A Mississippi lawmaker's racist remarks created a firestorm over the weekend, but he's claiming that they were taken out of context and were supposed to be off the record.
State Rep. Gene Alday talked about the DeSoto County town of Walls, where he was formerly police chief and mayor before winning election to the Legislature in 2011, to The Clarion-Ledger on Sunday, The Times-Picayune reported. He made the racist comments while stating that he was against increased funding for education, particularly to improve literacy.
"I come from a town where all the blacks are getting food stamps and what I call 'welfare crazy checks.' They don't work," the Republican said during his explanation to the Jackson newspaper.
In another instance, he narrated a time he visited an emergency room.
"I liked to died. I laid in there for hours because they (black people) were in there being treated for gunshots," Alday was quoted as saying.
On Monday, the 57-year-old did not deny making the comments attributed to him, but said he was not a racist, citing past actions to help black people, according to The Huffington Post.
"I am definitely not a racist, at all," Alday told Mississippi News Now. "Because, I mean, I get along with everybody. And I've spent a lot of time helping people."
"The interview, he just took me out of context," Alday said about Clarion-Ledger reporter Jerry Mitchell. "He asked for one thing and started asking another thing."
"[Mitchell] asked me a question back to when I was in law enforcement," Alday said. "I have a way of talking and saying, 'take this off the record.'"
The Republican also stressed that he had no problem with African Americans and bears no ill will toward anyone.
"Yes, it's true that most of the blacks in my hometown are on welfare," Alday told the newspaper. "But they're good people. I don't have anything against anybody. I'm a straight-up guy. In my little town they had little civil rights walks and I was with them. I'm with everybody."
Despite the 57-year-old's clarification, House Speaker Philip Gunn and Gov. Phil Bryant issued statements on Monday condemning the remarks.
"Rep. Alday is solely responsible for his remarks," Republican Bryant said. "I strongly reject his comments condemning any Mississippian because of their race. Those days are long past."
"I condemn the comments recently made by Rep. Gene Alday," Gunn added. "They do not reflect the views of the Republican party, nor of the leadership of the House of Representatives."
Rep. Robert Johnson, R-Natchez, said he feared that Alday's willingness to criticize black people showed that such racial feeling was widespread.
"If he was comfortable enough to make these statements, it's an indication to us there are conversations like that going on all the time," Johnson said.
Even the Democrats chimed in to criticize Alday's statements.
"The Republican leadership should take responsibility for the philosophical and ideological platform of its members, including messages that are reprehensible and divisive," said state Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale. "We should lambaste Alday, and also check those whom allow him the opportunity to speak."
Meanwhile Alday rejected calls for his resignation, stating he plans to seek another term.
