Jesse Ventura joins the #TakeDownTheFlag movement. The Governor sounds off on the state of racism in America after 21-year old Dylann Roof allegedly shoots and kills nine at a Charleston church in order to “start a race war.”

In 2015, we’ve seen heightened racial tensions in the melting pot that is supposed to be America. From a rise in police killings of unarmed black men like Michael Brown, to the latest shooting at an African American church in South Carolina.  We can no longer pretend racism isn’t still an issue in America today.

Dylann roof reportedly confessed to killing nine African-Americans in order to “start a race war." A surviving witness from the shooting allegedly said Dylann Roof told his victims before killing them, “I have to do it. You’re raping our women and taking over our country.You have to go.”

"What’s the difference between Islamic extremism and domestic extremism: nothing."

If Dylann Roof had been an Islamic extremist, would we call him a terrorist?What’s the difference between Islamic extremism and domestic extremism: nothing. There is no difference. They both have a corrupted agenda and they want to achieve that agenda with violence. Achieving agendas with violence is the definition of terrorism to me.You don’t do it the right way - by winning votes and elections - you do it with a gun.

You can see where Dylann Roof could get this. South Carolina still flies the Confederate flag. That flag stands for slavery. Imagine if you’re a black person who lives down there and every day you walk by the capital you see a symbol proudly declaring slavery. This is the flag that symbolized that type of thinking. Then you take someone like Dylann Roof, he sees a stamp of approval of government, the commentators on TV that wont call racism racism, and he sees politicians running for president who likewise wont call it a racist act for fear of offending anyone.

"We have to look at our past so we can learn from it."

For these people that believe the Confederate flag is a part of history and should be displayed, they’re correct. IN THE MUSEUM! It does not belong being endorsed today by any government inside the USA. Be it local, state or federal. We have to look at our past so we can learn from it, but we don’t need to flaunt it. We don’t need to sit and flaunt slavery.

Was he influenced? You can bet he was. Because when government rubber-stamps something, most people believe it’s ok because the government says so.Government is made up of people.  If you get racists in government, you’ll get racism from government.

We’ve got to stop celebrating racist propaganda like the confederate flag in America. It’s time to move forward and become the America we’re supposed to be. I lived through the 60s and I never thought in my lifetime I’d see a repeat of the 60s. Meaning we haven’t gotten anywhere. I apologize to Dr. Martin Luther King. We’ve done a terrible job because the fight Dr. King fought is still being fought today, and it’s as brutal as ever.

-Jesse Ventura

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC its affiliates, or its employees.

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