An Alabama mayor is facing criticism after posting controversial comments to his Facebook page.
Carbon Hill Mayor Mark Chambers wrote on his Facebook page in all capital letters:
“We live in a society where homosexuals lecture us on morals, transvestites lecture us on human biology, baby killers lecture us on human rights and socialists lecture us on economics.”
Chambers’ constituents responded to the post, but one response from a Facebook friend got the mayor’s attention.
“By giving the minority more rights than the majority,” wrote the supporter. “I hate to think of the country my grandkids will live in unless somehow we change and I think that will take a revolution.”
Having singled ‘homosexuals’ and ‘transvestites’ as the issue, Chambers wrote back, “The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out. I know it’s bad to say but without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”
“To kill the problem out.”
“Without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”
Local news affiliate WBRC contacted the mayor to clarify the social media statements.
Initially, the mayor denied posting the comments telling WBRC reporter Brittany Dionne, “I don’t think I posted that, I think that’s somebody else’s post.”
Dionne pointed out she was on the correct Facebook page noting photos of his family and birthday greetings, and asked if someone might be using his identity on Facebook.
Chambers replied with a meek “I don’t know.” When Dionne asked to meet in person, the mayor hung up.
Chambers did call back a few minutes later wherein he admitted to writing the post but argued it was being “taken out of context.”
“I never said anything about killing out gays or anything like that,” he told WBRC. Chambers explained that his comments were in reference to what might happen in a “revolution.”
“If it comes to a revolution in this country, both sides of these people will be killed out,” he said.
During the second call, Chambers also claimed that immigrants were taking over the country and called them “ungrateful.”
The mayor added that the post was meant to be a private message and didn’t intend for the public to see it.
He complained that he didn’t realize his Facebook page was available to the public, and shortly after the call with Dionne, his page went to private status.
You can watch the full report from Brittany Dionne at WBRC’s website here.
Chambers was elected mayor of Carbon Hill, population 2,000, in 2014.
I read this with my mouth hanging open, and watched the news story about it. Here’s my question…how/who do we write to let them know our feelings?
I would like to pass along some comments of my own.
What do you expect from Alabama?