Scalise shooting: Democrats, drop the violent rhetoric, stop trying to delegitimize Trump and be real leaders
On Wednesday morning Jennifer Scalise received the call political spouses like me perpetually fear.
Related Image
Scalise shooting map
Her husband, the father of their two beautiful children, was shot in what appears to be a premeditated, politically motivated attack against Republicans.
The families of two police officers, a Republican congressional staffer and a former staffer also received that dreaded call.
Most ironically, this attack happened during baseball practice for a bipartisan, charity game scheduled for Thursday.
There were twenty-one members of Congress at this practice, as well as some of their family members (including children) and staffers. But for the fact that Rep. Scalise is the House Majority Whip with a private security detail, this could have been a massacre.
As a fellow congressional spouse, I have been worried sick that something like this could happen and I have publicly stated on many occasions my concern for the uniquely heated political rhetoric coming from the Left.
The civility and decorum of political debate has devolved since the election of Donald Trump at a breathtaking clip.
I know Republicans who are afraid to say they are Republicans and support Donald Trump. Over disagreements about the proper role of government, Republicans are regularly called racists, homophobes, Islamaphobes and sexists.
Today, Democrats regularly impugn the motivations, decency, and even the humanity of their political opponents.
Just a week and a half ago, Kathy Griffin reenacted a beheading of our president.
This week in a Shakespeare play in New York, liberals publicly reenacted yet another assassination of President Trump.
Members of Congress have been screamed at, insulted, and run off the road by angry Democrats.
The so-called peaceful “women’s” rally in Washington included musings of blowing up the White House by star guest speaker, Madonna.
Trump headquarters in North Carolina was firebombed during the primary, and let’s not forget that Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine’s own son was arrested for violence at a Trump rally.
As a congressional spouse, I am calling on Democratic party leaders – Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and especially Tim Kaine - to spare us the generic statements about “their thoughts and prayers” or the bravery of the Capitol police, who indeed are the true heroes of this story.
Instead, I ask them to lower their own rhetoric and show true leadership by reminding their supporters and #resist activists that their Republican colleagues, including the president, are mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers of goodwill.
They are public servants and patriots who, like them, want what is best for our county.
The dehumanization of political opponents needs to end now.
We've been hearing a lot these days about threats to our democracy, but there is no threat to our democracy more troubling than this current domestic political trend of intolerance.
Speaker Paul Ryan and former Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, gave beautiful bipartisan floor speeches on Wednesday afternoon, as they should. But let's not move too quickly to the places that make us feel good and safe. Because without action, those words will be as trite as teddy bears at the site of terrorist attacks.
As a political spouse, I believe nothing will change in our political discourse until we speak frankly and honestly about these matters, and right now the intolerance, violence and violent language and images are concentrated and funded primarily by the Left.
When was the last time a university needed security for liberal speakers on campus? When was the last time we saw burning and looting at a conservative protest rally?
In the hours and days ahead, Democrats and their leaders must show a level of introspection that, frankly, has been noticeably lacking in the wake of their November defeat.
A good first step for Democrats in Congress would be to set the tone and stop trying to delegitimize our duly-elected president and viciously insulting his family and supporters.
Democratic leaders ought to be the first to admonish their supporters and friends in Hollywood who use violence and violent images to push their resistance movement. And whether it's on campus or the House and Senate floor, it's time for them to show the tolerance they preach.
Democrats are currently in the minority, but Wednesday’s tragic shooting spree is their opportunity to show they know how to lead. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/14/scalise-shooting-democrats-drop-violent-rhetoric-stop-trying-to-delegitimize-trump-and-be-real-leaders.html
Related Image
Scalise shooting map
Her husband, the father of their two beautiful children, was shot in what appears to be a premeditated, politically motivated attack against Republicans.
The families of two police officers, a Republican congressional staffer and a former staffer also received that dreaded call.
Most ironically, this attack happened during baseball practice for a bipartisan, charity game scheduled for Thursday.
There were twenty-one members of Congress at this practice, as well as some of their family members (including children) and staffers. But for the fact that Rep. Scalise is the House Majority Whip with a private security detail, this could have been a massacre.
