Common Cause: Denounce the Threats, Violence

Urge Congressional Leaders to DenounceThreats and Acts ofViolence (Image by Unknown Owner)   Details   DMCA - Advertisement - Send a message!

Common Cause today called on the leadership of the House Democrats and House Republicans to hold an immediate,joint bi-partisan press conference to denounce the incendiary language, threats of violence and actual violence against those who voted in support of health care reform.

In addition, we are calling on Sarah Palin to cease her violent rhetoric "Don't retreat, instead reload" and remove the gun imagery around a list of 20 members of Congresswho supported health care reform and whose congressional districts appear to be caught in a rifle's crosshair in an offensive and inappropriate visual on her political action committee website.

Please stand with us. Send a message tellingthe Congressional leadership to jointly denounce incendiary talk and violence.

Violence and threats of violence have been reported throughout the nation this week in the wake of the passage of the historic health care reform bill. Among a few of them, Rep. Bart Stupak has received death threats on an answering machine, at least four Democratic congressional offices outside of Washington have been vandalized, including the upstate New York office of Rep. Louise Slaughter. The brother of Rep. Tom Periello of Virginia had a gas line slashed at his home.

Democratic and Republican leaders are reportedly conflicted on how to deal with it. But their silence signals consent to those who may consider such action, as Rep. James Clyburn said Wednesday on the House floor.

Common Cause believes our political system is based on a belief in ballots, not bullets, in votes, not violence. To advocate violence -- even jokingly or metaphorically -- against your political opponents expresses contempt not just for them but for our democracy.

Please lend your support to this effort at http://www.commoncause.org/DenounceViolence.

Peace,

Bob Edgar
President, Common Cause