When I moved to Santa Clarita, I had no idea that it had a council member named Bob Kellar who once stood at a militia rally and declared himself to be a "proud racist."

It almost seems unbelievable, but it's true.

Even more unbelievable — he's STILL on the council.
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It happened in 2010, on the corner outside the local sheriff's department.

There was an uproar when the video spread, but Kellar was defiant. He even refused to apologize.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2010/01/26/santa-clarita-councilman-stands-by-proud-racist-remark/

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That speech was 10 years ago. Kellar has won re-election every time and continues to be a political powerbroker.

He was a force behind #CA25’s new congressman @MikeGarcia2020 — making a video noting Garcia is “all American” and “supports our president.”

Hear a dogwhistle?
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Would it surprise you to learn about his former profession from this local news profile about the "proud racist" councilman...?

He was not just an LAPD Officer — he was an INSTRUCTOR at its police academy.

The article: https://signalscv.com/2017/10/robert-c-kellar-u-s-army-special-forces-sand-canyon-resident-2/

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Santa Clarita's "proud racist" councilman has also turned up on Fox News to promote hardline immigration views using the city council chambers as a backdrop.

Shocker, right?

Remember, he said this thing — and then stuck with it.

No apology. No backtracking.

And it worked. He's still in a position of power in this city and helping elect our new congressman.

Repeat: He STOOD BY the remark.

Defenders say the "proud racist" comment was "taken out of context." So here's the full transcript of his remarks.

The speech is even worse in its entirety.

Upcoming city council candidates model themselves on Kellar.

Locally, ordinary people don't want to rock the boat.

They don't want to face that this man is a disgrace to our community, not someone to be celebrated. https://twitter.com/Breznican/status/1162900015850766336?s=20

Santa Clarita has a history of this.

People think of Simi Valley as the place where the Rodney King trial was held, when the cops who did the beating were acquitted.

But many of those cops were FROM Santa Clarita. And still live here. https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-latest-news/ex-lapd-sergeant-involved-in-rodney-king-beating-charged-for-castaic-dui-240001

When your local newspaper runs a column about "white pride" and there are no consequences for that, your community has a problem.

Santa Clarita has yet to reckon with that. https://twitter.com/Breznican/status/1162767434752774144?s=20

So now Santa Clarita, my town, is asking: What should we do?

Should we protest? What are we protesting?

THIS is what we are protesting. THIS is what we are saying we aren't anymore.

When I moved to Santa Clarita, I didn't know we had a councilman named Bob Kellar who declared himself to be a "proud racist."

A lot of people who live here still don't know. Or they've forgotten.

Today, we remember.

What does this have to do with you?

I don't know. But look around locally. What's in your town? What are people actively pretending isn't there?

What can we do to change our backyards for the better.

That's how we change the country. Backyard by backyard.