Recently, GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert made what can be most charitably be described as a tasteless joke at the expense of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Apparently Rep. Omar has been receiving very vicious and violent messages since then:
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) plays a horrific death threat she received following Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) recent Islamophobic attacks on her.
Warning: It's incredibly graphic. pic.twitter.com/5PGODcaJOu
— The Recount (@therecount) November 30, 2021
It should go without saying that no one — not even Ilhan Omar — deserves to have their life threatened like that, over religion or anything else.
It should also go without saying, however, that Ilhan Omar is not an innocent victim of religious bigotry. And despite what she claims, it’s not just up to the GOP to confront bigotry in their ranks.
Ilhan Omar has a long, well documented history of antisemitism dating from long before she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Over and over again she has trafficked in antisemitic tropes and dog whistles and blood libels, and the Democratic Party has let her off with at worst a limp slap on the wrist. Most of the time they just make excuses for her or outright ignore her virulent antisemitism, as AOC is doing here:
People truly don’t understand the scale, intensity, & volume of threats targeting @IlhanMN.
Kevin McCarthy is so desperate to be speaker that he is working with his Ku Klux Klan caucus to look aside & allow violent targeting of woc members of Congress.
This cannot be ignored. https://t.co/ppridf6bZl
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 1, 2021
“Ku Klux Klan caucus”? That’s the sort of talk that could really rile up AOC’s hard-leftist base and possibly result in threats of violence or worse for House Republicans.
@AOC labels political opponents as members of the "Ku Klux Klan" in a post condemning individuals for using bigotry/racist stereotypes against Ilhan Omar.
This type of inappropriate stereotypical speech is common from both sides of the aisle.
Many choose to ignore it. https://t.co/nDn7DYiBZX
— Angela Ramirez (@coangelaramirez) December 1, 2021
But it’s OK when AOC does it.
While people toss out clichés like “we condemn all forms of racism & bigotry,” the fact is Islamophobia is far too often tolerated and ignored.
Bigotry is not made unacceptable by what one says about it, it’s made acceptable based on whether there are consequences for it or not.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 1, 2021
Remember when the House tossed out clichés like “we condemn all forms of racism and bigotry” instead of holding Ilhan Omar specifically accountable for grossly antisemitic remarks? There were no consequences for Rep. Omar. But AOC defended her then and continues to defend her now.
It’s not just about nasty phone calls and e-mails.
GOP are given freedom to incite without consequence. They don’t have to pay for the security required from their acts- we do. They make money off it.
&They are targeting those least likely to be institutionally protected first.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 1, 2021
The Jews would like a word, AOC. You know, the Jews that you don’t care for much more than Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib does. The ones in Israel that the Squad has smeared as bloodthirsty murderers. The ones in New York City who get violently assaulted for looking too Jewy.
Whoa….you’re going to talk about how awful bigotry is against Islams and use a blatant antisemite as your example of virtue? https://t.co/OWA2rX9FHr
— EEE (@EEElverhoy) December 1, 2021
Pick better arguments or pick better friends, AOC. If we were you, we’d do both.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member