2016 presidential-hopeful Ben Carson says he has no issue with Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans removing Confederacy-related monuments across the city.
In a press conference during the National Right to Life, Carson said he did not have an argument against Landrieu taking down four Confederacy-related statues, including those in Lee Circle and City Park.
“If we’re talking about things that are state or federal lands and properties and you’re talking about something that is not an official symbol of the US and you’re talking about something that offends a large portion of the public, I don’t have any argument with him doing that,” said Carson.
Though saying earlier that he worried the Confederate flag outrage revolves around political correctness, which he called “a problem,” Carson said he would only have an issue if Landrieu banned citizens of New Orleans from flying the Confederate flag on their own private property.
Carson said he does have an issue with private companies like Amazon removing Confederacy merchandise and even mentioned TV Land’s decision to take the “Dukes of Hazzard” off the air.
The statues Landrieu will be removing are: General Robert E. Lee Monument, known as Lee Circle, the General P.G.T. Beauregard Equestrian Statue, the Jefferson Davis Monument and the Liberty Monument.
Additionally, Carson spoke about his disdain for Planned Parenthood’s attempts to portray themselves as a healthcare provider, saying that the abortion-provider’s main purpose was “to exterminate.”
Carson said the citizens of New Orleans should understand who runs Planned Parenthood and what they do, which is largely abortion procedures, before they allow the organization into the city.