'Nobody lives forever': Iowa candidate floats 'mass extermination' for drug abuse

A mayoral candidate in Red Oak, Iowa, suggested that "mass extermination" could be a solution to deal with people who struggle with drug abuse.

KCSI obtained audio of candidate John Haidsiak's proposal during a candidate forum sponsored by the Red Oak Mayor’s Youth Council.

"It’s a cruel fact, but people who’ve went through drug abuses, teenagers and young people, when they have children, they do two things. They get them involved, and they steal from ’em," he remarked. "And it just escalates the problem to where there’s no reasonable fix-it solution other than mass extermination."

"If you’ve got a neighborhood full of rabid cats, you go out and shoot ’em, then you don’t have to worry about the rabid cats," he continued. "But, you know, it’s… People become little bit horrified when you talk about putting other people down. But life is life. You’re born, you’re gonna live, hopefully in a good way, then you’re gonna die. Nobody lives forever."

Haidsiak said the solution to drug abuse "just scares the living hell out of people."

"And it is a problem that’s handed down, because that child, when he’s young, has no idea or any conception of difference between right and wrong," he asserted. "But if he’s never given that opportunity to learn, he never will. And after a certain amount of time, it, it’s too late to try to teach him because his mindset is already set. His vision is zeroed in on, uh, on what he wants to do, or what he thinks he’s going to do."

"Sorry to say it, but it’s too late to do anything. You just have to try to deal with it the best you can."