so, about that white supremacist Steve King tweet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope he is just getting senile with age and mis-tweeted.

Why is it easier for you to believe that than the simple truth which is that he is an emboldened racist?

[Anonymous]

I would love some feedback from white people who don't feel enraged by this. I just don't get why white people aren't condemning this en masse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Iowans don't support this crap.

I grew up in that area and was there when he was elected. I am so very ashamed that he represents people from Iowa. On the other hand, that kind of naivete (lack of exposure to other cultures, ways) is 100% standard in western Iowa. I grew up in the 80's but it was like I grew up in the 50's (really). It's a pretty closed society. You don't stray far from what is expected.

How is it that people who have never been exposed to diversity are so scared of it? I grew up in a pretty all white setting (semi rural California in the 70s - farmworkers were pretty segregated). But every little hint of a bigger world out there was fascinating to me, not threatening.

Those who think like you (and me) ... leave. Those who stay, for the most part, are comfortable with knowing what to expect from others and the community. I have friends who are dems back in that area, but there is just a mindset that society works best when we stick to the norms. If you want "diversity" == then go to Omaha or DesMoines... but that "diversity" will come with the problems of crime and trouble. It's the FoxNews version of life (others are scary and out to get you). That said, there is a LOT of community there that we don't have here in DMV. People know who has cancer and they bring food to them. People don't think they are better than other people (within the community). People help each other. Stay in your lane and things work out. Stray from your lane (or have a problem that is not part of the norm), it's not going to go well.

I think people are becoming a little more open to "others" as kids go to college and marry an asian woman or a black man... bringing small bits of diversity back to the community. But, since there aren't a lot of other cultures coming in and threatening the norms or the jobs, people are generous enough to accept the one-off diversity. People are not threatened like you might have in some southern towns where the minority groups are becoming majority. As long as the diversity is pretty small, rural Iowa is o.k. with it (the petty ones will crack jokes). Outright racism in Iowa isn't like racism in the south... it's more like Mrs. Oleson in Little House on the Prairie... whispering and staring, not burning crosses.

[Anonymous]

University of Iowa and ISU are both diverse schools. Life happens and the idea that we don't live in a pluralistic country is ridiculous.

The bubble are these people who live among others just like them and appreciate others who "know their place."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love some feedback from white people who don't feel enraged by this. I just don't get why white people aren't condemning this en masse.

OP here: I don't get it, either. I guess I am in a non-white nationalist bubble because to the extent I do see people talking about it, they are horrified (though the Iowans I know don't seem surprised). I just am not seeing a ton of reaction, though.

[Anonymous]

Iowans like...

[Anonymous]

White guy here. And I am disgusted by it. But I was already disgusted with Steve King and have already called him out. My first big encounter with him was during the government shutdown, where I happened to see him welcoming a busload of people to the WWII memorial, and he was talking about how the shutdown was the Democrats fault. I walked over and got in his face to correct him in loud detail on exactly how and why it was the Republicans fault. He turned tail and trotted over to his vehicle with his aide and took off. Chickenshit and a liar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:He doubled down on the tweet today:

.@SteveKingIA: "I'd like to see an America that's so homogenous that we look a lot the same."

https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/841260841479610368

When he was asked about being divisive, he said
'Listen to the language. 'Our' language is precise."


That is pretty telling. Makes it sound like there is a group that has coded language to use to promote a 'more western' aka a more homogeneous America.
Tell me again how this isn't racist? Anyone?

Or he means his statement was taken out of context.

No. That is not the case. Nice try.
Here is his response saying HE MEANT IT.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/03/13/rep_steve_king_vs_cnns_cuomo_i_meant_exactly_what_i_said_about_western_civilization_culture.html

KING: Well, actually, if you go down the road a few generations or maybe centuries with the intermarriage, I'd like to see an America that so homogenous that we look a lot the same from that perspective. I think there's far too much focus on race, especially in the last eight years. I want to see that put behind us. And I want to see us bonded together. I gave a speech on this on Saturday and half the liberals got up and left the room when I talked about unity -- they're looking for hatred is the point, Chris.
CUOMO: Hold on a second. Congressman, if you suggest that somebody else's babies shouldn't be welcome in a country, you seem inherently divisive. That's why I keep to seem doubling down on it. You say America has different faces, that's fine. You keep making this point that this country needs to be about white people raising their birth rate and not bringing in other people. That's exactly what America is not.

