Republicans Facing Violence, Death Threats From Left-Wing Activists
Republicans going home to talk to their constituents are facing violence and death threats, with some lawmakers upping security at town hall events — a consequence of a culture of violence being fostered by left-wing activists and their allies in the liberal media.
In the lead up to the passage of ObamaCare in 2010, conservatives were vocal at town halls and other forums in their opposition to the law. Yet, despite a great deal of speculation and fearmongering by the media, town hall events were almost entirely free of violence or threats of harm.
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As the Democrats seek to mirror that opposition against President Trump and the Republican health care bill, the same commitment to non-violence is not there. Using similar tactics to “Antifa” activists opposing conservative speakers on college campuses, some anti-Trump activists are disrupting events and even resorting to threats and acts of violence.
A man was arrested last week for threatening Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) in voicemail messages, telling her that her days “were numbered” because of her support for the president. The Arizona Republic reported that her district is one of the most evenly divided in the nation, but the threats are especially disturbing as she represents the district represented by former Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011.
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McSally faced one of the more extreme crowds at a town hall in February where she was heckled as activists carried signs saying, “Stop Trump’s crusade of hate” and “No! This fascist regime must be stopped before it starts.”
Some threats, allegedly from Steven Martan who was arrested by the FBI, say: “Martha our sights are set on you, right between your (expletive) eyes” and “Can’t wait to (expletive) pull the trigger (expletive),” according to the Republic.
This month, a woman was arrested after she allegedly attempted to drive Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) off the road over his support of the Republican health care bill after an event. When the car stopped, she is alleged to have attacked the car, hitting the windows and reaching inside the car. She was arrested after she bragged about it on Facebook.
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While tempting to dismiss as one-off incidents, the threats and attacks come amid a backdrop of a culture of violence among the left. Riots, once a rare occurrence in America, now seem commonplace from leftist thugs in the era of Trump. Hundreds of people were arrested for rioting on Trump’s Inauguration Day alone, and college campuses have seen threats and violence should they dare to invite a conservative speaker onto campus.
This has even been promoted to an extent by some liberal media outlets. In addition to the general hysteria and misinformation being pushed by some outlets (such as the false claim spread by a number of outlets that the health care reform bill would “make sexual assault a pre-existing condition”), there have been outright calls for harassment.
Two days before the attack on Kustoff, a May 10 opinion piece by Michelangelo Signorile for HuffPost told readers, “It’s time to move beyond polite protests within specified boundaries. It’s time to escalate the expression of our outrage and our anger in a massive way.”
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Starting today and from here on, no elected official ― certainly those in the GOP defending and supporting Trump on a variety of issues, for example ― should be able to sit down for a nice, quiet lunch or dinner in a Washington, DC eatery or even in their own homes. They should be hounded by protestors everywhere, especially in public ― in restaurants, in shopping centers, in their districts, and yes, on the public property outside their homes and apartments, in Washington and back in their home states.
A day later, a man at a town hall meeting put his hands on Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and tried to stuff money into his blazer to protest his support of the health care bill. The protester, Mike Quinn, was then written about sympathetically by The Washington Post, which made much of his subsequent apology to Cramer — but included this frightening quote from Quinn: “I was out of my mind with anger for a few moments there.”
Understandably, it now seems Republican lawmakers are taking precautions. The Hill reports that, after a catalog of violence and threats, many GOP lawmakers are fearing for their safety at town halls, and some are upping security in response.
Rep. Tom Garrett (R-VA) increased security at a town hall event after he received a number of death threats online — threats deemed “credible and real” by authorities.
“Dissent is American. Praise God. We need that. That’s what made us who we are. But when it’s ‘I’m going to kill you this way. Then I’m going to kill your wife. This is what I’m going to do to your daughters,’ … I’m not going to not share it,” Garrett told The Roanoke Times.
In its report documenting the threats, The Hill noted that often it isn’t the lawmakers themselves that get the threats, but members of their families. It was the young daughter, for instance, of Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) who found a sign on the family lawn: “Traitors put party above country Do the right thing for once, shithead.” http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/21/republicans-face-violence-death-threats-left-wing-activists/
In the lead up to the passage of ObamaCare in 2010, conservatives were vocal at town halls and other forums in their opposition to the law. Yet, despite a great deal of speculation and fearmongering by the media, town hall events were almost entirely free of violence or threats of harm.
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As the Democrats seek to mirror that opposition against President Trump and the Republican health care bill, the same commitment to non-violence is not there. Using similar tactics to “Antifa” activists opposing conservative speakers on college campuses, some anti-Trump activists are disrupting events and even resorting to threats and acts of violence.
