We’ve written lots about this loser. Visit here and here and here and here and here and here and have fun!
Idiotic Arkansas Sen. Tom “Women Should Know Their Place” Cotton just sent a “cease and desist” letter to constituents who called his office to tell him they disagree with his policies.
Here’s the letter:
Snopes has verified that the story is true:
Activists in Arkansas accused Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of sending constituents “cease-and-desist” letters. But while it’s true that at least one member of the group received one, it is unclear how many constituents at large have as well.
A spokesperson for Cotton’s office, Caroline Rabbitt Tabler, confirmed the existence of the letters, saying that they were issued “under extreme circumstances.” She also said that it was rare to send any constituent such a letter. There has been no confirmed tally of how many times it has happened.
The letters began getting attention when the liberal group Ozark Indivisible posted a picture of one on Twitter on 17 January 2018, along with a message taunting the senator.
#TraitorTommy @TomCottonAR scared of his constituents calling so he’s sending out cease and desist letters. You’re too ? to lead CIA if you can’t even listen to constituents! #arpx pic.twitter.com/N1HAGCmbW6
— Ozark Indivisible (@OZRKIndivisible) January 18, 2018
Wait…isn’t it illegal for Cotton to send out these kinds of letters to people who disagree with him? Maybe. Probably.
“This letter is inappropriate, and I would say it’s borderline unconstitutional,” Snyder told Salon. “This kind of speech, as offensive as it may be and as vulgar as it is, is just part of the game; it’s part of what happens in a democracy,” David Snyder, executive director of First Amendment Coalition, told Salon.
Snyder further explained that “protests, by nature, are not polite.”
Naturally, the First Amendment doesn’t protect rudeness if a person’s individual safety is at risk, but did Cotton’s staff have a legitimate concern about safety? It appears that they did not. Even if they did, Snyder suggests the correct course of action would be to report the threat to Capitol Police.
When Salon asked Cotton’s staff if the letter is unconstitutional, they said they didn’t have a comment, but Cotton communications director Caroline Rabbitt Tabler sent a response to the Washington Examiner.
“Senator Cotton is always happy to hear from Arkansans and encourages everyone to contact his offices to express their thoughts, concerns, and opinions. In order to maintain a safe work environment, if an employee of Senator Cotton receives repeated communications that are harassing and vulgar, or any communication that contains a threat, our policy is to notify the U.S. Capitol Police’s Threat Assessment Section and, in accordance with their guidance, send a cease and desist letter to the individual making the harassing or threatening communication,” Rabbitt Tabler said in a statement.
Another expert on the Constitution added this.
“Anyone who wants to try to intimidate someone can send a cease and desist letter. Whether that letter is worth the paper its written on is another story,” he told Salon. “Unless the profanities are a direct and imminent threat to the lawmaker, they are almost certainly protected by the First Amendment,” Wayne B. Giampietro, General Counsel to the First Amendment Lawyers Association told Salon.
And the ACLU has gotten involved, at least on Twitter (no word if they’re taking it further).
Sorry, @TomCottonAR. That’s not harassment; that’s democracy. https://t.co/3eVP4SPdwQ
— ACLU ? (@ACLU) January 18, 2018
Here’s a January 16 video of Dream Act (DACA) protesters (self-proclaimed people “from sh*thole countries”) being thrown out of Cotton’s office.
Honestly, in Trump’s America, this kind of stuff will probably go completely unchecked.
Know what’s REALLY scary, though? Cotton has been floated as a candidate to be Trump’s CIA director. Wrap your mind around the implications of that if you can.
But back to these “extreme circumstances.” From what I’ve read, the constituents calling Mr. Cotton’s office were not exactly gracious, and one lady allegedly called a staffer a “c*nt” (she denies it). Furthermore, well…the lady explains.
“Have I used colorful language? Yes, but it’s nothing more than I see our president using,” Lane told Salon.
Welp! The lady speaks the truth! And maybe she didn’t call Tom’s staffer a c*nt, but I’ll go on record here calling Tom a lil’ biatch. I’d call him a p*ssy but that’s a total insult to p*ssies. Her insults, if true, and mine aren’t exactly ladylike, but extreme circumstances? Hardly.
Here’s the thing. It would be cool if everyone were more gracious than these nice Arkansans. It would be cool if everyone were nicer than ME. But no one has to be nice as long as they’re not breaking the law. We can be as rude, foul, and profane as we want to be. Because, well…America.
Featured image via Wikimedia