As a fellow congressional spouse, I have been worried sick that something like this could happen and I have publicly stated on many occasions my concern for the uniquely heated political rhetoric coming from the Left.
The civility and decorum of political debate has devolved since the election of Donald Trump at a breathtaking clip.
I know Republicans who are afraid to say they are Republicans and support Donald Trump. Over disagreements about the proper role of government, Republicans are regularly called racists, homophobes, Islamaphobes and sexists.
Today, Democrats regularly impugn the motivations, decency, and even the humanity of their political opponents.
Just a week and a half ago, Kathy Griffin reenacted a beheading of our president.
This week in a Shakespeare play in New York, liberals publicly reenacted yet another assassination of President Trump.
Members of Congress have been screamed at, insulted, and run off the road by angry Democrats.
The so-called peaceful “women’s” rally in Washington included musings of blowing up the White House by star guest speaker, Madonna.
Trump headquarters in North Carolina was firebombed during the primary, and let’s not forget that Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine’s own son was arrested for violence at a Trump rally.
As a congressional spouse, I am calling on Democratic party leaders – Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and especially Tim Kaine - to spare us the generic statements about “their thoughts and prayers” or the bravery of the Capitol police, who indeed are the true heroes of this story.
Instead, I ask them to lower their own rhetoric and show true leadership by reminding their supporters and #resist activists that their Republican colleagues, including the president, are mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers of goodwill.
They are public servants and patriots who, like them, want what is best for our county.
The dehumanization of political opponents needs to end now.
We've been hearing a lot these days about threats to our democracy, but there is no threat to our democracy more troubling than this current domestic political trend of intolerance.
Speaker Paul Ryan and former Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, gave beautiful bipartisan floor speeches on Wednesday afternoon, as they should. But let's not move too quickly to the places that make us feel good and safe. Because without action, those words will be as trite as teddy bears at the site of terrorist attacks.
As a political spouse, I believe nothing will change in our political discourse until we speak frankly and honestly about these matters, and right now the intolerance, violence and violent language and images are concentrated and funded primarily by the Left.
When was the last time a university needed security for liberal speakers on campus? When was the last time we saw burning and looting at a conservative protest rally?
In the hours and days ahead, Democrats and their leaders must show a level of introspection that, frankly, has been noticeably lacking in the wake of their November defeat.
A good first step for Democrats in Congress would be to set the tone and stop trying to delegitimize our duly-elected president and viciously insulting his family and supporters.
Democratic leaders ought to be the first to admonish their supporters and friends in Hollywood who use violence and violent images to push their resistance movement. And whether it's on campus or the House and Senate floor, it's time for them to show the tolerance they preach.
Democrats are currently in the minority, but Wednesday’s tragic shooting spree is their opportunity to show they know how to lead. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/14/scalise-shooting-democrats-drop-violent-rhetoric-stop-trying-to-delegitimize-trump-and-be-real-leaders.html
Tags
Who is online
79 visitors
A great heart felt piece from a vongressional spouse regarding the danger coming from so much heated political rhetoric. We must tone it down several notches for the good of the country.
It came out of the special counsels office today that Trump himself is under investigation for obstruction of justice, and Kushner is under investigation for financial wrongdoing. It's a little late to start pleading for the kind of unity Trump needs. He is the most dishonest federal official in history and if they get the goods on him he will justifiably go down.
I think you posted this to the wrong seed.
Trumps speech about this event was well done and showed him to be a normal American President. His and Melania's visit of Scalise was something caring and compassionate good people do.
And yes John, we will continue the push to as you say normalize our President come what may.
They are still investigating the "Russian connection" too. If he is anywhere near as slippery as Hillary he will never get caught. The real irony here is that liberals are crying wolf just like they cried racist and when real evidence emerges they will wonder why no one believes them....again.
He is the most dishonest federal official in history
LOL!!!! Hillary is 10 times worse!
Hello Bruce, I see your opinions have ossified in your absence.
Trump will be impeached, dismissed or will resign.
No he won't and those trying to knowing there is no chance of it happening need to stop dividing America and to tone down their now lethal rhetoric.
Practice what you preach, XX.
