A Washington state mayor blasted an LGBT activist who suggested the display of the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag is a political stunt in her attempts to push for the display of the pride flag.
The public comment occurred at a Newcastle City Council meeting, as a woman named Jen complained that the LGBT community is not being properly represented. As Fox News reported:
She was referencing a vote by the city council last year to not fly the pride flag over city hall during pride month, which was later flipped after public outrage. At the time, Clark told local outlet KOMO that if the pride flag was going to be flown, then everybody’s flag had to be flown.
The crux of her argument was that there are far more LGBTQ members than POWs or MIAs.
“My research shows that there’s been 82,000 Americans who are registered as POWs or MIAs, which is atrocious and horrible, and it should never happen to any American. But there’s 20 million, minimum, LGBTQ members. So when we’re talking about special interests, let’s just have some intellectual integrity,” she said.
“I’ve talked before about the hypocrisy … and I think that your approach to trying to trick people out of having to fly the pride flag in June by making sure that the POW/MIA flag was flown is really disgusting,” she said.
“And again, it’s not impartial in any way. And I think that you should be ashamed. I definitely am,” she added, as Mayor Robert Clark responded, making it clear that responding alone was an unusual move for him.
“It’s not common that I respond to public comment, but I will not sit here and have somebody tell me that veterans are a political stunt,” Clark responded.
“How dare you? This country was founded because veterans lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands of people died for this country so that you could fly your pride flag and man, I am pissed. I’m sorry this is out of line, and perhaps my council members will censure me for this,” he said.
“But do not ever disparage veterans in my presence,” he warned. “Those 82,000 people who never came home will never have a chance to have a family or grow up while you can fly your pride flag, they sacrifice their lives all over the world, for America and for freedom around the world.”
He told Jen he tolerates her comments, “which are always on the attack and all in your libelous comments on Facebook.”
“I tolerate it because, you know you probably can’t help yourself, but don’t ever disparage veterans in front of me. Don’t ever disparage veterans in front of me and we’re done,” he added.
WATCH:
According to Gallup, 9.3 percent of the U.S. population identifies as LGBT, up from only 3.5 percent in 2012, heavily indicating that cultural factors are at play.
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