will find many counties and municipalities named after confederate soldiers. that duality is inconsistent with being a patriot, looking at the constitution. that duality has resorted in a mindset of white supremacy. the conf

here for what we're going to see in the next hour, expecting to see the governor of virginia, ralph northamt he is ordering that statue of robert e. lee to come down from monument row. you can see it with the graffiti. it's been surrounded by protestors all this week. the governor is going to say that it should, indeed, come down. jim, this is really going to be the beginning of what we've seen in cities across the country, in birmingham, alabama, alexandria alexandria, virginia, other places. finally action being done on some of these monuments, jim. >> that was the roots of the white supremacist demonstration in 2017, the general robert e. lee statue. jeff zeleny, thanks so much. >> sure. >>> let's go to michigan now. one of the first powerful images came out of mid-michigan, images of hope that went viral when violence was escalating across the country. watch this. >> these caps love you. th that cop over there hugs people. tell us what you want us to do. >> walk with us! walk with us! walk with us! >> walk they did, and listen they did, and peace was capped. joining us is sheriff christ

and then 20 years ago, 30 -- i mean, ralph northam seems to be doing just fine in virginia, he keepsocked down. >> laura, and one of the moste absurd announcements, the toy lego says in respectful black out tuesday, suspending promotion of 30 lego playsets, including those containing police officers and firefighters, emergency workers, even the white house, the lego version of the white house, perhaps they can resume promotion of the lego city police station once the antifafa looting spree place that comes online tonight, a&e pulled its number-one rated "live pd" show from its schedule outre of respt for the families of george floyd and others who have their lives. this is one of the most popular live-action police shows on tv. i think it helps people sympathize with what cops go through. o >> laura: we got to go, raymond, but i think they are worried about some of the looters being caught on camera, that's's what they are worried about. >> may be. >> laura: they don't want to get into any trouble there. raymond, thank you so much. i have to go get my son's police lego's hide them. a

and in r richmond, virginia, governoror ralph northam on thursday ordered the removal of a statue of confederate general robert e. lee from the state capital after it was vandalized during recent mass protests. richmond's african-american mayor levar stononey welcomed te move. pandemics in this country -- covid-19 and racism. one is six months old. the other, 400 years old. and as the events of the last months in the last two weeks have made painfully clear, both are lethal, especially for r blk and brown people. amy: a and those are somome of e headadlines. thisis is decracy y now!, democrcracynow.org, the quarante report. i'm amy goodman. thursday marked the e first of many memorialsls for geoeorge f. in minneapolis, members of his family, loved ones, and supporters gathered for a tribute where floyd's golden casket was covered in red roses. a picture projected on the wall above it showed the mural of floyd that has been painted at the street corner where he died. the mural reads, "i can breathe now." during the tribute, people stood in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds -- the a

virginia forhmond, a briefing with governor ralph northam from earlier today. the governor spoke about the death of george floyd. >> good morning, everyone. ladies and

this week, virginia governor ralph northam announced the statue of confederate general robert e.l be taken down. and the city of fredericksburg, virginia, removed a 176-year-old slave auction block from a prominent downtown street corner yesterday. back in 2018, my colleague trymaine lee spoke with residents there about that symbol of racial oppression. >> so what was it like growing up with that auction block right there on the corner? >> it was like an embarrassment. i don't need to see that block to know what the past was. it made you mad because i can say my great grandma, my great grandpa. you bring them in on a boat, and then you sell them. how do you moralize something like that? >> it is totally unfair and unreal that people can actually sit there, and say that, oh, well, we're just saving history. no, what you're doing is you're spitting in our faces. that's what you're doing. >> joining me now is trymaine lee, msnbc correspondent and host of the "into america" p podcast. trymaine, it's always good to see you. you did this documentary a few years ago, talking about these

this week, virginia governor ralph northam announced the statue of confederate general robert e. lee will be taken down. and the city of fredericksburg, virginia, removed a 176-year-old slave auction block from a prominent downtown street corner yesterday. back in 2018, my colleague trymaine lee spoke with residents there about that symbol of racial oppression. >> so what was it like growing up with that auction block right there on the corner? >> it was like an embarrassment. i don't need to see that block to know what the past was. it made you mad because i can say my great grandma, my great grandpa. you bring them in on a boat, and then you sell them. how do you moralize something like that? >> it is totally unfair and unreal that people can actually sit there, and say that, oh, well, we're just saving history. no, what you're doing is you're spitting in our faces. that's what you're doing. >> joining me now is trymaine lee, msnbc correspondent and host of the "into america" podcast. trymaine, it's always good to see you. you did this documentary a few years ago, talking about

