(WICHITA, Kan.)—
Wichita residents came to a political forum to listen to political issues, but left shaking their heads."I felt i was in a loony bin the entire time. It was weird and I'm upset," said one listener.
Many say the behaviors of the candidates for mayor were inappropriate.
None of them took it seriously enough. None of them," said another listener.
They're calling comments from Scott Thode racist.
Specifically a comment he made after the crowd sang the Black National Anthem.
"He said 'I didn't know they had one and are singing one' it kind of caught me off guard," said 17-year old Jesyka Ware.
That comment upset many members of the predominately African American crowd.
"It was quite racist. That song is very dear to African Americans and to the entire civil rights movement," said Reverend Kevin Graham.
"It was very disturbing. I've never seen anything like this," Ware said.
Thode says it was just a joke and doesn't think his comments were racist. But the people at the forum aren't laughing.
"Even if it was just a joke that's demeaning to the entire country," said Ware.
It wasn't just Thode that got the crowd worked up, Paul Rhodes, another candidate for mayor, admitted he was banned from City Hall for personal reasons.
And many who were listening felt candidate Martin Mork kept blaming problems on illegal immigrants.
"Everyone's behavior is just a mockery to the seats they are trying to run for," Graham said.
Some say they weren't impressed with incumbent Carl Brewer either.
"The Mayor was just relying on his name and everyone else just had wild views," said one listener.
"The Mayor basically knew he wasn't going anywhere," said another listener.
Onlookers say a meeting that was supposed to educate them on important issues, just left them with a bad feeling about the political future of Wichita.
"They just proved why I shouldn't vote for them in my opinion," said Graham.
