This is a Republican senator from Michigan. His name is Dale Zorn. Why do you need to know Sen. Dale Zorn? Well, some recent actions of his highlight the sort of racist foolishness that we’ve come to know all too well from people in power.
On the floor of the Michigan Senate, Sen. Zorn decided to shamelessly wear a Confederate flag mask. Then when he got called out, he had the nerve to deny what actually happened!
At first, Zorn lied, saying it looked more like a state flag - and then defended his mask in an even more despicable way.
He later acknowledged it was a Confederate flag, saying “It’s something we can’t just throw away because it is part of our history.”
This stale defense that promoting the flag, wearing it, and waving it are somehow “preserving history” was so obviously wrong, Zorn was forced to backtrack after many Black people took him to task.
Zorn finally apologized, saying he “did not intend to offend anyone,” and now he’s back with a regular mask just like everyone else. Look on the bright side: if anyone was confused, they now know what he stands for.
What he did, however, plays into something much deeper.
As armed “protesters” stormed the capitol in Michigan and other places around the country, it’s been revealed many of them are linked to far-right white supremacist groups. With politicians on the floor like Sen. Zorn, it’s clear why they’re so comfortable trying to get their way by force!