This Congressman Wants to Know What Other 'Sub-Group' has Contributed More to Civilization than White People

By Brian Byrd | Politics | July 18, 2016 |

By Brian Byrd | Politics | July 18, 2016 |

Regular readers know I hesitate to bang the outrage drum, potentially to my detriment. We simply get frothing mad about too many things. The Internet does an abysmal job differentiating between true abhorrent behavior and an ineloquent phrase or minor slip-up by a generally well-meaning individual. Benefit of the doubt is nonexistent; proportional response an antiquated notion. Donald Trump absorbs the same warheads as a celebrity who makes a mildly inappropriate joke during their 56th promotional junket in half as many days. Too often we’re the police donning full tactical gear to subdue a few peaceful protesters.

So when I tell you that what Congressman Steve King of Iowa — not to be confused fellow Republican wackjob and Ray Wise doppleganger Congressman Peter King of New York — said on live television Monday night is one of the more repugnant statements you’ll ever hear from a public figure, let alone an elected representative of the United States, take me seriously.

During a live panel discussion on MSNBC, King, a burning diaper genie of a human being who proudly displays a confederate flag on his desk (the Stars and Bars version, not the white one they raised after Sherman went straight Godzilla in 1865) took issue with Esquire columnist/national treasure Charlie Pierce’s contention that the Republican National Convention was filled with “unhappy, disaffected white people.” King’s response — and I’ll again remind you he is a United States Congressman paid to represent hundreds of thousands of Americans — played out like a deleted scene from Green Room.

“This whole ‘white people’ business does get a little tired, Charlie,” King said. “I’d ask you to go back through history and figure out, where have these contributions been made by these other categories of people that you’re talking about. Where did any other sub-group of people contribute more to civilization?”

“Than white people?” moderator Chris Hayes asked.

“Than western civilization itself, that’s rooted in western Europe, eastern Europe, and the United States of America, and every place where the footprint of Christianity settled the world,” King said. “That’s all of western civilization.”

We’re not witnessing coded language or subtle inferences here. This is King, unprompted, proudly telling the lady working the checkout register at Kohl’s that he’s buying these white sheets for a Klan rally and that he plans on stopping by Home Depot for some wood and lighter fluid on the way home. Consider how commonplace these views must within King’s circle of influence for him to spew them on live television without so much as blinking.

American Urban Radio Networks White House correspondent April Ryan is the woman to Hayes’ left. Look at her reaction when Hayes asks this rotting sack of plunger water if he’s talking about white people.

Steve King what happens when someone mixes David Duke’s stool with radioactive waste and flings it at two related Klansman having unprotected sex inside a truck stop Arby’s. A person with his stances on racial issues isn’t qualified to slam his head in a dumpster lid for money, let alone draw a salary from the United States government. Laugh at this man all you want. King is one of 435 people voting on issues from a woman’s right to choose what she wants to do with her body to whether we will send young men and women overseas to die in a scorching hellhole. Steve King is everything repugnant about conservatism and politics stuffed into a Old Spice-scented Generic Old White Banker avatar. He’s more than worthy of anyone’s outrage. Redirect a few social media nukes his way if there are any left.