Earlier this month, Republicans won control of the lower house of the Nevada legislature, the state Assembly, and nominated a guy named Ira Hansen for the role of speaker. Given the new GOP majority, the “very conservative” Hansen will almost certainly be officially elected leader of the Assembly in February, so the Reno News & Review decided to make sure the public was familiar with the content of a newspaper column he wrote for 13 years.
Hansen’s column, which began running in the Sparks Tribune in 1994, has something for everyone (who is a paranoid bigot). In addition to claiming that the Oklahoma City bombing was engineered by the Clinton administration in order to shift “public sympathy” to the federal government, Hansen used the community paper to share his hatred of women, gays, Latinos, and black people (or “darkies,” as he calls them). Here’s a small sampling:
- “Today, when Army men look at women in the ranks with ‘longing in their eyes’ it very well may constitute ‘sexual harassment.’ The truth is, women do not belong in the Army or Navy or Marine Corps, except in certain limited fields.”
- ” … One fact of homosexuality deliberately downplayed is the grossly disproportionate numbers of child molesters, called ‘pederasts,’ which fill their ranks. In fact, they are called, in the homosexual vernacular, ‘chicken hawks.’ Many of these pederasts are not the least bit ashamed of their vile behavior and have adopted the militancy now so common with their fellow homosexuals.”
- At Spanish Springs High School, the large Hispanic population has tended to congregate amongst themselves and boldly flaunt their Mexican heritage by having the green, red and white flag of Mexico displayed in various ways
- “The Democratic coalition would split asunder if the NAACP & co. actually promoted what black Americans truly desire—educational choice. The shrewd and calculating [black] ‘leaders’ are willing to sacrifice the children of their own race to gratify their lust for power and position. The relationship of Negroes and Democrats is truly a master-slave relationship, with the benevolent master knowing what’s best for his simple minded darkies.”
- “The lack of gratitude and the deliberate ignoring of white history in relation to eliminating slavery is a disgrace that Negro leaders should own up to.”
Unsurprisingly, the local NAACP is calling for Hansen’s ouster. Meanwhile, fellow Republican Assemblyman Jim Wheeler pleaded, “[Hansen] is really trying to do something right here and this kind of thing is so counterproductive. Give us a chance.” After all, this might be the thing that really puts the Nevada state Assembly on the map!
