NOW demands Steve King's resignation over 'rape and incest' comments: 'Find something to do that doesn't involve thinking or talking'
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is demanding that GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa hand in his resignation after questioning whether there would be any population left on Earth if not for rape and incest while justifying the pro-life debate. Toni Van Pelt, President of the NOW, has condemned King's comments made at an event at Westside Conservative Club on August 14, and said that offensive, ignorant sexist and racist statements like this promote a culture of hate and violence.
"This type of vile language perpetuates a toxic culture of hate and violence and promotes the historical oppression of women," she said speaking to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) exclusively. She added, "It damages the many years of hard work and progress made to become a more civilized world, one that respects women as equals and listens to their truths, their stories, and their bodies."
In a statement, she also said that this move should be obvious and that he must "apologize to the people of Iowa and find something to do that doesn't involve thinking, talking or being with other people."
King has had a past dotted with racist comments that have sparked backlash across parties and in January was removed from committee assignments by House Republicans following remarks where he wondered aloud why the term "white supremacist" was considered offensive. “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” he had said in an interview published in The New York Times.
Speaking at the Club, King said, "What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?" according to a video posted online by the Des Moines Register, which was first to report on the remarks.
"Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that has taken place... I know I can't certify that I was not a part of a product of that," King said. "I'd like to think that every one of our lives is as precious as any other life," he added.
"There is no place in our government or our society for these dangerous and outdated views," Pelt said, calling his comments "abhorrent" and adding that "this is just another example of why he is unfit for office".
She called on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to require House Republicans to attend gender and racial bias training conducted by independent experts and trainers to encourage productive and positive discussions in organizations, and in this case, a legislative body.
"Having these difficult discussions encourages people to look at their own perceptions, reduces defensiveness on issues around race and helps people move forward with a more open and honest dialogue," she said.
We did not receive a comment from Rep Steve King on the statement from NOW.