Michigan Public Official Facing Calls to Resign After Saying N-Word During a Public Meeting

Y’all, I’m thinking Michigan might be gunning for the position of most racist state, because it’s the only way I can make sense of a state official just casually dropping the hard-R at the start of a public meeting.

NBC News reports that on Tuesday, Tom Eckerle, an elected road commissioner for Leelanau County, was in attendance at a road commission meeting where members of the public could call in. Before the meeting started, Eckerle responded to a question from one of his fellow commission members about why he wasn’t wearing a mask saying, “Well this whole thing is because of them N——— down in Detroit,”

Oof.

Bob Joyce, the commission’s chair, told Eckerle that he couldn’t say that and he responded by doubling down. “I can say anything I want. Black Lives Matter has everything to do with taking the country away from us,” he said.

I mean—, I just—, Like—

WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU SAY THAT IN A PUBLIC MEETING?!

I’m sorry but how, y’all!? How?

Understandably, everyone from the commission members to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked Eckerle to resign. “His comments are atrocious. The Governor has been very clear—there’s no place for hate and racism in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. The other members of the road commission posted a letter on Facebook condemning Eckerle’s comments and demanding his immediate resignation. A Leelanau county resident started a petition to demand Eckerle’s removal that has garnered 2,900 signatures.

Eckerle has shown no signs that he intends to resign. During an interview on Thursday with Interlochen Public Radio, Eckerle said he wasn’t aware the public could hear his comments but didn’t regret them. “No, I don’t regret calling it an n——r. A n——r is a n——r is a n——r. That’s not a person whatsoever,” Eckerle said. He believes that his words weren’t racist because, as always, old white men are the ones who get to decide what is and isn’t racist.

Michigan got ya’ boy tired, y’all. Only a week ago the mayor of Harper Woods, Mich., said he could see how someone could become a white supremacist after his wife had an argument with some protesters. While it’s great and all that Gov. Whitmer declared racism a public health crisis this week, I’m unsure how effective that’s going to be if this is what their elected leaders look like.