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Photo from East Bay Times

The city of Antioch’s planning commission chairman, Ken Turnage II, made news recently after he posted a Facebook message suggesting the coronavirus should be allowed to take its course and rid society of its most vulnerable members. Likening Covid-19 to a forest fire that rids the land of its “old trees, fallen brush and scrub-shrub sucklings,” he claimed doing so would be for the betterment of the nation, as it would lessen the burden on Social Security, eventually lower health care costs and free up housing.

Following the blowback his post generated, Turnage said his post was “not malicious or racist.” A quick online search for the definition of the word found that ‘malicious’ is defined as “characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm.” While he may not have believed he was aiming to be malicious, Turnage cannot deny that harm would come to people were his ideas put into practice–he even admitted there would be “significant loss of life.” His attempt to say he didn’t mean what he said is reminiscent of many of the stunning statements made by president trump, whose skill in separating actions from consequences while completely disavowing responsibility is well documented.

Turnage’s subsequent attempts to clarify his position dug his hole even deeper as he waxed philosophical in an attempt to anoint his cold-blooded reasoning with high-minded abstractions like maintaining earth’s “ecological balance.” Claiming the virus should be viewed as a means of ridding the planet of its unwanted and burdensome surplus of outdated people, he likened the virus to a volcano erupting to lower the earth’s temperature.

While declaring he was not recommending allowing the virus to kill the homeless outright, Turnage nonetheless referred to them as “side effects.” His words, disgusting and offensive as they were, took libertarianism to another level while echoing overtones of Nazism.

This particular style of people simultaneously talking out of both sides of their mouths is familiar to anyone who frequents news broadcasts these days, but the callousness with which this man was doing so was shocking.

Turnage claimed the virus might be just what it takes to bring the world back into balance. Antioch’s planning commission should take heed and act to oust Turnage so that they can return balance to their association.

Tim Konrad

2020.05.01