I’m not afraid to hide from the truth. I am descended from a Myers clan that lived in Iowa during the 19th century. My great-great-grandfather fought in the Civil War even, was in the Vicksburg campaign, and ended up in New Orleans, where he was a casualty — of malaria, I suspect — and was discharged to return back to Iowa, where shortly after the war he lost the farm, and the family drifted west to wash up on the shores of the Pacific ocean, eventually.
So I happen to know that Iowa was a Northern state, whose citizens fought on the side of the Union.
So why does Steve King have a traitor’s flag on his desk?
I’m afraid that the answer must be that the Iowa gene pool was so greatly diminished by the departure of my family that only fools were left behind to elect even bigger fools to represent them…fools with no understanding or respect for their state’s history.
Yeah, that’s got to be the answer.
“Look, I said I’d put the damn family pictures on the desk. That doesn’t mean I want to have to look at them!”
As an Iowan in King’s district, let me just say that nortwestern Iowa shows definitively that the Union was NOT united on its opinions of slavery. This ass clown is a disgrace to humanity.
King is one of the main reasons I wish Iowa could give it’s western 1/3rd to Nebraska. Most of the state is pretty sensible but go much west of Des Moines….
Grew up in Iowa, and thankfully had never even heard of this clown before I left nearly a decade ago. Course, I moved to Arkansas (where they elected Cotton just to get him out of the state most of the time) and now live in Texas (which… you know, Texas).
@cycleninja I grew up in Sioux City. Sadly, I know more of King’s ilk there than in the eastern (and better) parts of the state. It was actually quite clear in the history classes I remember on who fought for which side, that the union one, etc. no idea how this stupidity has set in since then…
An American flag sitting next to the Confederate battle flag.
The crystalline thing on the desk looks a bit like ORAC.
If it is using the humanoid as a telepathically connected meat puppet, it explains why it is ignorant of some details of human Culture.
You know who else has Iowa heritage?
Michele Bachmann. Scott Walker.
Right next to the flag of the Vatican. Hmm.
If PZ is descended from Iowans, why are there still Iowans?
#8 LOL!!! Thank you.
I wonder what possesses people to fly the US and Confederate flags *together* like this.
I even saw that last 4th of July here in Raleigh, in a truck bed. I was thinking “Dude, don’t you realize that’s the literal opposite of patriotic?”
Using “traitor” as an insult is kind of creepy and totalitarian. “Betraying” your country in favour of your moral principles is unequivocally the right thing to do. No-one owes the USA their loyalty.
The problem with that flag isn’t that the people it represents were “traitors”, it’s that they had shit moral principles.
Kiki-Anne Weaver (King’s opponent) is a pretty good friend of mine, and you’d be hard pressed to name a more wonderful person. If you’ve got $50 to throw at November, don’t give it to the DNC or the DCCC or Act Blue or Kos, give it to some actual candidates. Such as Ms. Weaver. Sure, the Iowa 4th is a blood-red district, but King is sooooo damn stooopid that even the Christian farmers are growing tired of him. http://weaverforcongress.nationbuilder.com
Her chances are slim (I imagine Nate Silver isn’t including her in his Congressional count), but still — Weaver For Congress!!!
So, that’s double the treason then? Both against the Union and against his state which sided with the Union? Somehow I’m not surprised.
And of course the stupid Gadsden flag for good measure.
As another Sioux City Iowan, I share your horror at this guy. Unfortunately, Iowans seem to think its unconscionably rude not to re-elect an incumbent, so all of our politicians are allowed to retire gracefully. Exhibit A is our Governor-For-Life Terry Branstad, who I have no doubt would have been our governor for my entire life if he hadn’t retired for a few terms.
The flying of the Confederate flag and the sniffing of butts by dogs have a lot in common.
There is a confederate flag flying from a house on my street…in the UK. It shares a pole with the St. George.
That flag simply attracts wingnuts like moths to the flame, geography be damned.