Ten dollars for the American Cancer Society says he will be impeached, dismissed, will resign and or be found guilty of money laundering or similar crimes.
Another ten dollars says Pence goes too!
Stay on the topic of this seed. Your posts about Trump are a total derail of what the congressional spouse wrote about.
They are too invested in their hopes that this nation fails.
Of course the title refers to elected democrats and leadership which is a total oxymoron.
I wish he would resign today. Every day he is in office is a day of embarrassment for the American nation. And potentially dangerous on the world stage , and damaging to badly needed American social programs.
Yeah the hard right Pence would take office, but he is such a known Trump bootlicker that I think his effectiveness would be badly compromised. Certainly the GOP majorities would be in deathly peril in '18.
Conservative 'news' outlets didn't like Comey's testimony—so they created a fake version instead
Conservative 'news' outlets didn't like Comey's testimony—so they created a fake version instead
You have it entirely wrong Amac. We loved Comey's testimony. He said that Trump was not under investigation. He said Loretta Lynch told him to stop calling the "criminal investigation" and investigation and instead a "matter", which proved Lynch should be charged with obstruction. He let us know members of Congress already knew Trump was not under investigation and quite a bit of the MSM was fake news.
He let us know he was actually working with the Democrats by the simple fact what he acted like bothered him about Trump telling him he hoped Comey would back off on Flynn who had already been fired, but didn't have any problem with Loretta Lynch at the time when she told him to call the investigation a matter.
He told us he was a leaker and some of the leaks came out of closed committee meeting he was in which could lead one to believe he was the one who leaked information from those CLOSED meeting he was involved in.
No, we liked Comey's testimony.
15 Times Celebrities Envisioned Violence Against Trump and the GOP
by Daniel Nussbaum & Jerome Hudson 14 Jun 2017 3207
Hollywood has issued dire predictions and hysterical warnings about Donald Trump ever since the Republican businessman first announced his candidacy for the presidency in June 2015.
But the level of vitriol and violent rhetoric against now-President Trump has increased substantially in recent weeks, from comedian Kathy Griffin’s now-famous shock “beheading” photograph to Shakespeare in the Park’s not-at-all-subtle “assassination” of Trump on a stage in New York City’s Central Park.
Unfortunately, Griffin and the director of Julius Caesar are not anomalies in Hollywood; actors, writers, directors, and other celebrities have fantasized about using violence against Trump, his supporters, and other GOP lawmakers for at least the past 18 months.
Below are 15 examples of celebrities who have used pointed, violent rhetoric to attack the president and other Republicans.
1. Kathy Griffin ‘Beheads’ Trump in Graphic Photo
TMZ/Tyler Shields
The 56-year-old My Life on the D-List star sparked a firestorm (and a U.S. Secret Service investigation) when she was photographed holding the fake, bloodied, decapitated head of the president in an image that critics said was reminiscent of Islamic State propaganda.
Griffin was fired from her job on CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcasts and saw the cancellation of at least five of her scheduled performances, but remained defiant in an emotional press conference , blaming the backlash on sexism and vowing to continue to “make fun” of the president.
2. Madonna – “I’ve thought a lot about blowing up the White House.”
AP
The pop singer became heated during the anti-Trump Women’s March on Washington in January, where she addressed an audience of thousands.
“Yes, I’m angry. Yes, I’m outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House, but I know that this won’t change anything,” she told the crowd to roaring applause.
“Are you ready to shake up the world?” Madonna asked. “Welcome to the revolution of love, to the rebellion, to our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny, where not just women are in danger but all regionalized people. Where being uniquely different, right now, might truly be considered a crime.”
The singer later said her remarks were taken out of context.
3. Snoop Dogg “Shoots” Trump in the Head in Music Video
Screenshot
The California rapper pointed a gun at the president (dressed to look like a circus clown) and pulled the trigger in a music video for his song “Lavender” earlier this year — though the gun is shown to be a prop gun, with a “Bang!” flag popping out of the barrel.
Still, the imagery was unmistakable.
