ILHANOMAR--Spotlight on Death Threats-- FROM GABBY GIFFORDS TO STEVE SCALISE

URGENT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE EXPECTED//JCL//CMDR/FIELD OPS


(The Scullery) In the wake of some bad grammar by a Congressional rookie, there has been enormous outpouring of hateful rhetoric from all sides of national politics, including but not limited to, inflammatory videos and Twitterspeak. America needs to be reminded that this will lead to the inevitable end, as it has always done, violence and bloodshed; no matter who might think it will not. No one person, not even the President, can predict what will be the outcome of this hate campaign, especially if he is directly involved in it. Instead of setting the example for the citizens to follow, he is creating the environment that will lead to what we saw happen to other members of Congress in the past. Here is a brief reminder from NBC News' Benjy Sarlin on the Capitol police in relation to particular incidents;

     "The shooting at a baseball practice of Republican Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and others is the latest incident to put Congressional security in the spotlight...'He (Scalise) probably saved everybody else's life because if you don't have a leadership person there, there would have been no security there,' Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who was at the baseball practice." (1)

Incidents of actual attacks, though isolated, may be just a result of law enforcement intercepting the assailants by vigilant social media and phone threat observations that are taken seriously;
     "The FBI arrested a man in May for leaving threatening voicemail messages for Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ). Individual lawmakers have also reported death threats to the Capitol Police, including Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who said he received violent racist messages after calling for President Trump’s impeachment."

 

Perhaps one of the most outrageous attacks was that on Gabby Giffords in 2011;

     "The most serious incident attack against a member and staffers occurred In 2011, when then-Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was shot at a constituent event in Arizona along with eighteen others, six fatally. Giffords, who survived, is now a prominent advocate for gun safety laws."
There is no excuse for inciting the people to take action against their representatives; those doing so need held accountable in the very same way that hate rhetoric was condemned on the floor of the House


SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
1.) Capitol Police, Benjy Sarlin, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/here-s-how-congress-protected-n772296
2.) Scalise Photo, https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/june/congressman-steve-scalise-others-shot-by-gunman-targeting-republicans
3.) Giffords Photo, James Palka, AP, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/politics/09giffords.html