Ticket 2 Ride

Thanks for stopping by for Words for Wednesday. The words today are antisemitic, racist and disgusting.

Mixing “politics” with what I usually post on my blog is not something I like to do, but this is about human decency and right from wrong.

I’m from Kansas and I’m disgusted at the Republican Party morality. Politico published a story, and forwarded by The Kansas Reflector, about the Kansas Young Republicans, who in group chats with Young Republican groups in other states, used racist and antisemitic language, praised Hitler. That’s right, Hitler.

According to Tim Carpenter’s article in the Kansas Reflector, there were 2,900 pages of chat text reviewed. These chats were over a seven month period earlier this year. Repeatedly, the chats contained racial slurs in slang variations of the “N” word, and racist stereotype comments about African-Americans.

Members of the chat also referenced loving Hitler, prison camp showers and only tolerating true believers in their group. The Young Republican organization around the country has 15,000 members between the ages of 18 and 40.

Old enough to know better. Are these supposed to be future leaders of America? In what universe is this White Supremacist thinking appropriate?

As of right now, after the Politico article, the Kansas Young Republican organization has been shutdown. For now. One of the group chat participants from Kansas, whose day job was working for Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach – was terminated.

Kobach and other Kansas Republican leaders condemned the language in the chats and distanced themselves from the entire issue. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a candidate for Governor, did something a bit different, he went on the offensive and criticized anyone thinking that the Kansas Young Republicans in the group chat have any ties to him. There’s a nice group photo of Masterson with those Kansas Young Republicans who were in the group chat. His rebuttal sounds a lot like what someone in the White House would say. “Don’t know ‘em and never met’m.”

A few of the printable texts below.

Are all young or old Republicans racist or Hitler worshipping antisemites? Of course not, but I am curious how the folks who were in the group chat behaved when not in the chat. Did they come to the Young Republicans organization already prejudiced and hateful? If they were, why didn’t anyone else notice any red flags and report them. Or, did the culture of the Republican Party corrupt them? How could these diseased minds not show themselves earlier? One can only suppress feelings and behaviors for so long.

Other Republicans were quick to denounce these chat group comments and state how committed they, and the Party are, in valuing others and being in opposition to such any such disgusting behavior. Several of the condemnation statements by Republican leaders mentioned how we are all equal under God. This is the same organization that backs the actions of Trump in erasing the accomplishments of women and people of color, rewriting our country’s history to “go easy” on the slavery subject, and personally curate what the public sees represented in the Smithsonian Museums.

What’s the matter with Kansas? Nothing that isn’t happening all over America. Hate is taught, nurtured and rewarded. The Young Republicans issue will fill some news cycles and then disappear. The Kansas chapter will stay dominant, but the activities will continue under some other name. A couple of people lose their jobs, but get reassimulated back into the Republican universe. It’s a lot of pretense and is empty as hell.

As I was reading the chat texts, I thought of Don Sigretti, the dirty tricks guy for Nixon’s reelection campaign, who thought of ways to derail Democrats. Sabotage and ruin opponents. Payback, revenge, superiority. Win at any cost. We’re saving the country. Fine people.

Most Kansans are good people, our problem is being too gullible and letting other people make our decisions. Kansas common sense? We need a lot more of that.

These opinions are my own. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.