It’s no secret that conservatives far and wide deeply dislike progressive populist figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and this week, she revealed some of the scope of just how far those individuals go to express their hatred. On Twitter in response to being targeted by an editor behind a Memorial Day tribute played at a minor league baseball game, she discussed the deeply unsettling death threats she has received and continues to receive, especially after public attempts at shaming like that video. It included an image of the first-term Congresswoman alongside figures like North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
She explained:
‘What people don’t (maybe do) realize is when orgs air these hateful messages, my life changes bc of the flood of death threats they inspire. I‘ve had mornings where I wake up & the 1st thing I do w/ my coffee is review photos of the men (it’s always men) who want to kill me.’
Someone behind operations for the Fresno Grizzlies baseball team is far from the only one to launch a public attack on the Congresswoman’s credibility and beyond. Fox News is obsessed with her, repeatedly discussing her at a level equal or at times above that of Democrats running for president, which she explained has also corresponded to increases in death threats.
As she summarized:
‘All of this is to say that words matter, and can have consequences for safety. For those who believe in “free speech”: whose free speech do you believe in? Bc some folks using free speech to defend racism are also supporting folks passing laws to allow running over protesters.’
Previously, she has explained that her office forwards “all threats” to Capitol Police. For their part, the Fresno Grizzlies “unconditionally apologized” and explained that management apparently didn’t actually view the video in full before it played. They said that they “will ensure that nothing like it ever happens again,” although it already did happen once, and they can’t erase that.
Ocasio-Cortez is not the only Congresswoman to receive death threats at this apparent level. Similarly, Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar has been repeatedly targeted, including following President Donald Trump himself tweeting a deceptively edited video suggesting that she didn’t care about the horrors of the 9/11 terror attacks. At least two individuals have been arrested for threats including made towards Omar; one — Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Hasson — was also targeting Ocasio-Cortez.
Republicans still continue with their incessant dehumanizing attacks all the same.
Check out Twitter’s response below.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
