“Curious to hear your thoughts sometime on removing the Taney statue in Annapolis.”

My rabbi, Daniel Burg, wrote me that this morning.

We did not remove the Taney statue from the State House grounds when that was proposed 23 years ago.

Instead we built a statue to Thurgood Marshall.

That was Pete Rawlings’ brilliant idea: Add, instead of subtract.

I introduced legislation in 2016 to add to our knowledge of Maryland history by erecting a plaque to memorialize the last lynching here – in 1933.

My bill did not pass.

At this moment in time, removing the Taney statue in Annapolis and the four Confederate statues in Baltimore is the right thing to do.

I commend Mayor Pugh, in particular, for her decisive action.

We need to move on to other issues that will improve our schools, public safety, and neighborhoods.

As we do that, we should remember these words:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.

They are from President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.

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The Baltimore Jewish Council issued an excellent statement in response to the events in Charlottesville. I had a minor role, as I suggested that the Council should speak out and not wait for an incident where the Jewish community was directly affected.

The BJC statement follows.

Baltimore Jewish Council calls for forceful and clear leadership against hatred and anti-Semitism

The Baltimore Jewish Council calls upon our nation’s leaders to be unequivocal and forceful in response to the heinous events of Charlottesville, Va. They must be clear that blame is not something to be casually attached to many sides. There are only two sides here – those who support anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry and hatred, and those who oppose it.

We are deeply appreciative that we live in a state where our federal, state and local elected officials from all parties stand with us in support of tolerance and respect. We were proud to join with so many community partners Sunday night as Baltimore came together in solidarity with the victims of Charlottesville. Now is the time for strong leadership to expose and denounce these white supremacist groups, whose views and actions run counter to our core Jewish beliefs and American values. Hatred and bigotry have no place in our community or in our nation.