Steve West [1] is currently the Republican candidate for the Missouri General Assembly from District 15. West first garnered attention when he won the Republican primary and the word got out on his radio show and website. West regularly spews hate and bigotry online and on his radio show.
Emily West is Steve West’s adult daughter. Her hope is that people will not vote for her father. She told The Star on Monday, “I can’t imagine him being in any level of government.” She continued saying, “A lot of his views are just very out there.” She added, “He’s made multiple comments that are racist and homophobic and how he doesn’t like the Jews.”
Emily West said she was shocked when she saw yard signs supporting her father around the district. She said, “I think it’s just insane that people are putting out his signs. You see his signs everywhere. I don’t understand how people can put out his signs knowing the comments that he’s made.”
On Saturday, 11 worshippers were gunned down at the Tree Of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The tragedy has brought renewed attention to anti-semitism in the United States. On Monday West denounced the Pittsburgh shooting, despite his anti-semitic public comments.
He said, “I absolutely renounce what took place there. I have never, never suggested anything like that. When stuff like that happens, it is a terrible travesty and injustice. I would never condone any violence against any people because of a specific race or religion or anything else.”
Regional Director of ADL Heartland, Karen Aroesty said that people who spew hate and bigotry in their rhetoric bear responsibility when that hateful rhetoric is translated into violence. She said, “I think anybody who’s willing to make hate public and willing to state formally and be out there with their hate-based identity, they’d better be accountable to how people respond to them.” She added, “When you put it out there, you have to know that you’re accountable in society today, and given the capacity of the internet to move information so fast, you’re going to be influencing people far beyond your neighborhood.”