Post by the Scribe on Nov 2, 2021 20:51:19 GMT
USA TODAY
Arizona state senator encourages Republican voters in Virginia to 'Make General Lee proud'
Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY
Tue, November 2, 2021, 11:40 AM
Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers tweeted, "Let's go Old Virginia. Make General Lee proud" after urging Republican voters in Virginia to head to the polls on Election Day.
The Virginia gubernatorial race between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe has taken center stage on Election Day. Rogers and other Republican politicians are pulling for Youngkin's win.
Rogers has been a longtime supporter of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and protested the removal of Lee statues in Virginia cities like Charlottesville and Richmond. The Arizona conservative who became a member of the state’s 6th District this year argued it was "un-American to tear down, erase, and burn history."
"Robert E Lee was a great patriot and a great leader. They are not just tearing him down. They are coming after all of us. Get involved now. You could be next," Rogers tweeted on Dec. 21, 2020.
Largest Lee statue in the U.S. removed: Virginia removes Richmond's 131-year-old Robert E. Lee statue
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/08/virginia-removes-robert-e-lee-statue-largest-confederate-monument/5767207001/
Residents, protesters say goodbye: Virginia set to remove Richmond's Robert E. Lee statue, its largest Confederate monument
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/07/richmonds-robert-e-lee-statue-slated-removal-wednesday/5750475001/
The Lee statue served as a symbol of Confederate heritage and became a focal point of the 2020 demonstrations in Richmond by people rallying for racial equity in justice following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police.
Rogers has used the statue's removal to hit back at American "traitors" and Democrats, who she claims don't stand for the country.
"I like Robert E Lee and I like Stonewall Jackson. I don’t like traitors who hate America. Stand up for our culture!" Rogers tweeted on July 23 this year.
In another tweet, she claimed Lee "loved our country" more than U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, China and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Social media reactions to Rogers' tweets have been mixed. Some praised her conservative values while others said her support for Lee is racist.
As Rogers condemned the statue's removal, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the removal was overdue because Confederate history does not represent what Virginia is.
"The public monuments reflect the story we choose to tell about who we are as a people," the governor said. "It is time to display history as history and use the public memorials to honor the full and inclusive truth of who we are today and in the future.”
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/08/virginia-removes-robert-e-lee-statue-largest-confederate-monument/5767207001/
Follow Gabriela Miranda on Twitter: @itsgabbymiranda
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona senator urges Virginia voters to 'Make General Lee proud'
Arizona state senator encourages Republican voters in Virginia to 'Make General Lee proud'
Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY
Tue, November 2, 2021, 11:40 AM
Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers tweeted, "Let's go Old Virginia. Make General Lee proud" after urging Republican voters in Virginia to head to the polls on Election Day.
The Virginia gubernatorial race between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe has taken center stage on Election Day. Rogers and other Republican politicians are pulling for Youngkin's win.
Rogers has been a longtime supporter of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and protested the removal of Lee statues in Virginia cities like Charlottesville and Richmond. The Arizona conservative who became a member of the state’s 6th District this year argued it was "un-American to tear down, erase, and burn history."
"Robert E Lee was a great patriot and a great leader. They are not just tearing him down. They are coming after all of us. Get involved now. You could be next," Rogers tweeted on Dec. 21, 2020.
Largest Lee statue in the U.S. removed: Virginia removes Richmond's 131-year-old Robert E. Lee statue
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/08/virginia-removes-robert-e-lee-statue-largest-confederate-monument/5767207001/
Residents, protesters say goodbye: Virginia set to remove Richmond's Robert E. Lee statue, its largest Confederate monument
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/07/richmonds-robert-e-lee-statue-slated-removal-wednesday/5750475001/
The Lee statue served as a symbol of Confederate heritage and became a focal point of the 2020 demonstrations in Richmond by people rallying for racial equity in justice following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police.
Rogers has used the statue's removal to hit back at American "traitors" and Democrats, who she claims don't stand for the country.
"I like Robert E Lee and I like Stonewall Jackson. I don’t like traitors who hate America. Stand up for our culture!" Rogers tweeted on July 23 this year.
In another tweet, she claimed Lee "loved our country" more than U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, China and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Social media reactions to Rogers' tweets have been mixed. Some praised her conservative values while others said her support for Lee is racist.
As Rogers condemned the statue's removal, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the removal was overdue because Confederate history does not represent what Virginia is.
"The public monuments reflect the story we choose to tell about who we are as a people," the governor said. "It is time to display history as history and use the public memorials to honor the full and inclusive truth of who we are today and in the future.”
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/08/virginia-removes-robert-e-lee-statue-largest-confederate-monument/5767207001/
Follow Gabriela Miranda on Twitter: @itsgabbymiranda
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona senator urges Virginia voters to 'Make General Lee proud'