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Stand up to bigoted gunshop owner’s incitements to violence

Murphy, North Carolina July 2019 – Steve ‘Doc’ Wacholz owner of ‘Cherokee Guns’ in Murphy, North Carolina paid for an inflammatory billboard and stickers advertising his gun shop.  Using (presumably without their permission) photos of Congresswomen, comparing them to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and calling them ‘idiots’ – the billboard advises that the gun shop is one mile away.

The congresswomen are Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.  Some of them such as Rep Tlaib had previously received death threats which were highly publicised at the time.  Still this gun shop is ridiculing them, showing their pictures – and advertising that you can get a gun and rounds from the shop a mere mile away.  As Rep Tlaib succinctly put it, “How the hell is this not inciting violence?”

 

 

 

 

Above:  one of many bigoted posts made on Facebook by the shop

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech:  it also has limitations on that speech which exclude inciting violence from the Amendment’s protection.  Furthermore, with the NRA attempting to pretend those who sell guns are responsible, mature people – can we trust someone with these views to thoroughly vet those who want deadly weapons?

Further confirmation of Wacholz’s bigotry can be found in a quote appearing in SF Gate (a San Francisco news site),  “They’re socialists, from my point of view,” he told the local paper, before adding a bigoted trope. “I also feel a couple of them, being Muslim, have ties to actual terrorists groups.”

In summary, a man selling guns is literally targeting our elected reps, and has said he believes they have ties to actual terrorist groups:  this is surely incitement to violence:  by someone who can make money by stoking this hatred.  Why no legal action has been taken is incomprehensible and unacceptable.

The gunshop’s telephone was not in service when One Pulse tried to speak to them yesterday.  The discussion on the shop’s Facebook page is filled with bigoted comments.

Wacholz also inexplicably had a billboard depicting Donald Trump, known for his avoiding the draft due to (curable bonespurs (he played basketball with them), as a muscle-bound action man.

Despite targeting these elected reps who are from a variety of backgrounds and accusing them of having ties to terrorist groups, Wacholz is at pains to paint himself as non-racist, saying “I’m not inciting any violence or being racist,” he added. “It’s a statement. It’s an opinion.” 

Many would disagree, witness the comments on Cherokee’s Facebook page, which say that a sticker of the Congresswomen portrayed as ‘idiots’ will go to fans who visit: and eat a piece of bacon – an unveiled hateful jibe at Islamic and Jewish faiths.

The police and DA have failed to take any action despite this overt racism and the billboard.  One Pulse for America has contacted the police for an article on the situation, but they have not returned to us yet.  One Pulse for America and other gun control groups, civil rights organisations, and observers feel there is a credible possibility the billboard, stickers and actions of Wacholz may result in violence against the four.

As an aside, it is unknown how Steve Wacholz obtained the necessary clearance/permission to use the images of the congresswomen for his commercial purposes. It is true that images of public figures can be used for news purposes without necessarily having to get permissions, but this is a commercial venture, and not one of these women were likely to have agreed to have their images used to promote guns.

ACTION

Please contact North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:

 

I am absolutely disgusted that Steve Wacholz of Cherokee guns in Murphy, NC is engaging in incitement to violence against four sitting Congresswomen – some of whom have already had death threats.

You will surely be aware of the offensive billboard and now stickers picturing Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.  As Rep Tlaib succinctly put it, “How the hell is this not inciting violence?”

I demand the police and District Attorney’s Office take immediate action.  The First Amendment has known limits, and not only is this clear incitement to violence, but social media posts by Wacholz are actually offering the stickers of the offensive image to people who go to the shop ‘and eat a piece of bacon’ – is this kind of religious intolerance what you want in North Carolina. 

Furthermore, with the NRA attempting to pretend those who sell guns are responsible, mature people – can we trust someone with these views to thoroughly vet those who want deadly weapons?  Is it time to review Mr Wacholz’s licence to operate a gun shop? In summary, a man selling guns is literally targeting our elected reps, and has said he believes they have ties to actual terrorist groups:  this is surely incitement to violence:  by someone who can make money by stoking this hatred.  You must act!

