Debbie Dingell's office vandalized, John's memorabilia damaged.

[nolabear]

If you read the thread it sounds as though people are being terrorized. Is this the plan now? To straight up terrorize people out of office?

Link to tweet

?s=21

[NJCher]

1. I think

It’s pretty common that dem offices are broken into and vandalized. It seems like I’m always reading about it.

Fortunately many have security cams which sometimes leads to an arrest.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Twitter followup:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[durablend]

11. That ain't gonna happen

"Regardless of if your views differ from mine or from your neighbor’s, we need to learn to hear each other out & work together to solve the issues facing our nation."


Yea, they're not interested in that...at all. But I'm sure you realize that already.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. We need to elect more Dingells and send the nut jobs home

But I'm sure that everyone here understand that already.

[msfiddlestix]

13. This 10,000 %

It worries me our fine congressional representatives do not understand this fact which has been evidenced long enough, and especially the last year (actually since 2015 certainly).

This feels passive to me, and that is deeply concerning. Yes she's rightfully calling out and condemning, but unfortunately the solution she encourages is woefully missing the mark.

and that in a nutshell is very problematic and ineffective.

[nolabear]

16. Thanks for posting the whole thread.

[Hekate]

3. I'm so very sorry, as the Dingles both are good souls & valuable public servants...

This, however, is exactly where Trumpism leads — the thugs are trying to frighten away good people from public office at all levels.

[padah513]

4. Time to upgrade that security system

Cameras won't necessarily deter an attack like this, but they'll make it a lot easier for the police to apprehend the perpetrators

[2naSalit]

5. Yes, that is the plan...

To terrorize decent people out of office.

[Boomerproud]

6. Haven't seen this on CNN yet.

Of course dear Lauren and MTG haven't open their pie holes for 1 day, so move along.

[BlackSkimmer]

14. Brianna Keilar interviewed Debbie Dingell this morning. nt

[Quakerfriend]

7. It needs to be a federal crime to even

threaten a member of Congress.

[Klaralven]

8. It is. But like other laws, it is not enforced.

Threatening government officials of the United States is a felony under federal law. Threatening the president of the United States is a felony under 18 U.S.C. § 871, punishable by up to 5 years of imprisonment, that is investigated by the United States Secret Service.[1] Threatening other officials is a Class D or C felony, usually carrying maximum penalties of 5 or 10 years under 18 U.S.C. § 875, 18 U.S.C. § 876 and other statutes, that is investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When national boundaries are transcended by such a threat, it is considered a terrorist threat.[2]

When a threat is made against a judge, it can be considered obstruction of justice.[3] Threatening federal officials' family members is also a federal crime; in enacting the law, the Committee on the Judiciary stated that "Clearly it is a proper Federal function to respond to terrorists and other criminals who seek to influence the making of Federal policies and interfere with the administration of justice by attacking close relatives of those entrusted with these tasks."[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatening_government_officials_of_the_United_States

[DFW]

9. This is not new

Over ten years ago, the office of a friend of mine was vandalized in Arizona. The local Republicans didn't like her vote on something, and apparently couldn't wait for the next election to show their displeasure at the ballot box.

[nolabear]

18. I know. But it needs calling out. This thuggery can't be waved off.

[MichMan]

10. Courts seldom give appropriate penalties for these acts of vandalism

This recent case was adjudicated in September and he not only just got probation, the ax that he used was also returned.


Man who took ax to Sen. John Hoeven's office entrance avoids prison

FARGO — A North Dakota man will not get any prison time for using an ax to smash windows and an intercom at the entrance of a Republican U.S. senator's Fargo office last winter.

Thomas Alexander Starks, 30, of Lisbon, North Dakota, walked out of the federal courthouse Thursday, Sept. 9, in Fargo after federal Judge Peter Welte sentenced him to time served for injury or deprivation against government property. Starks pleaded guilty in April to the charge that alleged he used an ax to smash parts of the entrance to Sen. John Hoeven’s 123 Broadway N. office the morning of Dec. 21. “It wasn’t right,” Starks said before he was sentenced. “Violence has no place in politics.”

The maximum sentence was 10 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines suggested he should get between 10 to 16 months in prison since he has no criminal history. There is no mandatory minimum sentence for the charge. Starks will be under supervised probation for two years and could be subject to up to five months of home confinement at the discretion of federal probation officials, Welte said. The U.S. Attorney's Office recommended five months behind bars plus five months of home confinement for Starks. Defense attorney Tatum O'Brien recommended no prison time.


https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/crime-and-courts/7188432-Man-who-took-ax-to-Sen.-John-Hoevens-office-entrance-avoids-prison

[nolabear]

17. Oh my God.

[BlackSkimmer]

15. Surely they had cameras?

If they’d been receiving threats, I hope they’d been upgrading security.

I hope they catch these assholes.