Peggy Mast embarrassed herself and the state of Kansas legislature. Big time. Mast (R-Emporia) is Speaker Pro Tem of the Kansas House of Representatives. On October 20, 2016, she posted on Facebook:
“Great quote from Hitler in the video. Please listen to it closely. His words are profound! Let’s start using discernment.”
Great Quote From Hitler?
Mast neither posted nor linked to a video. And it looks like she missed discernment, too. Christie Kriegshauser, Chief of Staff to Republican Speaker Ray Merrick, was surprised that Mast posted positively about Hitler. So Kriegshauser responded:
“Sorry, I’m confused. What video and how is there a great quote from Hitler?”
About an hour later, Mast posted a link to an article on another website about hearings in Congress concerning Planned Parenthood’s activities. She removed both posts later in the day.
Public Reaction
Not surprisingly, Mast’s post was shared all over and picked up by the news media. Public reaction was quick, People were outraged. Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director of Kansas Interfaith Action, said:
“There’s nothing profound, and there’s no room in American politics for the words or thought of Adolph Hitler.”
In an email, Laura McQuade, president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, a political organization affiliated with Planned Parenthood, said:
“Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider for thousands of Kansans, and we reject and condemn Representative Peggy Mast’s offensive remarks.”
Mast’s Explanation
According to the Wichita Eagle and Raw Story, Mast attempted to explain. She was quoting the testimony of antiabortion activist Gianna Jessen, who said she was quoting Hitler. Jessen said:
“The receptivity of the masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. In consequence of these facts all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan.”
Mast posted on Facebook a very convoluted attempt to explain her thinking:
Unclear On The Concept
Apparently, Representative Mast doesn’t understand the difference between ideology and tactics. She thinks both messages were lies. But many people disagree about what message Planned Parenthood conveys. Ideology is the system of beliefs that motivate actions. Tactics are the methods used. How did anyone spend 20 years in the Kansas legislature and not know that? At least she’s not running for reelection.
Featured image cropped from Facebook.