I will hold Wacholz, the police, the DA and you morally responsible should any violence erupt over this unfortunate, illegal* situation if you do not act swiftly.  I am copying in the congresswomen on this message to let them know that I, as a member of gun control group One Pulse for America, stand with them 100% and condemn the bigotry that is allowed in North Carolina.  *When I say the poster is illegal, I am not only referring to the incitement to violence, but I am confident the congresswomen did not give their consent for their images to be used in this commercial venture to advertise guns.  I certainly hope they will be taking legal action for damages.

I will be watching this situation closely, and suggest that you take action to prevent any further inflammatory bigoted advertising in your state.

Governor Roy Cooper
Phone:  919-814-2000
Email (form):  https://governor.nc.gov/contact/contact-governor-cooper 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/NCgovernor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NC_Governor

Copy in the congresswoman/women of your choice by following this link:  https://www.conginst.org/contact-congress/

 

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Fire officer who called for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be shot

A Gretna, Louisiana police officer has brought the controversial force further disgrace by calling for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be shot: the officer must be fired.

Newsweek reported “‘This vile idiot needs a round,” officer Charlie Rispoli wrote in a Facebook post referring to Ocasio-Cortez last week, according to a screenshot first reported by New Orleans news site NOLA.com on Saturday. ‘And I don’t mean the kind she used to serve,’ he continued, referring to the fact she once waitressed.”

Rispoli has been on the Gretna police force since 2005.  After his offensive, violent post about AOC, he has closed his social media accounts down.  It seems he did not understand a satirical article on AOC, which may have prompted his unacceptable call for gun violence.

It is one thing to think someone should not be in office.  It is disturbing to call for any human being to be executed.  But when someone who swore to uphold the law publically incites a shooting, they have broken their oath and demonstrated contempt for the law.  They should not be carrying a gun on our streets.

Generally speaking, state and local police officers take the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor at the beginning of their careers. The oath affirms their standards of integrity, bravery and honor to the community and law.

The department’s police Chief Arthur Lawson told the local news site that the post was “disturbing” and appeared to violate the department’s social media policy. Although he said he did not believe it was an actual threat against the congresswoman, he promised the situation would be dealt with.

Can we trust Lawson to take action?  It was under his command that hundreds fleeing Hurricane Katrina had shots fired over their heads while trying to cross a bridge to safety in Gretna.  They had been told to do so by a different police force.  The force has unsurprisingly been involved in shootings – and they are captured on film kicking a person on the ground who was complying and handcuffed.

Gretna is also America’s arrest capital city – according to a reporter in 2016 it had the country’s highest arrest rate with only a population of 18,000:  the majority of those arrested were non-white.  Gretna’s revenues depend largely on its arrests and resulting fines.

ACTION:

Please contact Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:


I was absolutely horrified to see a Gretna, Louisiana officer post on social media that elected representative Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez should be shot:  the officer must be fired at once.

“This vile idiot needs a round,” officer Charlie Rispoli wrote in a Facebook post referring to Ocasio-Cortez last week, and they are still on the force:  they broke their oath of office to serve the community and act with honour.  No one who can casually call for a shooting deserves to be an officer, let alone an officer on our streets with a gun.  

Gretna police Chief Arthur Lawson said the post was “disturbing” and appeared to violate the department’s social media policy. He said he did not believe it was an actual threat against the congresswoman, he promised the situation would be dealt with.  I however believe it is a very real threat, coming from someone in a position of power in the community who decided to broadcast this call to violence to millions:  I want this officer out of office and for the state prosecutors to take action against them.

When I look at the history of the Gretna police, I have zero confidence in Lawson taking any action at all.  Gretna’s arrest rate is among the highest in the country with minorities being by far the most targeted group.  Gretna has seen police shootings and police brutality.  Infamously, Gretna’s police fired shots over the heads of people seeking shelter there from Katrina – as advised to do so by a different force.  Clearly shooting is taken far too casually and officers feel they can threaten citizens – and disaster victims – with being shot.  The entire system needs investigation, and Lawson, like Rispoli, must go.  

As a member of  One Pulse for America, I demand you immediately intervene to rid the force of Rispoli, and set up an external investigation into the Gretna police.  Should anyone out there who saw Rispoli’s call to violence against Ocasio-Cortez takes violent action based on that post, I will hold you responsible as well as Rispoli and the culture of Gretna  Police if you do not act.  I will be watching to see what you do.

Once you have contacted Instagram, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards
Phone: (225)342-7015
Email (form):  http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/form/home/4
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LouisianaGov/ 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LouisianaGov

Once you have contacted Instagram, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!