Civil rights groups in Michigan are calling on Governor Rick Snyder to issue a stronger denunciation of comments by a local elected official calling for death to Muslims.
Eight groups sent a letter to Governor Snyder a week ago seeking a specific condemnation of remarks by Kalkaska Village President Jeff Seeting. He’s called for killing Muslims and members of the Black Lives Matter movement
Steve Spreitzer is with the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity. He says the governor’s response so far is insufficient.
“Governor Snyder’s failure to denounce Kalkaska Village President Sieting’s remarks, I think, tells us where we are as a state right now.”
He says the governor’s response so far is insufficient.
We need to send a message to the haters that, look, we care about this. So, Governor Snyder addressing Seiting’s remarks, it’s really important. The fact that he didn’t means we need to have a new strategy to help people know and care about their neighbors in our state.”
He says the governor’s response so far does not offer support to targets of hate.
We know that when, ‘death to all Muslims,’ the call is made, that Jews know they are included in that death call, Hindus, Sikhs. It is a call to death. To now say anything, to not denounce that – look, this isn’t just some guy down the street, some Archie Bunker guy spewing his hate. This is an elected official.”
Spreitzer appeared over the weekend on the Michigan Public Television show “Off The Record.”
Governor Snyder issued a statement calling for unity a week ago. His press secretary says that includes denouncing hate speech of all types.