Kandiss Taylor, a Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate, became infamous despite poor poll results leading up to Tuesday's GOP primary.
Her most recent misstep involves her speech claiming Indigenous Americans “sacrificed” their homes so Christians could have “freedom.”
Video of the speech was shared by PatriotTakes, a Twitter account dedicated to exposing right-wing extremism.
Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor said \u201cour founding fathers\u201d came to \u201cdestroy American Indians\u2019 homes and their land\u201d to secure \u201cour right to worship Jesus freely.\u201dpic.twitter.com/DxS8HPij6w— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1652975441
In the video, Taylor claimed the First Amendment protects the right to worship Jesus freely, which in the strictest technical sense isn’t wrong. But it’s what she said next that is completely absurd.
Taylor said:
“Look at what they went through, the Native Americans, for sacrifice for us to have the freedom that we have today.”
The Indigenous people of the Americas didn’t “sacrifice” for White Christians to have freedom. They had their land stolen and physical and cultural genocide perpetrated by White colonizers—often in the name of religion.
When the United States signed treaties with Indigenous tribes, the government would go on to ignore the terms of the agreements and steal the land they had agreed belonged to the tribe. These stolen lands are referred to as unceded territories.
Taylor’s comments are ignorant of United States history.
Yes, but I believe with the added benefit of the Native Americans being happy to die for Jesus. I think. My Grammy after her sixth glass of wine makes more sense than this.— Dfrantz2234 (@Dfrantz2234) 1652994142
Let me underscore: This person is a candidate for Georgia's governorship.https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1527315817586900993\u00a0\u2026— Where's Your Data? (@Where's Your Data?) 1653133051
Kandiss Taylor is an actual candidate on the Republican primary ballot for governor of Georgiapic.twitter.com/m4ABSROoM8— Occam's Razor Stands with \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Occam's Razor Stands with \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1653180571
Celebrating genocide of Native folks cuz it gave \u201cus\u201d freedom. \u201cUs\u201d being who exactly? Right.\n\nAlso, STOP using THE when you refer to \u201cNative Americans\u201d as a demographic. Try it out in front of any other racial group; see how effed it sounds? We are not other, we are still here.https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1527315817586900993\u00a0\u2026— tara houska \u1516\u1433\u140c\u1474 (@tara houska \u1516\u1433\u140c\u1474) 1653264553
I didn\u2019t think you could be more repugnant than people who deny Europeans committed genocide vs indigenous people, but framing genocide as \u201cNative Americans\u2019 sacrifice for us to have the freedoms we have today\u201d & \u201cthe right to worship Jesus freely\u201d proves there\u2019s always worse.https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1527315817586900993\u00a0\u2026— Alexander (@Alexander) 1653057914
Am lot of comments also pointed out the First Amendment doesn’t protect the right to “worship Jesus.”
It is a blanket protection for freedom of and from religion. People can practice the religion of their choice—or no religion at all—without government interference.
Taylor doubled down after the backlash.
I said what I said. Get offended.— Kandiss Taylor (@Kandiss Taylor) 1652993751
Taylor’s campaign seems built in the image of former President Donald Trump with bizarre, grandiose announcements.
Earlier this month, she announced a plan to “stand up to the Luciferian Cabal” and blow up the Georgia Guidestones.
The guidestones, erected in 1979, is a 19-foot-tall monument engraved in eight different languages with recommended rules for humanity should we suffer an apocalypse.
More recently, she attacked her political opponent in the Republican primary, current governor Brian Kemp, for selling out Georgia to the Chinese Communist Party. She failed to explain how Kemp did.
Despite her attacks, Kemp leads in poll results with nearly 50% of the Republican vote in the primary, while Taylor is stuck in the single digits.
No amount of controversy can seem to help her move up.
I'm re-reading God is Red and he identifies one type of sacred place as a place of significant loss. These places become sacred because the loss, the sacrifice, reminds us that we too might be called upon to sacrifice.\n\nOur ancestors did not sacrifice themselves for Americahttps://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1527315817586900993\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\udd25 daanis \ud83e\udde1 (@\ud83d\udd25 daanis \ud83e\udde1) 1653049343
Mind you, these people apparently went to see her speak. I don\u2019t pretend to understand why.— Jade Jurek - Supporter of Ukraine (@Jade Jurek - Supporter of Ukraine) 1652995999
Everything I read about Kandiss Taylor--the Jesus, Guns, Babies candidate--is completely internally coherent, it's just incredibly overt, loud, and clear Christian nationalism. Stop being surprised, she's just screaming all the quiet parts.— Thomas Lecaque (@Thomas Lecaque) 1653255321
Anyone wondering who raises a Buffalo shooter or where the indoctrination begins...it starts at home with a Dixie Flag. And is repeated in church on any given Sunday.https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1527315817586900993\u00a0\u2026— FridayJones (@FridayJones) 1653060604
GOP. 'Jesus, Guns & Babies' Gubernatorial Candidate Kandiss Taylor Says the Church Rules the State of Georgia\n\nJesus, guns & babies\n\nhttps://www.businessinsider.com/gop-kandiss-taylor-says-church-rules-the-state-of-georgia-2022-5\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/vegi7JnYQ0— Lorie Meacham (@Lorie Meacham) 1653275664
If there’s some level of comfort, it’s that many of Taylor’s tweets can be interpreted as projection.
We\u2019ve created an entitled, spoiled, selfish, lazy, and highly emotionally narcissistic people.— Kandiss Taylor (@Kandiss Taylor) 1653177802
The Georgia Republican primary is this on May 24.
Taylor is behind in the Republican pack competing to take GOP Governor Brian Kemp’s seat.
Despite all her bluster, Taylor did not secure an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Instead, Trump endorsed the candidate currently second in the polls, David Perdue.
We’ll see how it all turns out after the election results come in.
@priscillachan/Instagram