Kill thy neighbor

Mark Robinson can't stop talking.

Mark Robinson can’t help himself. He’s going to say the most inflammatory things because his goal is a reaction. Last week, the New Republic’s Greg Sargent reported that he told a church congregation in White Lake that “some folks need killing.” Again, he said it in a church. So much for “Love thy neighbor.”

Robinson’s campaign seems to have given up on trying to restrain him. He’s got years of documented bigoted remarks. He’s denigrated LGBTQ people, Jews, and Muslims. He’s spouted crazy conspiracy theories, including downplaying the Holocaust. And he won’t stop adding to his list of crazy statements. His campaign seems to have resigned themselves to let Mark be Mark.

Robinson’s campaign usually registerers half-hearted complaints, blaming the media and Democrats for distorting his words. But there are always videos or audios of him saying what he said—and in context. I’m sure they also know that Robinson is going to say something else just as crazy in the near future. It’s a campaign of putting out fires.

The incidents should be an indictment of the Republican Party. Robinson stomped qualified opponents in the primary and has garnered endorsements of the GOP from Trump on down. In another era, responsible Republican leaders would rebuke him. Today, there’s no shame or accountability in the GOP.

There’s also little separation between church and state. Many of Robinson’s remarks come as sermons when he’s talking to political gatherings masquerading as religious functions. According to the News & Observer, the church’s pastor, Cameron McGill, told the congregation, “But people ask me all the time, Who’s behind President Biden, and that administration? Is it Obama, is it Clinton? Read your Bible. It is the devil. He is the father of lies. He is the deceiver. He is the divider. He is the manipulator.”

Somebody should go after the church’s nonprofit status. That’s clearly political and McGill is obviously campaigning for Trump and Robinson. If pastors are going to invite Mark Robinson to give campaign speeches to their congregations, then they should not get preferential tax treatment.

On January 30, 2024, the IRS released a reminder to churches and charitable organizations saying, “Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one ‘which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.’” Saying the Devil is behind Joe Biden certainly sounds political to me.

So far, Robinson has done little to try to prove that he’s fit for office. He’s spent most of his campaign courting controversy and talking about enemies and the people who are out to get him. Now, he’s letting us know that some people deserve to be killed. It’s the flippant demeanor from a guy who has never served in the military or in law enforcement that’s so disturbing. He’s just vomiting words and I expect he will continue until voters tell him to shut up.