Missouri Councilman Explains Racist Facebook Posts: ‘I Was A Very Active Republican’

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A Republican city councilman in Missouri apologized this week for posting racist messages about President Obama on Facebook, citing his own strong engagement with the Republican Party as the reason behind his actions.

According to television station KFVS, Poplar Bluff, Mo., councilman Peter Tinsley’s offensive posts were brought up during a city council meeting on Monday night. Tinsley apologized for his behavior, saying he didn’t intend to offend anyone when he made those posts last year, reported KFVS.

“I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” Tinsley said. “At one time, I was a very active Republican, very opposed to Obama.”

Here are two of the Facebook posts the TV station mentioned. At least one was still on his Facebook page as of Wednesday afternoon.

KFVS reported that Tinsley’s justification for posting the photos upset fellow Republicans and prompted another apology.

“I want people to know that I am very remorseful for it,” Tinsley told KFVS. “That it was inappropriate. I believe I got caught up in an emotional moment of sharing jokes and at the time it seemed funny but today it’s, it’s, it’s very serious and it’s not funny at all. … That anything that I have said, that I referred to the activity because I was a Republican, that is not true. It’s not an excuse, ” Tinsley said.

h/t Raw Story

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for theod theod says:

    What he means: “I can’t help that I’m a racist. I’m a serious Republican.” Wow.

  2. Oh well that explains everything, then.

    The next time a Teabagger tells me I’m being unfair by calling them a bunch of straight up racists, I’m pulling out ol’ Pete’s correspondence.

  3. Avatar for mh26 mh26 says:

    The first answer is often the least artful, and therefore the most revealing. He takes it for granted that other Republicans share his racist views. Could it be that behind on closed doors or in their own personal online correspondence many GOPers do allow their racist spite to emerge? Maybe saying that some folks have lost their freakin’ minds because a black guy is Prez isn’t liberal b.s. Nope, it’s just the truth, folks–a lot of people can’t dope with a black guy in charge, and can’t process that he’s actually doing better by them than some white rich guy would.

    I say we take his first explanation at face value!

  4. You don’t have to be racist to be a Republican…but it helps!

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