A man was arrested last week for threatening Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) in voicemail messages, telling her that her days “were numbered” because of her support for the president. The Arizona Republic reported that her district is one of the most evenly divided in the nation, but the threats are especially disturbing as she represents the district represented by former Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011.
advertisement
McSally faced one of the more extreme crowds at a town hall in February where she was heckled as activists carried signs saying, “Stop Trump’s crusade of hate” and “No! This fascist regime must be stopped before it starts.”
Some threats, allegedly from Steven Martan who was arrested by the FBI, say: “Martha our sights are set on you, right between your (expletive) eyes” and “Can’t wait to (expletive) pull the trigger (expletive),” according to the Republic.
This month, a woman was arrested after she allegedly attempted to drive Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) off the road over his support of the Republican health care bill after an event. When the car stopped, she is alleged to have attacked the car, hitting the windows and reaching inside the car. She was arrested after she bragged about it on Facebook.
advertisement
While tempting to dismiss as one-off incidents, the threats and attacks come amid a backdrop of a culture of violence among the left. Riots, once a rare occurrence in America, now seem commonplace from leftist thugs in the era of Trump. Hundreds of people were arrested for rioting on Trump’s Inauguration Day alone, and college campuses have seen threats and violence should they dare to invite a conservative speaker onto campus.
This has even been promoted to an extent by some liberal media outlets. In addition to the general hysteria and misinformation being pushed by some outlets (such as the false claim spread by a number of outlets that the health care reform bill would “make sexual assault a pre-existing condition”), there have been outright calls for harassment.
Two days before the attack on Kustoff, a May 10 opinion piece by Michelangelo Signorile for HuffPost told readers, “It’s time to move beyond polite protests within specified boundaries. It’s time to escalate the expression of our outrage and our anger in a massive way.”
advertisement
Starting today and from here on, no elected official ― certainly those in the GOP defending and supporting Trump on a variety of issues, for example ― should be able to sit down for a nice, quiet lunch or dinner in a Washington, DC eatery or even in their own homes. They should be hounded by protestors everywhere, especially in public ― in restaurants, in shopping centers, in their districts, and yes, on the public property outside their homes and apartments, in Washington and back in their home states.
A day later, a man at a town hall meeting put his hands on Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and tried to stuff money into his blazer to protest his support of the health care bill. The protester, Mike Quinn, was then written about sympathetically by The Washington Post, which made much of his subsequent apology to Cramer — but included this frightening quote from Quinn: “I was out of my mind with anger for a few moments there.”
Understandably, it now seems Republican lawmakers are taking precautions. The Hill reports that, after a catalog of violence and threats, many GOP lawmakers are fearing for their safety at town halls, and some are upping security in response.
Rep. Tom Garrett (R-VA) increased security at a town hall event after he received a number of death threats online — threats deemed “credible and real” by authorities.
“Dissent is American. Praise God. We need that. That’s what made us who we are. But when it’s ‘I’m going to kill you this way. Then I’m going to kill your wife. This is what I’m going to do to your daughters,’ … I’m not going to not share it,” Garrett told The Roanoke Times.
In its report documenting the threats, The Hill noted that often it isn’t the lawmakers themselves that get the threats, but members of their families. It was the young daughter, for instance, of Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) who found a sign on the family lawn: “Traitors put party above country Do the right thing for once, shithead.” http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/21/republicans-face-violence-death-threats-left-wing-activists/
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And most of these people who are at these meetings and are creating these problems don't even live anywhere near the district where the meeting is being held. They live in Resistance, a city formulated by the Liberal Fascists that doesn't have single location you can find on a map.
I'm always surprised when our Liberal brethren here on Newstalkers continually fail to address the impositions on people's right of free speech, and the failure to allow opposing viewpoints to be heard. Not wanting to hear something is a lot different than not allowing others to hear those opposing viewpoints. In a thinking population, different ideas are introduced and people are allowed to formulate their own opinion. This used to be the American Way. Too bad there are so many people that want to refuse to allow you to hear more than their own viewpoint.
Anyone who breaks the law should suffer the consequences. And I don't think anyone's right to speak should be shut down, especially with violence.
Having said that I think this is the most overblown theme of the year. Conservatives speak on campuses every day of the year and, no one in this country is prevented from getting their message out. To listen to the right you would think this is the absolutely greatest issue facing the nation, which is laughable.
It's sad that you think that our free speech rights and physical safety is such an insignificant issue.
It's also amusing when you think of how upset he got over insults to president obama.
What is interesting is that the right wing is unable or unwilling to address their own violence.
Seems as though the right wingers are violent just to chicken shit to admit it. Attacking liberal students with a machete..
And then where was the Washington state couple that peppered sprayed then shot a student for being liberal..
