November 14, 2015

Prepared Remarks of Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) on Jefferson Davis Highway

Arlington County Board
2100 Clarendon Blvd., 3rd floor, Arlington, Virginia
arlingtonboard@arlingtonva.us

My name is Jeffrey Imm, and I was a resident of Arlington, Virginia for nearly 10 years. I am here to urge the Arlington County Board to remove the name of “Jefferson Davis” from the Arlington portion of U.S. 1, which is called “Jefferson Davis Highway.” The United States of America must reject and denounce white supremacist hatred, violence, and terrorism, which we saw led by former Confederate leader Jefferson Davis. A few miles away in Arlington National Cemetery, we see the graves of brave men who gave their lives to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. 140,000 American Union soldiers gave their lives in combat to fight the racist Confederate forces that fought to defend human slavery of African-Americans, and who were led by the racist leader of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. Arlington County should not name its highway after this racist enemy of the United States of America. The Confederate white supremacist war of terror against African-Americans and those who stood for human freedom did not end with the Civil War. We have seen this white supremacist terrorist war continue across the nation, even today, in attacks across the nation, and white supremacist hate group activity in Virginia. White supremacists extremists who have promoted terrorist attacks on the Stormfront web site are attacking those who would dare to challenge the name of this highway after Jefferson Davis. Such white supremacists extremists have praised and called for terrorist attacks across this nation, including praise for the terrorist attack on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  White supremacists on Stormfront and elsewhere have called for death threats against me and others who will defy their ideology of terrorism. But it is essential that Arlington, Virginia and all of us show the courage of convictions, and defy the forces of terrorism from white supremacist groups and others.

We must never give in to terrorist hatred of our human rights and human dignity.

Jeffrey Imm
Founder, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
Volunteer Human Rights Group
usa@realcourage.org
301-613-8789