“I feel like it’s a lot of people making cool records, having fun, partying, but nobody’s dealing with the real issue with this f*cking clown as president, and the sh*t that we dealing with out here, so I wanted to take time out to push pause on a party record and make one of these records for the time being,” the rapper told Billboard .
4. Robert De Niro: “I’d Like to Punch Him in the Face”
Reuters
The Oscar-winning actor participated in a voter registration PSA during the 2016 presidential race, but was filmed going off on Trump in a monologue during an outtake .
“He’s a punk, he’s a dog, he’s a pig, he’s a con, he’s a bullsh*t artist, a mutt who doesn’t know what he’s talking about, doesn’t do his homework, doesn’t care, thinks he’s gaming society, doesn’t pay his taxes,” the 73-year-old Godfather star said in the clip.
“He’s an embarrassment to this country,” he added. “He talks [about] how he wants to punch people in the face… I’d like to punch him in the face.”
5. Joss Whedon: “I Want a Rhino to F*ck Paul Ryan to Death”
Brian Ach/Getty Images for MTV
The 52-year-old Avengers director — who released a star-studded PSA in support of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 race — took to Twitter in January to wish an untimely and unfortunate end to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).
“Violence solves nothing. I want a rhino to f*ck @SpeakerRyan to death with its horn because it’s FUNNY, not because he’s a #GOPmurderbro,” Whedon tweeted .
Shortly after the November 8 election, the director tweeted that Trump “CANNOT be allowed a term in office.”
6. Shakespeare in the Park Stabs ‘Trump’ to Death in Performance of ‘Julius Caesar’
Inside Edition
New York City’s Public Theater staged a production of Julius Caesar during its 2017 summer program, but with a twist on the classic play — Caesar looked just like Donald Trump , with a business suit and tie and a familiar blond hair-do. As happens in the play, the Trump-like Caesar is eventually brutally stabbed to death by his associates in the Senate.
The character’s similarity to Trump sparked outrage, and sponsors Bank of America and Delta Air Lines pulled their funding from the theater. The theater stood by the production.
7. David Simon: “Pick Up a G*ddamn Brick” if Trump Fires Robert Mueller
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
The creator of the HBO crime drama The Wire reacted to rumors that the president had considered firing the special counsel appointed to oversee the Russia investigation, Robert Mueller, by suggesting that Americans “pick up a goddamn brick” if the president followed through.
“If Donald Trump fires Robert Mueller and is allowed to do so, pick up a goddamn brick. That’s all that’s left to you,” Simon tweeted June 12 .
The writer-producer later denied his tweet was an incitement to violence.
8. Mickey Rourke Threatens to Beat Trump with Baseball Bat: “He Can Suck My F*cking D*ck”
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images
The Wrestler actor went on a profanity-filled tirade against Trump in April 2016, when he had not yet won the Republican nomination for president.
“Donald Trump can go f*ck himself,” Rourke told TMZ . “His wife said, ‘Oh, he’s a tough guy.’ He’s not a tough guy, he’s a bully and a b*tch and he can suck my f*cking d*ck. I’ll meet him in a hotel room any motherf*cking day of the week and give him a Louisville slugger. Kiss my motherf*cking ass you b*tch punk c***sucker.”
9. Actress Lea DeLaria Threatens to ‘Take Out’ Republicans and Independents with Baseball Bat after Trump Win
Associated Press
Just a couple days after the November election, the Orange is the New Black star responded to a meme about dealing with violence through music by adding her own suggestion .
“[O]r pick up a baseball bat and take out every f*cking republican and independent I see,” DeLaria wrote, adding the hashtags “#f*cktrump,” “#f*cktheGOP,” #f*ckstraightwhiteamerica” and “#f*ckyourprivilege.”
Some of the cast of the hit Netflix show had previously appeared in a campaign ad for Hillary Clinton.
10. Rapper YG Threatens Trump with “F*ck Donald Trump” Song
Screenshot
Rappers YG and Nipsy Hussle released a song during the 2016 presidential campaign called “F*ck Donald Trump,” with lyrics that contained several threats toward the then-candidate.
“I like white folks, but I don’t like you/All the n*ggas in the hood wanna fight you/Surprised El Chapo ain’t tried to snipe you/Surprised the Nation of Islam ain’t tried to find you/Have a rally out in L.A., we gon’ f*ck it up,” YG raps in the song.