just a few moments ago the governor ralph northam announced they are going to immediately remove thetatue of robert e. lee in richmond. of course the confederate general, that statue has long been a source of contention and controversy in the state's capital. the governor announcing that the statue is going to be taken down as soon as possible. meanwhile, a little morning rain not stopping a small group in washington, d.c., from gathering this morning to peacefully protest the death of george floyd. last night we saw quite the powerful moment when the crowd there burst into song. ♪ >> come on! ♪ we all need somebody to lean on ♪ >> lean on me. nbc's tom costello joins us now from washington. tom is there in lafayette square. tom, the protests there, how have they changed over the course of the week? and what do we know about the law enforcement presence there? >> reporter: well, from monday night when you were here and it was just chaos and of course we had the rubber bullets and all of that, things have dramatically really kind of mellowed out, if you will. at the moment i'll just s

a judge in virginia has temporarily blocked an order by virginia governor ralph northam to remove a statueconfederate general robert e. lee, bringing lee's lifetime winning percentage to .500. new york mayor bill de blasio announced yesterday that a street in every borough will be renamed after the black lives matter movement. cool now black people know they're just as important in new york as an actor who played a cop. after president trump reportedly asked aides last year about dropping nuclear bombs into hurricanes to stop the storms from hitting the u.s., a texas congresswoman has introduced a new bill that would prohibit the president from using strategic weapons to alter weather patterns you know, when you see a crazy warning label on something like a stick of deodorant that says "do not eat," and you think, "wow, what could possibly have happened for them to feel the need to put that warning on there? well, you know, that -- that happened following a string of recent coronavirus outbreaks at several of its warehouses around the country, amazon is reportedly planning to develop its o

in virginia, governor ralph northam is expected to propose a dashboard or the removal today of the statue of confederate general robert e. lee from the state capitol grounds in richmond after it was vandalized during the protests. in birmingham, alabama, protesters toppled a statue of confederate officer charles linn and vandalized a monument known as the confederate sailors and soldiers monument. following the action, birmingham mayor randall woodfin ordered the rest of the statue to be removed. in nashville, tennessee, protesters toppled a statue of edward carmack, a racist politician and newspaper publisher who incited violence against ida b. wells for her reporting on lynchings. on capitol hill, republican senator rand paul of kentucky is holding up quick passage of a bill sponsored by the senate's three black members that would ke lynchining a federaral hate crime. senator paul objected to passing the bill by unanimous consent wedndnesday, saying it could "conflate lesser crimes with lynching." in february, the house passed its version of the bill, the emmett till anti-lynching act,

. >>> meanwhile, this week in virginia, governor ralph northam ordered the gigantic general lee statueate property in richmond and warehoused while the community figures how what to do with it. meanwhile the mayor of richmond is calling for the all confederate statues to also come down. the new state law passed by the majority democratic legislature will give the city council the power to do that as of july 1st. this is why you vote. still the wait may seem like forever in richmond compared to the pace in other cities. in birmingham, alabama, the mayor took down a monument this week in a city park after protesters started the job. the state attorney general is suing over it under a law that bans removing confederate statues. but, oh, well. at the other end of alabama in mobile, confederate admiral ralph sims had occupied the intersection of government and royal streets until this morning when the city awoke to find him gone. the mayor says he ordered the removal yesterday, and it was done. and in montgomery, alabama, another statue of general lee was toppled by protesters recently at r

ralph northam said the statue of robert e lee, who commanded the confederate forces during the american as an ongoing symbol of racial injustice. and state officials now seem to agree. yes, that statue has been there for a long time. but it was wrong then, and it is wrong now. so, we're taking it down. robert e lee commanded the forces of the confederate states in their rebellion against the north during the american civil war. some still think of him as a hero, fighting for a lost cause. but even his descendants have come to believe that enough is enough. this statue is a symbol of oppression, and if it is a symbol, it becomes an idol, and if it becomes an idol, i am convinced as a christian, that the idols must be torn down. cheering this issue is hardly new. various statues, symbols of the confederacy have been taken down in recent years. but the protests of the last few days over the killing of george floyd have added an extra sense of urgency. this is a surprise to us, but we're glad, like, they're taking actions and they're taking what we're saying seriously. so we're glad to hear