President Andrews’ Reaction to the White Nationalist Demonstrations and Violence in Charlottesville on August 12th, 2017:
“We condemn the messages of hate that the Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists, and Ku Klux Klan that gathered in Charlottesville stand for. The violence that these groups have both enacted and incited is awful and goes well beyond the freedom of speech that our nation holds dear and that our Constitution protects. We mourn the death of Heather Heyer and stand against the evil that caused this act of terrorism. However, as we take this stand, the way forward is not to fight hate with more hate, which regrettably some of the counter-protesters in Charlottesville fell victim to. Rather, it is to stand firm in the belief that this nation is stronger, more vibrant, and richer when we open our hearts and minds to folks of different races, colors, religions, and viewpoints. When we do this, we are affirming a core founding principle of our nation — that all people are created equal and each are deserving of the freedom to pursue their own happiness.” – President Richard Andrews
The Relevance 