Racism

Steve King’s Dogwhistles and Rational Society

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Secret Border Control Agent Steve ‘Calves the Size of Cantaloupes” King (R-IA) is concerned about events in Ferguson and he believes it’s emblematic of an “irrational society” and not representative of our white progenitors.

Those aren’t the exact words he used, but if you read closely it’s all there.

KING: Well, and that’s something, seems to be I’m constantly in the middle of all of that. But the reason that I do step up and say these things, Jan, is because I think first of all we’re a nation that is partially, at least our culture and civilization was built on a number of things but it was certainly built on reason and our ability to reason. And it emerged through our culture and civilization through the Greeks all across western Europe here to this continent. And if we had not developed a foundational civilization that’s rooted in our faith and in our work ethic, in our morality and in our ability to reason we couldn’t have ever developed science and technology, we couldn’t have had a rational basis to do the things that we do. And so if this society is going to reject reason, and move towards an irrational society — by the way, it’s irrational what’s happening down in Ferguson, Mo. It’s irrational. Even if their allegation is true, and the cop is innocent until proven guilty.

In so many words King is denouncing a broad swath of people based on skin color. I can think of no other way to interpret his glorification of Greek and European (read: white) society and it’s reverent values.

Those unassailable white values brought us nearly 200 years of slavery in America which certainly wasn’t rooted in our work ethic, morality, or ability to reason.

In hindsight King may be right that protestors in Ferguson are not representative of his values, and if that’s the case then it’s a good thing.

Taken in the context of what it means to be Steve King, with his pattern of racial dogwhistling and fearmongering, King’s comments can only be seen as a promotion of white supremacy. And if what King sees as rational society is a fearful society of racists and authoritarians who promote unequal protection under the law — who needs it?

He can keep his glorious society of enlightened white supremacists. We don’t need it.