CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Changing the Mississippi Flag and Charleston Church Shootings

Interview

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BLITZER: Ryan Young in Columbia, South Carolina, for us, thank you.

Let's get some more now with Congressman Bennie Thompson. He's a Democrat of Mississippi. He's the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. He's also a leading figure in efforts to remove flags bearing the symbols of the Confederacy.

[18:15:05]

Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.

I just want to get your quick reaction to what we heard from that South Carolina State Representative William Chumley when he uttered those word, these people. He's referring to those nine people who were in that Bible study session. He said, "These people sat in there and waited their turn to be shot."

He has since apologized, says he regrets those words. But it's pretty awful to have heard that, isn't it?

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D), MISSISSIPPI: Well, when I heard it, Wolf, I cringed.

I can't believe all of a sudden you are going to blame the victims. So, he should have taken it back. But in reality, he should have never said it.

BLITZER: Yes, he should have never said it. And I'm sure he regrets it deeply, because these people did not deserve, especially this week, when their families, and their loved ones, and their friends, the whole country in fact is mourning, we should not have had to hear that. But we did unfortunately.

The Alabama governor, Governor Bentley, as you know, he has ordered the four Confederate Flags on state grounds there to be removed today. What steps did you take today to remove? Because you -- you moved -- are considering at least proposing some legislation to remove symbols of the Confederacy right here in the nation's capital.

THOMPSON: Well, that's right, Wolf.

Today, I filed a privileged resolution, which calls for the removal of the Mississippi state flag from any public facility here on the House of Representatives side. What that means is within 48 hours, we will have some action by the House of Representatives either to table this resolution, to debate it and vote it, but it is an opportunity for members of the House of Representatives to be proactive in saying this kind of activity, these kind of symbols should not exist in a Democratic society in public facilities. Absolutely, they should be a part of history. But they should be

in museums, not on public display, as if we are proud of what they represent. We are not proud of what they represent. We are not trying to cover them up. But let's put them where they belong. I don't know if you know this, Wolf, but both the United States senators from the state of Mississippi now have publicly said we need to change the flag.

So if everybody is getting on board, the best way we can set the record straight is by getting our own backyard, so to speak, straight and then let the rest of the country do what they need to do.

BLITZER: I don't know if your legislation is going to succeed. And I am sure you don't know it either, although you would like it to succeed. We spoke yesterday, Congressman. I know you are the only African-American representative in the House and Senate from the state of Mississippi, even though 40 percent of the population of Mississippi is African-American.

You don't fly your own state flag outside your office on Capitol Hill because of its symbolism, because it has that symbol of the Confederacy. If your legislation were to pass, would all of your Mississippi colleagues, other representatives, the two senators, would they have to remove the state flag of Mississippi unless it is changed?

THOMPSON: Well, the good part about my resolution, it allows members from that state to fly the flag of the state. But what we are saying to the speaker, at those areas publicly viewed, the tunnel where we use the subway systems, the Rotunda, other public places that are not within the purview of that member, those flags are the ones that should be removed.

BLITZER: I want you to stand by, Congressman. I have a lot more questions to ask you on what is going on, not only in South Carolina, or your home state of Mississippi, but elsewhere around the country. We will take a quick break.

Much more with Congressman Bennie Thompson when we come back.

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[18:23:50]

BLITZER: We are following the breaking news, the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, there you see it, live pictures coming in, opening its doors to anyone tonight as it holds a Bible study class exactly one week after a racially motivated shooting massacre.

We are going to check in at the church. I assume security is very tight right now.

But I want to go back to Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson.

We're talking about the shooting. We're talking about the controversy across the South and elsewhere over flying the Confederate Battle Flag. There was a powerful moment, Congressman, only a few moments ago on the Senate floor. The South Carolina senator, Republican Tim Scott, he spoke really emotionally on the Senate floor about a conversation he had with the son of one of those church shooting victims.

Congressman, listen to what Senator Scott said, a powerful moment indeed.

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SEN. TIM SCOTT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: God cares for his people. God still lives.

I was amazed, and then he said with great enthusiasm and energy, a sense of excitement, that this evil attack would lead to reconciliation, restoration, and unity in our nation. Those were powerful words.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[18:25:30]

BLITZER: I don't know if you could see him, Congressman, but he -- obviously a very emotional moment. He breaks down a bit, starts to cry, which is totally, totally, understandable, given the horrendous massacre that occurred exactly one week ago today, and that conversation he had with one of the victim's sons.

What is your reaction, Congressman, when you hear Senator Scott utter those powerful words and effectively break down as he did?

THOMPSON: Well, let me tell you, Senator Scott, like a lot of us, have been personally impacted by the events of last week in Charleston.

I think the families of many of the people that were killed and how in this time of trouble, they reacted. I personally don't know, if I had lost a loved one that close, Wolf, whether or not I could be that forgiving. So that is a powerful statement.

And I think in those powerful statements is an opportunity for policy-makers, for Americans in general to put behind those symbols of hatred, of bigotry, and accept the forgiveness that those families have demonstrated over the last seven days, eight days.

And so what we have to do, I think, as members of Congress, is demonstrate that We see this bad act occurring, we abhor it, and we are going to do something about it. Hopefully, we can remove some of the symbols that encourage people to do bad things, that people adopt in the name of doing bad things.

You know, the Ku Klux Klan utilized that same flag as a method of intimidating citizens in this country. So, let's take it away. Let's say we want nothing to do with it. And those businesses who said we are not going to sell those flags anymore, we are not going to sell this paraphernalia that says to people we support hatred, that is the positive that is coming from this.

So, I identify with the families. I absolutely want to just say they're the strongest people that I know. Here, your loved ones have not even been buried, and you have forgiven that individual who caused their death. That's a powerful statement.

BLITZER: It certainly is. It's an amazing statement.

And we are going to monitor what is going on there in Charleston right now. That prayer service is about to take place exactly one week after that massacre.

Congressman Bennie Thompson, thanks very much for joining us.

THOMPSON: Thank you for having me, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you.

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