Rep. Karl Oliver should resign after lynching comment
In short, Oliver has made himself a pariah among leaders of both parties. He has drawn negative national attention to Mississippi, this week reinforcing a stereotype of our people that we must fight every day. As long as he is in office, it is unlikely the people of his district will ever have any kind of influence in the Capitol.
Yes, Oliver removed the post and even apologized this time, which is more than he did last year. “This isn’t news. Twist it any way you want,” he told The Clarion-Ledger in reference to his email retort. And while his use of “I could care less” instead of the correct “I couldn’t care less” — not to mention the fact that it was New Orleans city leaders and not Louisiana state leaders, as Oliver said, who decided to remove the monuments — might give some insight into why Oliver would have used “lynched,” but it certainly is not definitive.
Regardless, an apology is not enough. Oliver is a distraction. He should resign for the good of his constituents, his party, the House of Representatives and the state.
Clarion Ledger
5/22/17
