After Charlottesville, both Bush presidents denounce ‘hatred in all forms’
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Former President George H.W. Bush and former President George W. Bush, in a rare joint statement, declared Wednesday that Americans must reject “hatred in all its forms” in the aftermath of the white supremacist and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Va.
“America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms,” the father-son duo said in the statement, which was released by both their offices.
“As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city’s most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights,” they said, in a reference to Thomas Jefferson. “We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country.”
The combined message came a day after President Trump said there was “blame on both sides” in Charlottesville, where a young woman was killed when a white supremacist allegedly drove his car on purpose into a group of counter-protesters. The “Unite The Right” forces also clashed with so-called antifa counterprotesters. Some prominent Republicans have broken sharply with Trump, while white nationalists have cheered him on.
Joint statements from the Bushes are rare, though they have done at least one before – in 2013, after former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci died, they released one, according to the elder Bush’s office.
MR HARRYSON CHITAPU 