“You vote Trump then you’re prolly on dope/And if your ass do win, you gon’ prolly get smoked,” adds Hussle.
YG later complained that his record label had been contacted by the Secret Service.
11. Marilyn Manson Kills ‘Trump’ in Music Video
Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images
In a music video for his song “Say10″ released right around Election Day, the shock rocker stands over the lifeless body of a man resembling Donald Trump while ripping pages out of a Bible.
In a flash, a man wearing a suit and a red tie — a not-so-subtle allusion to Trump — is seen decapitated on the ground in a pool of blood.
“It’s about the desperate acts of people who believe something that is preached by an unbeliever,” Manson told the Daily Beast of the explicit visuals in the video.
12. Rapper Everlast Warns Trump: “I Will Punch You in Your F*cking Face”
Facebook
The rapper and former House of Pain frontman went off on Trump in an interview with Billboard in April 2016.
“F*ck that dude. I’ll smack that f*cker’s comb-over right off his f*cking scalp,” he said. “Like, for real, if I met Donald Trump, I’d punch him in his f*cking face. And that’s not a joke. Even if he did become president — watch out, Donald Trump, because I will punch you in your f*cking face if I ever meet you. Secret Service had better just f*cking be on it. Don’t let me anywhere within a block. This is horrible.”
13. Larry Wilmore Jokes About Suffocating Trump with ‘Pillow They Used to Kill Scalia’
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Former late-night host and Daily Show contributor Larry Wilmore joked about suffocating Trump during a segment on his Comedy Central show The Nightly Show .
“Anyway, since we’re talking about bigotry, we have to mention Donald Trump,” Wilmore said. “Sorry everyone, I don’t wont to give him any more oxygen. That’s not a euphemism by the way; I mean it literally. Somebody get me the pillow they used to kill Scalia, and I’ll do it. I’ll do it!”
Wilmore then proceeded to demonstrate what suffocating Trump to death might look like, before adding: “I could get in trouble for that, actually!”
14. Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Puts Stephen Miller’s Head on a Spike
CBS
In February, Colbert’s Late Show on CBS featured a segment that depicted Trump aide Stephen Miller being attacked in different scenes from cable TV shows.
The segment included Miller being beaten by The Walking Dead ‘s Negan and his spiked bat, and ended with the Trump aide’s head superimposed onto a spike in a parody of HBO’s Game of Thrones .
Colbert has upped his anti-Trump rhetoric since January, and it has done wonders for his ratings . The late-night host came under fire in May when he said during his show that Trump’s mouth is only good for being Vladimir Putin’s “c*ck holster.”
15. Sarah Silverman Suggests Military Could Help Overthrow Trump
Netflix
In a tweet in February, the comedian and vocal leftist activist suggested the U.S. military could join the anti-Trump “resistance” and help overthrow the president.
“WAKE UP & JOIN THE RESISTANCE. ONCE THE MILITARY IS W US FASCISTS GET OVERTHROWN. MAD KING & HIS HANDLERS GO BYE BYE,” Silverman tweeted.
Silverman, who was one of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ earliest celebrity supporters, previously compared Trump’s victory to the Great Depression.
LinkThanks for showing the progressive behaviors that are so outrageous and need to stop as the author suggests
Wrong-is-wrong no matter which side it comes from.
And correct is also correct, so, if you cannot viably rebut a particular claim, either pass it by or have the integrity to state your agreement.
Snowflakes are fantastic! Look at them closely and you will see that almost magically none of them are exactly alike. If you get enough of them they cover rolling hills in the country and the ground and trees in snow covered paths in the woods. If you take a walk down such a path on a sunny winter day you will see the incredible light show as the sun reflects on the different shapes of the piles and drifts. Then in the spring the snowflakes all melt and flow into brooks and rivers, providing life for fish and frogs and minnows and other wild life. They also flow down to farmland to grow crops for food for all of us. Without snowflakes we would all die and so would so many other animals and so much other vegetation. So when someone calls me a snowflake I am not insulted. I am complimented. I am honored.