C'mon Kav, be realistic. you have what, 3 instances that you keep bringing back up, after you've seen the continued acts violence from the left. That's intellectually dishonest. I expect it from the guy that says there's no violence problems in Chicago, but you?
what continued acts of violence from the left?
Spike, I actually thought for awhile that you were the moderate you claimed to be. Seems that isn't true.
The incident with the black congressman is brand new...And while your reading that here is another for you to ponder on before opening mouth and inserting foot.
FBI investigating whether university stabbing was hate crime
3 / 27
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The FBI is investigating whether the stabbing of a visiting black student by a white student at the University of Maryland was a hate crime, officials said Sunday.
Sean Christopher Urbanski has been charged with first- and second-degree murder as well as first-degree assault in the early Saturday morning attack that killed Richard Collins III, police said.
University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said he asked the FBI to assist in the investigation after learning that Urbanski, 22, belonged to a Facebook group called "Alt-Reich: Nation," where members post disparaging material about African Americans and others.
"We are here to evaluate that as an ongoing concern with respect to whether or not this was a hate crime," Gordon Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Baltimore, told reporters at a news conference.
No attorney was listed for Urbanski on online court records and a message left at a number listed for his home in Severna Park was not immediately returned Sunday.
Collins, 23, who was set to graduate from Bowie State on Tuesday, was visiting friends at the College Park campus when he was stabbed. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army days earlier, Mitchell said.
Officials say Collins was with two friends near a bus stop on campus around 3 a.m. when they heard Urbanski screaming and watched him approach them.
Urbanski said "Step left, step left if you know what's best for you," according to the charging documents. Collins said "no" before Urbanski stabbed him once in the chest, the documents say.
Mitchell, the police chief, said the attack has spread fear across the university.
"If I'm a person of color I would certainly look at this as something that could happen to me. In fact, I know on Facebook our students are saying that," Mitchell said.
Dr. Artie Lee Travis, vice president for student affairs at Bowie State, said the school hopes the investigation moves forward as quickly as possible.
"Hate has no place in America," Travis said. "Hate has no place on a college campus, where young minds are coming together to try to change the world," he said.
Brian Douglas, who recently became close to Collins when they took a class together, said the man was looking forward to graduation.
"He was just nice, just a good, young man all around. You can't find those too often in today's society," Douglas said.
Ciera Sorrell, who also took a class with Collins, said his killing shocked the Bowie State community.
"Everyone is in disbelief," she said. "He seemed so excited to get to live his life and he doesn't have that chance anymore," she said.
The attack came as the University of Maryland hosted visitors for graduation festivities.
During Sunday's graduation ceremony, School President Wallace Loh led students and their families in a moment of silence for the slain Bowie State student. Loh called it a "senseless and unprovoked assault," The Baltimore Sun reported.
"We are still in shock that a young man, so full of promise, should have his life cut short, so suddenly," Loh said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and with the entire Bowie State University community
Spike, I actually thought for awhile that you were the moderate you claimed to be. Seems that isn't true.
Kavika, it doesnt take long to burst that bubble.
I haven't seen any "moderate" comments from him, to tell you the truth.
As if either of you are in any position to declare or arbitrate what moderate is. Neither of you qualify as one.
Well you certainly don't qualify as a moderate XX, your more of a extreme right winger that makes excuses for the right wing violence.
I never make excuses for violence over political or religious differences. That's one thing that makes me different than a progressive.
Your comment re the conservative guy in KY that attacked two liberal students was that he was overly excited...LOL...overly excited would be yelling at someone, attacking and or threatening people with a machete is a hell of a lot more than being overly excited.
Nice try but a complete fail on your part XX.
I don't know where you all live that such hateful violence is such an every day occurrence, but we're not seeing any of this here in Louisville. I'm not saying that it doesn't go on somewhere-- after all, there are kooks everywhere-- But our headlines have nothing to do with stuff like this. WLKY News
I think such violence would astonish about 95% of Kentucky's residents. Way to pour more gasoline on the fire, XX.
Because my reporting of the situation according to so called moderates is worse than the acts themselves which it seems we conservatives must endure in silence to keep moderates happy lest we make the progressives angry by reporting on their behavior.
I'm not trying to poke you with a stick, XX, but I have never heard of such things, nor is it in the main stream news here in Louisville. Nor have I ever known you to endure anything in silence. I'm just hoping that the planet you live on is in an orbit far from mine.... And hopefully, never the twain shall meet...
As you completely avoid the subject of right wing violence and murder XX...Hypocrite much.
they are the intellectual descendants of jacobinsa and Stalin, of course they think violence Is acceptable in politics.
It's never far below the surface.