NOVEMBER 2019 IGNOMINIOUS ABSURDITY OF THE MONTH: THE IGGY

1. Sevier County Commissioner Warren Hurst. This month, Warren Hurst, County Commissioner of the Tennessee county of Sevier, bashed openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg during a public meeting of the county commission. Hurst made the offensive comments during what was scheduled to be a meeting on establishing the county seat of Sevierville as a “gun sanctuary city,” one in which gun laws would not be enforced.  During this meeting, Hurst described 2020 presidential hopeful Buttigieg as a “queer running for president.” He also declared that white men in the United States are losing their rights.

“It’s time we wake up, people, it’s time. It’s past time,” Hurst said. “We got a queer running for president in this country. If that ain’t about as ugly as you can get,” he added. "Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party. We can go over here to Hoss's jail and get better people out of there than those running for Democratic to be President of the United States."

Apparently, the spattering of applause was enough to encourage him to continue, because continue the commissioner did. “I’m not prejudice,” he proclaimed, uttering the words of every not-prejudiced person in the world, “but by golly, a white male in this country has very few rights and they’re getting took more every day.”

In the video, at least one person—also a white man—is seen laughing at the comments.

While you can hear some applause from the public, and someone shouts, “Amen,” at least one woman did walk out of the meeting. She’s heard saying, “This is bullshit.” Hurst later told a reporter from TV station WVLT in Knoxville that he stood by his comments. He also made sure to note that some of his best friends are black.