This is the new normal for members of Congress. One year after the horrific congressional baseball shooting that almost took the life of Rep. Steve Scalise and former Hill staffer Matt Mika, members are keenly aware that serving in public office has put a target on their backs.
“The true reality is if somebody wanted to do me harm, they could probably do that with relative ease and that is sad,” said Rep. Chuck Fleishmann (R-Tenn.), a New York City native.
The threats against them have skyrocketed.
In 2016, there were 902 threatening incidents and communications against members of Congress. By 2017, the reports had more than doubled to about 2,000, according to the House Sergeant at Arms office.
... Jefferson's comment in an 1825 letter to William Short: "Some are whigs, liberals, democrats, call them what you please. Others are tories, serviles, aristocrats, &c. The latter fear the people, and wish to transfer all power to the higher classes of society; the former consider the people as the safest depository of power in the last resort; they cherish them therefore, and wish to leave in them all the powers to the exercise of which they are competent."5 To date, however, the most likely source of this quotation appears to be a series of debates on socialism published in 1914, in which John Basil Barnhill said, "Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty."
We shall see.
“It’s not that we don’t have enough scoundrels to curse; it’s that we don’t have enough good men to curse them.”–G.K. Chesterton-Illustrated London News, 3-14-1908
Republicans.Hate.You. See2020.
"Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams to Mass Militia 10-11-1798
Zero sympathy. Honor your oath, follow and obey the Constitution, and quit doing things that {inappropriate language} off the People. Not that complicated.
Learn how Project Appleseed is supporting freedom through Marksmanship and Heritage clinics.
Samuel Adams wrote:If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.
WY_Not wrote:Zero sympathy. Honor your oath, follow and obey the Constitution, and quit doing things that {inappropriate language} off the People. Not that complicated.
I agree with the principle behind this sentiment. Trouble is a substantial portion of we the people are {inappropriate language} heads who are {inappropriate language} off at the wrong things for all the wrong reasons.
I believe in American exceptianalism
Fear the government that fears your guns
NRA endowment life member
WY_Not wrote:Zero sympathy. Honor your oath, follow and obey the Constitution, and quit doing things that {inappropriate language} off the People. Not that complicated.
No quarrel with this at all. However, the proper remedy is not physical harm to the blackguards. It is to VOTE THEM OUT. There ought to be a way for state legislatures to remove representatives that act against the states and the people, too.
We should never have let senators be directly elected.
Sadly, the voters seem to want reps that act like an ATM rather than reps that protect our liberty.
RIFLEWOMAN, wife of a RIFLEMAN, mom of 9, NRA life member, OFCC Patron member!
Oh I agree absolutely. Didn't think I implied physical harm in any way. Vote them out. Quit voting for the lesser of two evils.
Mustang380gal wrote:No quarrel with this at all. However, the proper remedy is not physical harm to the blackguards. It is to VOTE THEM OUT. There ought to be a way for state legislatures to remove representatives that act against the states and the people, too.
Yep. It was set up the way it was originally for a reason. When both houses are elected directly then there is no reason to have two houses. One house to represent the People, one to represent the States.
Mustang380gal wrote:We should never have let senators be directly elected.
Yep. Hopefully the producers will shrug sooner rather than later.
Mustang380gal wrote:Sadly, the voters seem to want reps that act like an ATM rather than reps that protect our liberty.
Learn how Project Appleseed is supporting freedom through Marksmanship and Heritage clinics.
Samuel Adams wrote:If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.