African-American Republican Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., called for a “robust conversation” about race but said he would “honor” a commitment he had made to wait to “start that debate” until after the funeral of the nine black church members who were allegedly shot by a white 21-year-old Wednesday.
Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Scott said that “There’s no doubt that South Carolina has a rich and provocative history. And that flag is a part of the history. And for some, that flag represents that history. And for so many others, it represents a pain and oppression.”
When prompted about gun control measures, Scott said, “I think when there’s that much evil in the heart, it is hard to think of the right legislative solution for that problem.”
“What I do know is that the gun laws that were broken did not stop this monster, this killer, from carrying out his acts,” said the South Carolina Senator. “What I do know is that the gun laws that prevented him from bringing a gun into the church did not work.”
The massacre was “obviously a case of racism,” and the killer was “driven by hatred,” he said.
“That is the clear and dominant reason [why] this happened,” said Scott.
Dylann Storm Roof was charged with nine counts of murder after he allegedly hurled racial epithets and opened fire in the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.
“The entire state now is, without any question, taking a leap forward. What the enemy meant for evil, I believe God will bring good out of it,” Scott said, pointing to ways the community had come together.
A media firestorm over the Confederate flag erupted last week in the aftermath of the killings. A decade-old compromise means that the controversial flag no longer flies above the state’s Capitol building, but instead flies over a nearby memorial on government grounds, a move Scott said he supported at the time.
But Scott refused to weigh in on whether the Confederate flag should be removed completely from the state’s capitol grounds, saying that he would definitely be part of that conversation after the funerals, but wasn’t “going to make any breaking news here” until then.
“My voice will be clear,” said Scott. “My position will be stated.”
