Rep. Steve King went full Bull Connor earlier this week when he told the New York Times, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”
“Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?” he asked.
It’s too bad when you were sitting in class that you never learned that “white nationalist” and “white supremacy” are evil ideologies that are offensive to everyone in the world except Adolf Hitler and his Nazi mass murderers.
There are some ears of corn in Iowa that are smarter than Steve King. Judging from the reaction to his nauseating statement by Republicans, Iowans would probably prefer sending the corn to Congress rather than King.
In a statement, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., decried King’s remarks.
“Everything about white supremacy and white nationalism goes against who we are as a nation,” McCarthy said. “Steve’s language is reckless, wrong, and has no place in our society. The Declaration of Independence states that ‘all men are created equal.’ That is a fact. It is self-evident.”
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said that it was “offensive” that King would “try to legitimize” that kind of rhetoric, adding that white supremacy is “evil.” King had told the New York Times he wasn’t sure how terms such as “white nationalist, white supremacy, [and] Western civilization” became offensive language.
“I think it’s offensive to try to legitimize those terms,” Scalise told reporters in his office in the Capitol. “I think it’s important that he rejected that kind of evil, because that’s what it is: evil ideology.”
South Carolina’s black GOP Senator, Tim Scott, penned an op-ed in the Washington Post, urging Republicans to condemn King’s remarks in no uncertain terms:
King’s comments are not conservative views but separate views that should be ridiculed at every turn possible. Conservative principles mean equal opportunity for all to succeed, regardless of what you look like or where you are from. It is maddening to see so many folks who believe this and have only good intentions in their hearts tarnished by these radical perspectives.
That is why silence is no longer acceptable. It is tempting to write King – or other extremists on race issues, such as black-nationalist Louis Farrakhan – as lonely voices in the wilderness, but they are far more dangerous than that. They continue to rip at the fabric of our nation, a country built on hope, strength and diversity. It is the opposite of civility and fairness and will lead only to more pain and suffering.
Do liberals really think mentioning “Western civilization” is as offensive as saying you’re a white nationalist or a white supremacist? Not even close. Liberals are idiots for disrespecting our roots as a culture and country, but to equate racist rhetoric with political correctness just doesn’t cut it.
There is talk among Democrats of censuring King. If they really want to make a strong statement against racism, Republicans should support that effort.
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