A state lawmaker who warned a former colleague about her positions on removing Confederate monuments walked back his statement on Wednesday, saying that he regrets his choice of words.
The controversy began when state Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine) posted a photo of himself online next to a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. According to the Washington Post, Jones, who is advocating the removal of Confederate monuments, responded that Spencer should “get it in” before the monuments are removed.
Spencer then posted, according to the Post, a response that seemingly warned Jones that she could “disappear” if she made those sentiments known to some of the south Georgia communities that he represents, a statement that has made some national headlines.
Here is Spencer's entire statement that he issued on Wednesday:
“I respect former State Representative LaDawn Jones as a colleague and as my former seat mate in the Georgia House of Representatives. I respect her for her passion, her willingness to engage in debate with me, and her ability to advocate strongly for what she believes. She has always done so aggressively and without any fear. She’s never backed down from me in any of the debates we’ve ever had, even if those debates might have appeared to others that we were being hostile or rude to each other. LaDawn and I are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but I am glad that she wants to learn how people with different worldviews think. It’s a rare trait in most people, and she deserves praise and respect for having it.
“I regret that my choice of words in warning LaDawn about the possibility of violence has been misinterpreted as a threat against her, or anyone else who would like to see historic monuments to the Confederacy removed. I was trying to warn her that there really are people who would harm others over the issue. In light of the recent tragic murder of a woman in Charlottesville, I believe that a certain degree of caution is necessary. I still do.
“I condemn racism, ‘white supremacy’ and any group from the yesterday’s Klan to today’s neo-Nazis, who espouses such vile beliefs. They should not be tolerated. Provoking such hateful people is to deliberately invite violence with them, and that should not happen in America in the 21st century.
“The racial division in our nation is terrible and is going to get worse if my colleague and I cannot have the kind of conversation we had on social media and will continue to have face-to-face. It is a painful conversation that we need to have, in our communities, our state, and our nation. I’m grateful that LaDawn Jones is willing to start that conversation with me, and I hope that our experience will start similar conversations among others.”
Spencer represents District 180, which includes Camden, Charlton, and Ware counties.
