The Alliance for a Better Utah, a founding member of the Ballots Not Bullets Coalition, is uniting with organizations across the country to call on political and media elites to stop using violent rhetoric in the face of an increasing number of politically-motivated shootings in the US.
These shootings have resulted in mass casualties, immeasurable suffering, and a wave of unease.
As we lead up to tonight’s national GOP debate, Josh Kanter, Chair and Founder of Better Utah, seeks to remind local and national leaders of the real impact of their rhetoric.
“Our elected officials and the media have a responsibility to choose their words wisely,” stated Kanter. “When you have such a large megaphone, it is foolish to think that violent words will not incur violent actions.”
While there has been tremendous attention on the recent mass shooting that took the lives of 14 innocent victims in San Bernardino, California, the media has paid far less attention on other horrific and politically-motivated acts of violence in recent weeks:
- On November 25, three individuals lost their lives when a Planned Parenthood clinic was attacked in Colorado. After his arrest, the shooter told law enforcement, “no more baby parts,” a reference to a long-running propaganda campaign by conservative organizations, politicians and media outlets.
- On November 23, three white supremacists attacked a Black Lives Matter protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After yelling “race war” and “Trump 2016,” the men opened fire on BLM protesters, injuring five.
- During the week of November 8, FBI agents arrested four individuals for plotting to attack synagogues and black churches with firearms and explosives. Their hope was to incite a race war.
“We are fortunate that none of these incidents have yet occurred in Utah, but sadly, in the face of such violence, many high-profile political and media elites continue to promote violence and hate. This is a lethal combination,” continued Kanter. “And we hope tonight’s debate will be civil and respectful of all people who live in our Country.”
