(TotalConservative.com) – Following the Super Bowl parade shooting earlier this month, the mayor of Kansas City is now calling out the governor of Missouri for describing the shooting suspects as “thugs.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is accusing Missouri Gov. Mike Parson of using a “dog whistle” to signal to racist Americans after the governor used the word “thugs” to describe the suspected shooters in the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade incident that killed one and injured several others. In politics, dog-whistling is the practice of using suggestive or coded language to signal ideological allegiance to a particular group without provoking as much opposition by making a more direct statement.
Lucas appeared on a local radio show called “Up to Date” for an interview. During the KCUR interview, the mayor told host Steve Kraske that he’s “seen this dog whistle” many times before.
Lucas said that although he has “respect for the governor” and gets along well with him, he strongly disagrees with Parson’s description of the situation that took place at the Chiefs’ victory parade on Feb. 14 that killed one person and injured 22 others, including at least 11 children.
The day after the shooting, Parsons told radio host Pete Mundo that Missouri “can’t let some thugs and criminals” ruin their team’s victory. He said the incident was “just sad,” mourning the tragic ending to what he called “a wonderful day.” The governor was present at the parade and delivered remarks to the crowd shortly before gunshots rang out.
Lucas said that although he does think the shooting constitutes criminal activity and “lawlessness,” which he called “troubling,” he also believes Parsons’ use of the word “thugs” is a classic dog whistle he’s seen “time and again.”
The mayor said that a “giant conservative theory” emerged on social media claiming that the mug shots have yet to be released because the suspects are probably black and that the photos would’ve come out if the suspects were white. Lucas called that theory “preposterous” because the two suspects are minors and special protections exist for juveniles.
The suspects remain locked up and await possible additional charges as the Kansas City Police Department continues its investigation.
Copyright 2024, TotalConservative.com
