Sen. Sanders' Statement on Racist Rally in Charlottesville

State Senator James Sanders Jr. said: "Mr. President, America needs leadership, not a Commander-in-Chief who caters to domestic terrorists. If we do not take a stand now against these Klansman, white supremacists and Nazis who committed murder in Charlottesville, then when will we? President Trump, you need to clearly state that the Ku Klux Klan, the Nazis and other fascists are not upholding American values. What happened today in Charlottesville was the disgusting and vile actions of cowards who do not understand our nation’s history and the progress we have made to repair the past. Yes, we have a long way to go, but these domestic terrorists are taking us back to a tortured part of American history. They would be in good company with their beloved Hitler.

To the Klan and other fascists we say: We have fought back against your madness many times, including WWII. When your Hitler and his "master race" plunged the world into war, our fathers and mothers rallied and stopped you. At the cost of many millions of lives, we learned where the road leads that you want to take us, and, for the sake of your children and mine, we plead with you to re-discover your humanity. If you persist, yes, we, American people sleep soundly, but when we understand your true purpose, we will awaken and crush you.

There is only one race, the human race. We may have all come here on different ships, but we are in the same boat now. Praise to the counter protesters for putting their bodies on the line to stand up for what most of us believe in. They are the ones who ARE making America great."