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The governor of Kansas is among several officials who are demanding the resignation of a white county commissioner after using the term "master race" while he was addressing a black consultant when he was in charge. a public meeting this week.
The Commissioner, Louis Klemp of Leavenworth County, made the remark Tuesday while criticizing the land development options presented by Triveece Penelton, who works for an architectural and design firm.
According to a videotape of the meeting, Mr. Klemp told Ms. Penelton, "I do not want you to think I'm making fun of you because we're part of the main race. You know that you have a hole in your teeth. You are the master race. Never forget it.
After the local media reported, officials, including the other two county commissioners, asked him to resign, the Kansas City Star reported. Saturday, governor Jeff Colyer, a Republican, added his name to the list, saying in a statement that "racist and discriminatory words have no place in our society, especially when they are spoken by a person occupying a public post ".
The idea of a "master race" is predominant in Nazi ideology. American Union of Civil Liberties of Kansas said in an article on Facebook that Klemp's comments were "heinous".
But Leavenworth County administrator Mark Loughry, who is just outside Kansas City, said in a statement that Klemp's remarks had been misinterpreted and had nothing to do with Nazism.
Mr. Loughry stated that Mr. Klemp used the term "master race" several times in the past year to designate persons with tooth deficiencies, and that his comment was intended to include both Ms. Penelton and himself.
Mr. Klemp did not respond to a message on Saturday. Neither Ms. Penelton nor Mr. Loughry could be reached for comment.
Mark Preisinger, Mayor of Leavenworth, said Saturday that Klemp's remark lacked "common decency" and showed that he had no filter. But that was not the most inappropriate thing Mr. Klemp said at an official meeting, Mr. Preisinger said.
In November 2017, while the commission approved a vacation schedule, Mr. Klemp began a monologue during which he lamented that some historical characters are no longer honored because they had already been slaves. "My great-great-grandfather had a slave," he said.
During his speech, Klemp described Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army, as "a wonderful part of history" and asked why Martin Luther King's Anniversary should be recognized as George Washington did not have a similar day. At that same meeting, he later acknowledged the existence of Presidents' Day.
Mr. Klemp also stated that no one would understand the historical significance of Lincoln because the Confederation had not won the American Civil War, "which is good, I suppose."
During the holiday discussion, he looked at a calendar in front of him and said, "I did not see Oprah there. No, she's not here as a federal holiday.
Mr. Preisinger said that the "master race" remark was the last straw for many people. "It's embarrassing," he said. "It's a blot on our community."
Mr. Klemp was not elected to his position but selected by members of the county party after the resignation of the previous commissioner because of his illness, said Rett Rogers, party chairman. Mr. Rogers stated that Mr. Klemp was elected to this position last year by a vote.
Mr. Rogers did not vote for Mr. Klemp – his wife was also in the race – but he said he preferred that Mr. Klemp not resign because his term ends in January.
He said that Mr. Klemp's recent remark seemed like a joke. "It was taken in a completely different way," he said.
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