The recent comments unearthed by reporters at CNN that were attributed to the first Black lieutenant governor of the state below us, are beyond excusable. We read some of what was deemed fit to print and we wish we hadn’t. The depraved thoughts and ideas of this public official aren’t fit for public consumption and belong on the dark corners of the internet, which is where he allegedly left them.

It appears that Mark Robinson, a gubernatorial candidate, was leading a double life – devout, staunch conservative in real life and a racist, sexist pervert online.

Reports suggest that he called himself a “Black nazi” and advocated for slavery as well as endorsing quotes from tyrants such as Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

We won’t recount his ignorant comments about civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which prompted his daughter to politely suggest that he keep her father’s name out of his mouth.

He’s also accused of making lewd comments about his sister-in-law and describing in detail his preferred type of pornography, while hiding behind an online alias. Yet, so far, he’s refused to drop out of the governor’s race or resign from his current job.

We think he should do both.

Now, our neighbors to the south might point out that we’ve had some high-ranking state officials that brought embarrassment on themselves and the Commonwealth in recent years. They might also suggest that these politicians pioneered the “ride it out” approach that some politicians adopt when faced with public discovery of past behavior. We understand the argument, North Carolina.

But this brother needs to go. He has no place in elected office. The comments and beliefs that have been attributed to him are antithetical to the ideas of democracy, equal rights and human dignity. If he won’t do the right thing, perhaps the voters of the Tar Heel state will do it for him.