Amid huge public backlash, Roanoke, Virginia Mayor David Bowers publicly apologized on Friday for comments he made earlier in the week concerning Syrian refugees, where he referenced Japanese internment camps during World War II.
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Roanoke City Council members said Thursday that they may call on Bowers to resign if he doesn’t apologize. On Wednesday., Bowers positively cited the WWII-era practice of rounding up & putting Japanese-American families in internment camps across america in a press release on Syrian refugees.
In his apology Friday, Bowers said his comments were “a personal political view” issued “in a statement on mayor’s office stationery”. AAJC, in a statement, but added, “The imprisonment of 100,000 innocent Japanese Americans without due process has always been denounced as unconstitutional”.
“It’s just not in my heart to be racist or bigoted”, he said. “My statement was meant to be respectful – was meant to be respectful – measured and moderate in tone and substance, but it fell short obviously”.
After comments from city council members, members of the community spoke, including a few who called for his resignation and others who said that he was right. “And that really seems to have been what has ignited this and started the ball rolling”. “I apologize to all of those offended by my remarks”. “Apologizing is not taking responsibility”.
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Individual states do not have the legal authority to block refugee placement.
