Kokkonen calls out New Times for Ku Klux Klan comparison

May 23, 2016
Matt Kokkonen

Matt Kokkonen

OPINION by MATT KOKKONEN

San Luis Obispo’s “New Times” weekly paper wrote in its opinion by “The Shredder” on May 5, “What’s white, has three K’s in its name, and hates ‘illegal’ immigrants? Well, yes, the Ku Klux Klan, but I was thinking of Matt Kokkonen, but he’s the not-so-nice legal immigrant!”

The last time someone called out the three “K”s in my name was a big black drill sergeant when I was in U.S. Army basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, home of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles. This was even before I was a U.S. citizen, having immigrated to America by myself at age 16 from Finland.

In my opinion, Shredder’s comments are beyond civility and reflect the dregs of the cesspool of his mind. New Times is complicit by allowing this expression of hate by him.

On the other hand, standing for the rule of law is not hate of anyone. It opposes illegality, period. What part of “illegal” does he not understand?

I wanted to come to America, the land of opportunity. I did it legally, like millions of others who followed the law.

America has been the land of opportunity because of its God given self-evident truths, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…” This undergirds the real American Dream. This encapsulates America’s Experiment and its Exceptionalism. I will keep fighting to make sure we leave America to our children and grandchildren as the country of liberty.

Matt Kokkonen is one of nine candidates running for the 24th Congressional District seat.


Loading...
33 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

The New Times is a useless Progressive-Statist-Marxist rag that might be useful for kitty litter.


I laughed so hard when I read the shredder’s words.

Don’t be it if you don’t like it, Matt.

Wha wha!


I read New Times for my horoscope. It’s the only part of the paper I can rely on for facts.


Once wonderful New Times has become a worthless piece of trash. Does anybody even bother to read it anymore? If I need something to wrap trash in, I grab a couple of copies, but that’s only because it’s free.


Yes, the media is over the top. Freedom of speech is a good thing but to routinely assert character assassinations is a big problem. Hopefully this will eventually find a legal challenger. Unfortunately it will take a Trump or someone else with money to burn, the main reason people get away with this corruptive behavior. I would support legislation that socializes these types of challenges to aggressive liable and puts the cost on the looser. This will keep the sharp tongues behind tight lips by virtue of hungry lawyers.


God, I wonder how the Klan feels about being compared to Kokkonen!


I know nothing of Matt nor the New Times article in question, but I would lend one piece of advise to Matt… When attempting to invalidate claims of racism against yourself, don’t describe someone as “big black” in the first sentence of your retort. It immediately reinforces the allegation against you.


Ever served in the military kenny113?