TEA PARTY leader in AZ receives Death Threats
By AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
Boston, Massachusetts
January 12, 2011 2:47pm CST
"Whether [political rhetoric] caused what happened in Tucson or not, it’ll cause the next tragedy," Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) told Fox News. It turn out he may be correct, but it's not the right wing rhetoric that will be to blame.
Trent Humphries, the leader of the largest Tea Party group in Arizona is receiving death threats at his home. These threats come from people who, thanks to Sheriff Dupnik and the mainstream media, believe that the Tea Party is to blame for Saturday's tragic shooting of Congressman Giffords and several others, as well as the 6 deaths at that Safeway.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/tucson-tea-party-leader-says-threats-are-keeping-him-away-from-obama-rally.php
"We had people say, 'too bad it wasn't your family that was killed,'" Humphries told me. Other angry calls have come in as well. "'The blood of that little girl on your hands,'" Humphries recalled one message saying.
But it was a new call that came in this week that Humphries said had him staying out of public view for a while.
"It was something like 'we hate you and we're going to stand against you and we're going to use our First and Second Amendment rights to stop you,'"
According to Humphries, he has reported these threats to the Sheriff's Department. He has been told to stay out of public places. Very useful advice, since it is clear that those threatening him know where he lives. Nice way to care, Dupnik.
There definitely has been violent and over-the-top rhetoric for the last few days. It has come from the left while they defy the truth and the evidence and continue to broadcast blame for the shooting on Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and nearly any conservative you can think of.
This violent rhetoric might very well result in a tragedy. But it will be a tragedy inspired by the duplicity of Dupnik and the misleading media.
Nice going guys.
2 people like this
5 responses
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
12 Jan 11
There's a LOT of talking about the talking. I listen to talk radio in the daytime while I work and this week I've had it turned down very low because they are all saying the same thing--excoriating the Left because the Left is excoriating the Right. Sure, Dupnik is a jackwagon with a big mouth that has no idea what he is talking about but talk radio just won't let it go. I'm a conservative and I'm already sick of the feuding.
You may be right about the next murder, although I hope not. We have to remember that people who are inspired by such rhetoric aren't playing with a full deck and it's easy to make them snap.
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
12 Jan 11
That's true, I've never heard of anyone snapping because of political rhetoric but it would be easy to blame it now that the massacre in Tucson happened and everyone is paving the way for more hatred and more restrictive laws. I understand why the right can't let it go, just because of that danger.
I think it's time to really buckle down and address mental illness rather than concentrate on rhetoric. We have the homeless mainly because the ACLU set all the mentally ill free, citing restrictions on their "rights". We have people like Loughner running around talking about orange skies and alternate realities because no one can say hey, that man needs help and we need to get him on meds before he hurts someone. There has to be a way to humanely treat the mentally ill without resorting to using psychiatry as punishment like China does and Germany did in WWII, locking people away for different views.
It's a complicated issue but something must be done before more people die.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
12 Jan 11
Who did not see this coming? It is said to say but I saw this coming. Especially after the way the press was all over blaming them as soon as it started. I hope this guy takes it seriously. You never know if one of thoses is for real. I would keep a VERY low profile for a while.
This just shows you how sad (and bad) a shape our political climate in this country on both sides.
Stop pointing fingers and threatening people...it is NOT helping to solve the problem.
2 people like this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
12 Jan 11
It's hard to say how seriously he should take the threats. Many people feel emboldened over the phone just as they do on the internet. They might never do or say the things in person that they will say or do through a medium.
The public has said overwhelmingly that they do not believe this crime was caused by the political rhetoric these media outlets keep blaming. In the light of the evidence, these media pundits need to walk back on their remarks, apologize to the public for believing that political speech could turn them all into killers and apologize for reporting from their prejudices instead of from the facts.
It has to stop, but I understand that for those being blamed for this massacre, it's hard not to defend yourself against the lies. I think the ones who started this should be the ones to stop it. I don't think that will happen. Maybe if the public expresses its distaste for this discourse, they will eventually give it up.
Maybe this is what politics and news are going to be like from now on.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
12 Jan 11
They must be coming from Palin's office. lol
2 people like this
