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Wes Bellamy: 'Some of Those Tweets Were Absolutely Indefensible'

Charlottesville city councilor Wes Bellamy has resigned his teaching job at Albemarle High School following the revelation of tweets he wrote years ago in which he disparaged white men and women.

 

Bellamy was an early adopter of social media and acknowledges the platform can make us feel safe saying things we would hardly even think.

"Some of those tweets were absolutely indefensible and I take full responsibility for the words that I said," said Bellamy during an interview with RadioIQ's Morning Edition host Tab O'Neal. 

O'Neal talked with Bellamy prior to his decision to quit his job as computer science teacher. O'Neal asked Bellamy if there is a lesson to be learned from what we post on social media and if he was misunderstood.

"Yes, some of the things that were put out were taken out of context," Bellamy said. "But, that's the world that we live in right now with social media."

Bellamy, who is passionate about engaging youth in politics, says he has learned from this episode and hopes others will learn from this as well.

"You don't want to seem as if you're not remorseful of that you don't care but I do believe in the power of evolution and growth. I believe that people grow and mature and your past, to a certain extent, is your past. What is most important is how you are moving forward now," Bellamy said. "Don't allow things that you have done before to stop you from being the change we need today."

Bellamy announced his departure from the high school yesterday and in a written statement said he was not forced to make the decision, but he thinks it is the right thing to do for the young people at the high school.