Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D- 35) today released a statement in response to the story, first reported by InsiderNJ, about Assemblyman Parker Space (R-24) posing with a Confederate Flag on his Facebook page.

“I realize that everyone is entitled to the freedoms of speech and belief; however, those liberties should not come at the expense and humiliation of other people,” Wimberly said. “As a public servant, I cannot begin to express the level of disgust and disappointment that I have for Assemblyman Parker Space’s actions yesterday. The New Jersey Legislature does not serve the ‘forgotten people,’ we serve all people.

“The push across the country to remove Confederate monuments underscores the view of many Americans who are concerned with the way our country represents and commemorates its history,” the Assemblyman from Paterson added. “This deserves our full attention and utmost sensitivity. Although there are people who feel strongly about the Confederacy and the flag itself, there are others who emphatically detest it all across New Jersey. This kind of behavior is the reason why this country continues to exhibit remnants of divide. Instead of directing our attention to national issues such as the crisis in Houston, we are stuck addressing the flippant ways of an elected official who should have shown more concern for the New Jersey residents his actions would offend. This incident only further adds to the despair we’re feeling as the nation continues to process the recent events in Charlottesville.”