Without naming him, state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, on Monday condemned remarks made last week by state Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, in defense of the Ku Klux Klan, and asked that Benton retract his remarks and apologize. In the process, McKoon also defended his Democratic colleague, Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, whom Benton had described as a "cultural terrorist." Watch here:
Said McKoon:
"In 2016, one would hope we would not even have to have this discussion. The Klan was the original domestic terrorist organization. There is simply no excusing the murderous, terroristic campaign they waged against Americans.
"I hope the author of these comments will reconsider them, and apologize for them. It has been my experience that none of my fellow colleagues feel the same as that member.
"Secondly, the same person who made these comments people, like the senator from the 39th, who disagree with him on certain issues, are similar to ISIS. Now the senator from the 39th and I rarely agree on public policy issues. We have engaged in vigorous debates. And I'm sure we will again.
"But the senator from the 39th and I share some things. We're both Americans, we're both Georgians, we both care passionately about public policy and the people we represent. To compare him to people who want to murder innocent Americans is grotesque and is beyond the pale.
"I have taken this well several times to decry the coarseness of the language we use in our political debates today. The senator of the 39th should not be stripped of his humanity and demonized because a member disagrees with him. Such rhetoric is beneath the dignity of this body…."
Our AJC colleague Chris Joyner has more details, including this:
"I wanted to remind everybody that our American history has not always been the best," she said. Kendrick noted Hale had been lynched outside of the Gwinnett County Courthouse, which had been rebuilt following an 1871 fire set by Klan members seeking to destroy evidence of bootlegging.
Kendrick said she tailored her remarks as an answer to Benton.
About the Author
