The statement below is by Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. regrading violent rhetoric used by a political candidate at a recent event.
“On Thursday evening, a political candidate proudly incited violent rhetoric against former Rep. Liz Cheney. Specifically, this candidate called Cheney a “war hawk” before saying, “let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? And let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
This blatant call for violence is egregious and it is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to speak in such a way, especially someone who is running for office. What I think makes this even more insidious is how this person is celebrating gun violence when that is probably the most pressing issue this nation is grappling with. Every day, more than 100 Americans die because of guns and to hear someone champion the use of more gun violence, is disgusting.
Camden County has zero tolerance for violent rhetoric of this nature. We are working tirelessly to end gun violence in our communities through our Office of Gun Violence Prevention where we work with local law enforcement agencies to create strategies to reduce the number of illegal firearms, and to promote local, state, and federal programs that advance anti-gun violence initiatives.
In a time where political candidates are calling for violence against their opponents, it is imperative that we stand together to condemn this type of behavior so we can move our country forward to become a safer, happier and healthier place to live.