KING: Chris, I never have made that point. I've never said that. I've been characterized as saying that. I've had the blogs out there say I said that. I tell them go, back, watch the tape, listen to the language. Our language is precise. That's not out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Iowans don't support this crap.

I grew up in that area and was there when he was elected. I am so very ashamed that he represents people from Iowa. On the other hand, that kind of naivete (lack of exposure to other cultures, ways) is 100% standard in western Iowa. I grew up in the 80's but it was like I grew up in the 50's (really). It's a pretty closed society. You don't stray far from what is expected.

How is it that people who have never been exposed to diversity are so scared of it? I grew up in a pretty all white setting (semi rural California in the 70s - farmworkers were pretty segregated). But every little hint of a bigger world out there was fascinating to me, not threatening.

White woman, raised in Iowa (jr. high and high school), graduate of ISU, married to a brown Muslim, proud mother of mixed children. Doing my best to make Iowa homogenous, one brown baby at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Iowans don't support this crap.

I grew up in that area and was there when he was elected. I am so very ashamed that he represents people from Iowa. On the other hand, that kind of naivete (lack of exposure to other cultures, ways) is 100% standard in western Iowa. I grew up in the 80's but it was like I grew up in the 50's (really). It's a pretty closed society. You don't stray far from what is expected.

How is it that people who have never been exposed to diversity are so scared of it? I grew up in a pretty all white setting (semi rural California in the 70s - farmworkers were pretty segregated). But every little hint of a bigger world out there was fascinating to me, not threatening.

"We fear change" is at the very core of conservatism. By definition, in fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Iowans don't support this crap.

I grew up in that area and was there when he was elected. I am so very ashamed that he represents people from Iowa. On the other hand, that kind of naivete (lack of exposure to other cultures, ways) is 100% standard in western Iowa. I grew up in the 80's but it was like I grew up in the 50's (really). It's a pretty closed society. You don't stray far from what is expected.

How is it that people who have never been exposed to diversity are so scared of it? I grew up in a pretty all white setting (semi rural California in the 70s - farmworkers were pretty segregated). But every little hint of a bigger world out there was fascinating to me, not threatening.

White woman, raised in Iowa (jr. high and high school), graduate of ISU, married to a brown Muslim, proud mother of mixed children. Doing my best to make Iowa homogenous, one brown baby at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:White guy here. And I am disgusted by it. But I was already disgusted with Steve King and have already called him out. My first big encounter with him was during the government shutdown, where I happened to see him welcoming a busload of people to the WWII memorial, and he was talking about how the shutdown was the Democrats fault. I walked over and got in his face to correct him in loud detail on exactly how and why it was the Republicans fault. He turned tail and trotted over to his vehicle with his aide and took off. Chickenshit and a liar.

Not surprising. Raging insecurity is at the heart of all white supremacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope Iowans don't support this crap.

Clearly they do support King. They keep re-electing him. The more outrageous his statements become, the higher his margins go with base. He perfectly reflects his constituents.

[Anonymous]

I got $5 says if it was a rack of blonde-haired blue-eyed Muslims coming here by the boatload nobody would give a shit.

[Anonymous]

Des Moines Register weighs in

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/03/13/editorial-gop-needs-oppose-kings-re-election-not-just-kings-words/99134588/?hootPostID=9fed308d6d73f6c043e43ba2367619f1


“If King’s world view truly doesn’t match that of the Republican Party, then party leaders at both the state and national level need to stand together in supporting an opposing candidate in the 2018 Republican primary. Given King’s longstanding record as one of the least effective members of Congress, the GOP should have no difficulty finding a more thoughtful and qualified individual to represent the people of Iowa’s 4th District.”