Congressional candidate defends wearing Nazi outfit for re-enactment
(CNN) -- A Republican candidate running for U.S. Congress says his past donning of a Nazi outfit was part of a historical lesson -- and defended his background in military re-enactments.
Rich Iott, a Tea Party favorite running for election in Ohio's 9th Congressional District, explained his position during an interview on CNN's "AC 360" Monday night.
I like how they work the Tea Party connection in - trying as hard as they possibly can to continue the ZOMG TEABAGGER RACIST!!!!111 angle in any way possible. This is the same media that couldn't make the connection between Bill Ayers' violent Weather Underground and Barack Øbama, furthering the "he was a guy who lived in my neighborhood" line of BS instead of pointing out that they served on the same Foundation board together. Yet a Republican participates in a WWII re-enactment on the German side and it's national news...
I'll believe the news isn't biased when CNN runs a story on John Tierney's wife doing the perp walk - until then, admit the bias, folks.
That is all.
10 comments:
Yeah, incumbent Kaptur is getting desperate, me thinks.
I'm optimistic, Kaptur has been my rep since the Regan administration, and I'd really like to see her out.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass, Marcy!
Yeah, and she did it in a way obviously intended to throw Cantor off balance and make him say something stupid, and to create dissent and infighting in the Republican Party at a key point in the election season. Iott's opponent can now say that "even his own party is ashamed of this" and use it as a frequent sound bite right before elections.
If you can't campaign on the issues, ad hominem attacks are about all that's left, right?
On the other hand, nobody forces a reenactor to be on the German side, the people who do that do it because they choose to. Reenactment is not like movies or theater, there's no casting director telling you "you can be Hans, or you can be unemployed".
And anyone who chooses to put on that uniform, I do have a problem with them.
Starik:
Yes, nobody forces them, but it's hard to depict WWII without Nazis. The re-enactment tends to be missing something that's just a little bit important.
As far as "choosing," he has portrayed different sides in multiple wars:
"Iott said he has been involved in re-enactments on and off for roughly 35 years. He said he has dressed as an American soldier for World War I and World War II re-enactments, as well as a soldier from each side of the Civil War."
Nobody forces anyone to play a Nazi, but somebody has to or the re-enactment doesn't happen. You shouldn't have a problem with someone choosing to swallow his pride to keep history from being forgotten.
In the re-enactments, the Nazi's lose. (Just like real life, except it is a REENACTMENT).
Does this mean that anyone who has been a part of the Society for Creative Anachronisms is unfit for office? Because it doesn't matter what side you were on in the Medieval period, you were doing some raping and pillaging and looting. What about if you tried out for the love interest of the eldest Von Trapp daughter in the Sound of Music because you thought the girl was hot and wanted to kiss her? Does it still count that you were embracing Nazism?
My single WW2 reinactment was as an SS soldier. The company commander was Jewish! I asked him how he could dress up like someone who'd murdered so many of his people. His reply, "Someone has to play the indians." So we went and died in a grotesque military manner.
I can believe that people can dress in SS uniforms and not be Nazis in the same way I can believe that someone can don CSA gray and not be a slave-owner or racist.
It really is no different than playing a part in a play or film. Except for the direction of the cash flow; reinactors pay lots of money to play their parts.
A politician who dressed as a Nazi deserves to be asked why. Actor or reinactor are acceptable answers to me.
I would also like to point out that Nazi units and CSA units who buy into the hate don't stick around long. They are not allowed to play again because they are the only people who want them there.
I'd also like to add that the kind of knee-jerk emotional reaction Iott's critics are having is exactly what Kaptur was aiming for. After all, why make the effort to tear the Republicans apart from outside when she can make them tear themselves apart with a single well-placed question?
These "ZOMG he wore a Nazi uniform!!111!!one111eleven!!" reactions are doing the Dems work for them. Let's not fall for their trap.
Jake,
Of course, reenactment takes both sides ... duh ...
And I still have a problem with people who WANT to put on that uniform. Given more information about a specific person, and why they do it (they take turns portraying different sides and it was their turn, etc.), I might be ok with it. In general, I'm not.
That's just my personal thing, not trying to convince or force anyone into anything.
But Jay! You are supporting Hitler's views and actions by supporting a politician that OBVIOUSLY is pro Communism and by extension anti-Jew! Reenactment or not, this man IS TEH EVIL!
Done some WW2 Re-enactments with 5 SS in my neck of the woods in my past, along with the Russians, the Brits and the Poles. Re-enactors of course, except when we get a few WW2 vets show up. I chose to do plain old ordinary American G.I., (none of those lazy Airborne stuff for me) but there is one universal truth about people who show up to play the Whermacht: They NEVER take their hits! ; )
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