Last week, a local pastor appeared on KATC in response to the release of video showing him talking on a bullhorn and taking pictures with his phone of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
If you want to see what Pastor Jay Miller said about his activities that day, click here.
Today, the local chapter of the NAACP called on Miller, his church and the church school to hold him to a "higher standard of leadership" and release all videos of his activities that day.
"The idea that a local Lafayette pastor was in attendance and participated in this insurrection and was clearly recorded inciting violence with a bullhorn is a serious issue that will be referred to the proper authorities for further review. The videos released clearly show someone who was part of the mob and not someone who was part of the response to the mob," a statement from the NAACP states. "Pastor Miller’s statement regarding the release of the video does nothing to dismiss the serious of this issue and only creates more questions than answers. What is clear by the videos currently released is the fact that they do not support the idea that he was ‘helping’ the Capitol Police to calm rioters. The NAACP Lafayette Branch calls on The Family Church, LCA, its leaders, and its church members to hold Pastor Jay Miller to a higher standard of leadership and release all of the video recordings of his participation in the January 6th insurrection to clear up any questions regarding his actual participation and actions on that deadly day."
The statement refers to the congressional committee, the various arrests and convictions, and the ongoing investigations by federal authorities into the incident.
"We know that other organizations and individuals are working tirelessly to identify and release videos of those participating, yet this is an opportunity for the Church, LCA, its leaders, and members to show the Lafayette community what Pastor Jay Miller’s true heart was on January 6th," the statement reads.
NAACP Lafayette President Ravis K. Martinez added that he he took an oath to protect the Constitution as a U.S. Marine.
"I support free speech and the rights of individuals to protest their government and to let their redresses be known, yet the video recorded actions taken by Pastor Jay Miller and those who participated in the January 6 insurrection are clear violations of the law and must be taken serious if we are to heal and move forward as a community and nation. The broader, more important issue is the fact that we have seen a proliferation of this type of political discourse and aggression - based on race, class and extreme political ideology - that has only furthered the political, social, and economic divide that we see in our great state, city, and parish. We are better than this!”
We've forwarded the statement to Miller for a response, and we'll update the story as soon as we hear back.
