John Chiang: No room for hate

California gubernatorial candidate John Chiang released his statement to public 8/16 afternoon:

I’ll be blunt.

President Trump has abdicated his job as a moral leader of this country.

White supremacists and Nazis are never “very nice people”. They’re the enemy of all we hold dear.

We are a proud nation of immigrants, but one that is still struggling to come to terms with its deeply racist past and how that racism manifests itself in the present.

The racist and violent acts in Charlottesville this past weekend were horrifying and indefensible. And yet, that’s what the president did, excuse their hatred and violence.

His failure to place blame solely where blame is due — on the extreme hate groups that perpetrated these acts tarnishes this country.

And worse, his reckless words encourages these groups to creep out of the shadows and hold more Charlottesville-style rallies in cities across the country, including San Francisco.

But I still believe we will overcome their hate, even if our president refuses to stand with us.

Our diversity should be celebrated, not brutally attacked.

That’s why communities across the country are coming together and organizing vigils condemning these hateful acts and standing in solidarity with the everyday people of Charlottesville. As an immigrant and a proud Californian, I felt comforted to witness my neighbors standing together this week.

I’m proud to stand with them — and you — in defeating hate and bigotry.

Thank you for all you are doing during these troubling times to spread our California values of diversity, equity and inclusion.