
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman with “Mini-Mike,” Town Councillor Dustin Zvonek.
THURSDAY UPDATE: Steve Sundberg finally obtained all-around to commenting on his racist films with a single of all those “sorry if you had been offended” style of “apologies.” From The Denver Publish:
“In a dim Covid shut down, when corporations were preventing to endure, with people today suffering from psychological health problems, uncertainty, suicide, substance abuse, domestic violence and fear, we were being ready to provide by way of a range of films, humor and gentle heartedness, which drove business and cheered folks up,” Sundberg wrote in his assertion.
“Made about 2 several years ago, no one particular expressed offense. Not any movie was supposed to be offensive. Nonetheless, it has not long ago arrived to my focus that some men and women have observed content in the films offensive,” the statement ongoing. “For any one I did offend, I apologize and I will find out from it. In light-weight of this, I have taken some of the movies down.”
That’s…not good.
Fellow Metropolis Council Member Dustin Zvonek, meanwhile, planted his head firmly in the sand:
Councilman Dustin Zvonek reported he didn’t watch the films and hadn’t read that other individuals were being offended, but he does not consider Sundberg is the style of man or woman to deliberately upset persons. He added that he doesn’t intend to enjoy the movies nor does he take into consideration it a council issue.
If there were being a handbook for how NOT to offer with this condition, both equally Sundberg and Zvonek would have their possess chapters.
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You can not be racist if you pet a black canine!
We wrote on Tuesday about a new controversy in the Town of Aurora, in which City Council Member Steve Sundberg is getting (rightly) blasted for a collection of horribly-racist and unfunny commercials he created in 2020 in get to encourage his Legends Sporting activities Bar institution in Aurora.
CBS4 Denver political “reporter” Shaun Boyd will have to have been hectic supplying go over for an additional Republican politician on Tuesday, so true reporter Alan Gionet picked up the story for CBS4 and located Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman creating a large mistake in a assertion responding to the controversy:
“My original perception was shock, and then very frankly disgust,” mentioned Colorado Point out Rep. Iman Jodeh, whose district in Aurora consists of the bar. Jodeh is also a spokesperson and basic secretary for the Colorado Muslim Society. “Having your footwear on although sitting on a prayer rug holding up a sword. You know these quite trite and cliche stereotypes are so reduced-brow.”
“I was seriously hoping that Aurora primarily was earlier a lot of these stereotypical, bigoted and racist tropes that have plagued our town for these a while,” Jodeh continued…
…Sundberg declined to comment, but Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman introduced a assertion: “These marketing advertisements had been manufactured prior to his managing for Aurora metropolis council. They are an unfortunate try at humor, and they are in lousy style, but I never believe that that he, becoming married to an African immigrant and getting biracial kids, is in any way a racist and that he is somehow incapable of staying an elected representative in 1 of the most various cities in the United States.” [Pols emphasis]

Aurora City Councilor Steve Sundberg (right…and mistaken).
To start with of all, Sundberg has demonstrated this 7 days that he is as much of a coward as he is a fool by frequently refusing to comment on his racist advertisements. The only other explanation for Sundberg’s silence is that he is really a great deal the racist he portrays in his commercials. Most likely Sundberg is just waiting around for this controversy to blow above it will do that inevitably, but by not quickly apologizing, Sundberg has built it effortless for a long term opponent to grind him into dust with his own silence.
But the larger destruction is what Coffman has done to his individual name by essentially excusing the conduct of just one of his handpicked allies on the Aurora Town Council. Coffman’s reaction is worthy of one more seem:
“They are an regrettable attempt at humor, and they are in lousy taste, but I do not believe that he, staying married to an African immigrant and getting biracial kids, is in any way a racist.”
Sundberg cannot be racist since he married an African immigrant? THIS is what you settled on as a response? Seriously?
This is not hard. When racist responses emerge, the suitable reaction is to apologize and specific each disbelief and regret. The incorrect response, which has nevertheless prolonged been the go-to solution for Republicans, is to mainly say, He can’t be racist for the reason that he knows a Black man or woman.
In modern months, basketball player Kyrie Irving was suspended for numerous games and missing hundreds of thousands of dollars in endorsements following he promoted an anti-semitic movie and refused for a 7 days to say that he did not hold anti-semitic viewpoints. Irving’s habits was not excused due to the fact he occurs to be a Black man. Ditto the artist formerly regarded as Kanye West.
As it turns out, Anybody can be racist. There’s no barrier to entry.
As a general public provider for other Republicans, let’s listing a number of a lot more solutions you must hardly ever use when confronted with bigoted opinions:
♦ I’m not anti-semitic I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood.
♦ I can’t be homophobic because my 2nd cousin is gay.
♦ You can’t be racist if you went to a wedding ceremony in China (this truly took place).
♦ I know the distinction in between Hispanics and Chickeenos (this also happened).

Did I say that out loud?
Coffman has been in elected office environment for 30 yrs as a state lawmaker, Condition Treasurer, Secretary of State, and Member of Congress. He really should know superior than this. Hell, Coffman has loads of knowledge with the fallout from saying dumb points himself.
Coffman is up for re-election in November, and this boneheaded comment is definitely heading to subject for his have political future (don’t forget, he only gained by 281 votes in 2019). Coffman was currently heading to have a challenging highway forward of him immediately after botching his public safety reform promises dipping his toes into the anti-mask world and paying a week pretending to be homeless in Denver as some form of idiotic exploration of the problem as it relates to Aurora.
As we noticed in November, Colorado voters have minimal persistence for candidates who emulate or excuse the boorish conduct of politicians such as Donald Trump or Heidi Ganahl.
Responding to the blatant racism of a political ally is an uncomplicated check. By some means, Mike Coffman managed to fail anyway.
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