Sen. Lindsey Graham on Saturday said in a prepared statement that “there can be no doubt” that the mass shooting at a Charleston, S.C., church was motivated by racism.
The South Carolina Republican and presidential contender has been among the most outspoken among the GOP 2016 contenders when it comes to labeling the incident as a racist act. On Wednesday evening, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, who is white, gunned down nine African-Americans in a historically black church after spending an hour praying with them during a Bible study session. Roof has a history of antipathy toward African-Americans and, according to a witness he left alive, expressed racist sentiments before committing the murders.
“There can be no doubt that the shooting on Wednesday night was racially motivated and signals to all of us that the scars of our history are still with us today,” Graham said as part of a lengthy statement issued by his presidential campaign Saturday evening. “This murderer said he wanted to start a race war; he has failed miserably. In Charleston this weekend, I saw a community coming together. I saw people seeking solace in what they share together, not in what makes them different.”
Most of the Republican presidential candidates have said that the shooting was racially motivated. But few have been as blunt as Graham, perhaps for fear of speaking before all of the facts are known, but perhaps because they are wary of offending voters in a state that votes third on the 2016 primary calendar and has picked the GOP presidential nominee every years since 1980, with the exception of 2012.
Following is Grahams full statement:
Our nation needs to come together as a whole and pray for the victims of the tragic shooting in Charleston. This weekend, I have been in South Carolina praying with my friends and neighbors. I ask you to do the same.
There can be no doubt that the shooting on Wednesday night was racially motivated and signals to all of us that the scars of our history are still with us today. Throughout our country, we still have much to do in the name of equality. I want to talk about those issues on the campaign trail. I want to find ways to bring our country together, to work with democrats and republicans, and everyone of any racial, ethnic, religious or political background to solve the massive challenges we face. This is something I don’t just talk about, it is something I have done and will continue to do.
This murderer said he wanted to start a race war; he has failed miserably. In Charleston this weekend, I saw a community coming together. I saw people seeking solace in what they share together, not in what makes them different.
I’m from South Carolina. My state, like our nation, has a difficult history of race relations. We have tried to address it through compromise and working together. There is no doubt we have made great progress, but Charleston reminds us there is still much to do. The shooting was a tragic event and the fact that one person could act with such hatred and disregard for human life sickens me. We must learn from this disaster and we must all strive to do better in the memory of the nine victims. Let us ensure South Carolina, and our nation, is always represented by those nine, not by that one.
At an appropriate time, we will move forward to have a discussion on a variety of fronts about what will make us stronger as a nation and what solutions need to be found to achieve that goal. But now, please join me in continuing to pray for the victims, for the citizens of Charleston, of my home state, and of our nation. Let’s find the strength and wisdom, together, to make sure this never happens again.
Disclosure: The author’s wife works as an advisor to Scott Walker.
