During a House Judiciary Committee meeting on the rise of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans during the pandemic, Democratic Rep. Grace Meng strongly denounced Texas’ Republican Rep. Chip Roy’s earlier remarks where he spoke glowingly of his state’s history of “lynchings” and whined about political correctness getting in the way of using racist language.
In the wake of the horrific Atlanta shootings where a gunman killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, Roy decided to use his opening statement to explain how he takes “justice very seriously” by praising vigilante justice. While doing so, Roy mistakenly recited a modern song lyric that glorified lynching and tried to claim it was an “old saying” from Texas.
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After saying that the recent “victims and families deserve justice,” Roy made a callous pivot to off-topic grievances like immigration and the social justice protests this summer. He then said:
“There’s an old saying in Texas about ‘find all the rope in Texas and get a tall oak tree.’ You know, we take justice very seriously. And we ought to do that. Round up the bad guys. That’s what we believe.”
Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) who is of Taiwanese descent, responded directly to Roy while also calling out the former president and Republicans for their use of anti-Asian slurs when speaking about Covid-19.
“I want to go back to something that Mr. Roy said earlier,” Meng said, “Your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want.”
The congresswoman then, fighting back tears, laid into Roy saying the language he uses is dangerous and that his antics will not silence those who are trying to be heard.
“You don’t have to do it by putting a bullseye on the back of Asian-Americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids. This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions. And we will not let you take our voice away from us!” Meng said.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a Taiwanese American, took to Twitter to comment on Roy’s remarks, saying he “glorified lynching.” Lieu pointed out America’s gruesome history on the matter.
“Chip Roy glorified lynching at a hearing on violence against Asians. The largest mass lynching in US history was against Chinese immigrants. I served on active duty in the US military to defend Chip Roy’s right to say stupid, racist stuff. I just wish he would stop saying it,” Lieu wrote.
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