When Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller read a Facebook post on Saturday that accused officials running a Veteran’s Day parade in his hometown of Stephenville of denying entry to a Confederate group, his response was swift.
“Who told them to leave?” he commented. “Get a rope.”
Within a few hours, after fellow commenters had gone after him for the remark, he added to his original comment, writing “Good grief people, it’s a joke,” and saying it was a reference to a Pace salsa commercial.
It’s hardly the first time Miller, who could not immediately be reached for comment, has written wildly offensive posts on social media. He also has a history of sharing and commenting on doctored photos and false stories.
Miller’s spokesman, Todd Smith, said he did not know anything about Saturday’s comment.
Burton Smith, one of the parade’s coordinators, said the Sons of Confederate Veterans were asked to take down Confederate flags in order to participate in the parade; instead, he said, the group decided to leave altogether.
“My understanding is that it would be inappropriate for the military to be involved in a parade with the Confederate flag flying,” Smith said.
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