Let's get this straight: Both sides are, in fact, not "just as bad," when it comes to institutionally sanctioned violent and eliminationist rhetoric.
Case in point:
On Saturday night, when Mother Jones staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators out of the Wisconsin capitol building—something that didn't end up happening—one Twitter user sent out a chilling public response: "Use live ammunition."There is more about Jeff Cox's public political opining at the link, much of which is violent, racist, and misogynist in nature. And, quite obviously, his exhortations to use live ammunition on pro-union demonstrators is even more ominous now that the same issue has moved to Indiana.
From my own Twitter account, I confronted the user, JCCentCom. He tweeted back that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs" who were "physically threatening legally elected officials." In response to such behavior, he said, "You're damned right I advocate deadly force." He later called me a "typical leftist," adding, "liberals hate police."
Only later did we realize that JCCentCom was a deputy attorney general for the state of Indiana.
Bryan Corbin, a spokesperson for the Indiana attorney general's office says that Cox's conduct will be reviewed to see if he violated "the standards of professional conduct expected for all licensed attorneys and for employees of the Indiana Attorney General's Office" laid out in their personnel handbook. If he didn't, time to rewrite the handbook!
UPDATE: Jeff Cox is no longer employed by the Indiana Attorney General's office.
[H/T to Shaker Mod Scott Madin.]
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