Threats have been made against election workers all over the United States as they get ready for the next election. This is a big problem in Arizona, where threats and violence have caused at least one official to lose their race in most counties.
A task group set up to keep officials safe from violent threats said that officials were facing violence because they were “dutifully and reliably doing their jobs.” The day manager at the task force, John Keller, said that the threats of violence were like an “attack on the very foundation of our democracy—our elections.”
He also said that the political community was now in a time when people “blame, target, and attack.”
He went on to say that making threats against government officials was not protected speech and that people would be held responsible. This was the case with Joshua Russell, who admitted to sending threatening messages and was given a thirty-month prison term.
Court records show that he left three threatening voicemails in which he called a government official a commie, a traitor, and an enemy of the United States.
“You had better get your [expletive] life in order because your days are very short.” “America is after you, and you will pay with your life,” he said in one message.
Threats are getting worse and leaders all over the country are being affected by them. Because of the threats against their families, many have even quit their jobs. There’s been one thing that all threats have had in common: many people have attacked officials in ways that seem to have “wronged” them.