Responses to inflammatory Facebook post on GOP ‘blood money’ show danger of extreme rhetoric
By Edmund Kozak; LifeZette:
In the aftermath of last week’s targeted shooting of Republican congressmen in Alexandria, Virginia, by a left-wing activist, many wondered if the shocking event would herald a new period of political civility and the rejection of sensationalist rhetoric. It hasn’t.
On Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) posted a video to her Facebook page in which she rails against the newly unveiled Senate Republican health care bill — using intensely inflammatory rhetoric.
“I’ve read the Republican ‘health care’ bill. This is blood money,” Warren wrote. “They’re paying for tax cuts with American lives.”
But only last Thursday, Warren told CNN’s Gail King that “I think that we all have to take responsibility for what we say.”
The reactions to the post from Warren’s followers suggested many were inspired to new levels of anti-GOP hatred by her rhetoric. Many even hinted at the use of violence against Republicans.
“These Republicans are just the worst human beings to walk this planet … They must be stopped by any method available,” posted one Warren fan under the video.
“You think the guns are a problem, they’re not nearly as lethal as a Republican pen, you think people have been randomly shooting, you better buckle up because they’re about to start shooting every damn chance they get,” read another comment.
“What can I (we) do to stop the evil agenda that the republicans have ‘secretly devised?'” wrote one woman. “Protesting hasn’t worked, calling our reps hasn’t worked. Most of all Americans want to overthrow the govt. Do you blame us? It”s [sic] absolutely disgusting what Trump, GOP and their henchmen are putting out there in the universe. Any suggestions to stop them? They steal elections too, so now what?” she posted.
“[T]hey pass this bill the people of American will not sit still and let them kill our children. they will pay dearly,” threatened another.
“You want this to end? Let the 18th century French be your model,” wrote yet another, referring to the French Revolution and its mass executions.
In addition to the outright threats, countless individuals expressed their fear of dying because of this plan or raged against “heartless” and “evil” Republicans.
Not all of those who follow Warren on Facebook were impressed with her rhetoric.
“Please stop being a propaganda fear-mongering deceitful Politician — it’s this kind of rhetoric that creates violence in our streets. You did not want to be part of the Solution — but Now you want to inspire violence.”
“This is the Dems version of turning down the hateful speech only a week after a Bernie Sanders backer decided to fix things by trying to kill some Republicans,” observed another. “What a farce this woman is!”
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