- Target:
- Terry McAuliffe, Office of the Governor, 1111 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
- Region:
- GLOBAL
(from CNN)
Heather Heyer died 'fighting for what she believed in.
Heather Heyer dedicated her life to standing up for those she felt were not being heard, her family and friends said. She died fighting for her beliefs and campaigning against hate.
"She was very strong in what she felt and she spoke with conviction," Heyer's close friend and co-worker Marissa Blair told Chris Cuomo on CNN's "New Day."
"She would never back down from what she believed in. And that's what she died doing, she died fighting for what she believed in. Heather was a sweet, sweet soul and she'll never be replaced, she'll never be forgotten."
Thirty-two-year-old Heyer was killed Saturday when a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters gathered to oppose a "Unite the Right" rally of white nationalist and other right-wing groups. Nineteen others were injured in the incident.
A 20-year-old man from Ohio, is charged with second-degree murder in Heyer's death.
Mark Heyer said the only way to get through this tough time is to remember God teaches us to forgive.
"We need to start with forgiveness and stop all of the hate," he said.
Heather worked as a paralegal for a Charlottesville law firm, assisting clients through the bankruptcy filing process.
Heyer had just celebrated her five-year anniversary with the firm last week. Her boss, Larry Miller, said they went out for lunch for the occasion and he remembered telling her that she was a lot better than she gave herself credit for.
Miller described Heyer as precise with her work, as witty and being like family.
Co-worker Victoria Jackson said Heyer was not one to take vacation. Heyer ate lunch at her desk because she was dedicated to the needs of her clients, Jackson added.
Jackson cried as she talked about Heyer, whom she had worked with side-by-side for 18 months. Heyer told Jackson she was worried that there would be gun violence at the white nationalist rally.
"Heather said, I want to go so badly but I don't want to get shot. I don't want to die," Jackson said.
But Heyer went anyway because she wanted to stand up for what she believed in.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe praised Heyer.
"She was doing what she loved," McAuliffe said. "She was fighting for democracy, (for) free speech, to stop hatred and bigotry."
America’s latest conflict about race began with a mass shooting, a flag, and some statues.
With the banning of the Virginia battle flag and the removal of all these Confederate Monuments and Statues across the United States, comes anger, violence and misunderstanding among America's Citizens.
(from VOX)
The current battle actually goes back to a mass shooting in 2015, when a self-described white supremacist shot and killed nine people in a predominantly black church in Charleston, South Carolina. The shooter drew a lot of attention for posing with the Confederate flag in images that came out after the shooting — and that helped spur a fight within South Carolina about whether it should take down a Confederate flag that had flown at the state capitol for years. The state eventually agreed to officially take down the flag.
Since then, many cities and states, particularly in the South, have been questioning their own Confederate symbols. The argument is simple: The Confederacy fought to maintain slavery and white supremacy in the United States, and that isn’t something that the country should honor or commemorate in any way.
Critics argue, however, that these monuments are really about Southern pride, not commemorating a pro-slavery rebellion movement. They argue that trying to take down the Confederate symbols works to erase part of American history.
The historical record is actually pretty clear: The Confederacy was always about white supremacy, and so are the monuments dedicated to it. Much of America is now coming to terms with that — but not without a passionate, sometimes violent reaction from those who argue the statues are necessary symbols of white heritage and culture.
Now... we are all demanding the great State of Virginia, to erect a monument
to mark the occasion that took Heather Heyers life and to stand for what she believed in... She was fighting for democracy, for free speech, and to stop hatred and bigotry in America.
A monument for Heather Heyer, could and should be the last Civil War monument we EVER create. A monument for CIVIL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS!
Please sign this petition. This is OUR Country. Let's stand together to defend it's future with a monument for Heather Heyer.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Monument in Charlottesville for Heather Heyer petition to Terry McAuliffe, Office of the Governor, 1111 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219, USA was written by Jeffery Levy and is in the category Government at GoPetition.