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Colorado Lawmakers Faced Intense Profanity, Rape Threats Amid Heated Gun Control Debate

Dems Faced Intense Profanity, Rape Threats Amid Gun Control Debate
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By 

Former Senior Reporter, HuffPost

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Lawmakers are known to get angry messages from unhappy constituents, but the emails that Democratic lawmakers in Colorado received during the 2013 legislative session as they debated gun control are downright ugly.

The Democratic caucus compiled a worst-of collection of extraordinarily offensive and vile emails that various lawmakers received between March and April, called "Worst Regards," as the gun control debate raged in the statehouse.

Many of the most disgusting emails were directed at Sen. Evie Hudak (D-Westminster), who, during a hearing on a bill that would have banned concealed-carry firearms on college campuses, told college rape victim Amanda Collins that, even if she had been armed the night of her attack, Collins still wouldn't have been able to stop her assailant.

Senate President John Morse, who faces a historic recall election today over his support of gun control, told KRDO that he ignored some of his constituents' opinions on gun control because of the extreme nature of some of their statements.

"Those that we didn't listen to were those who were vile and disgusting and sent threats -- which truthfully, turned out to be an awful lot of the folks on the opposition," Morse said to KRDO.

Morse, a Democrat, was criticized by right-wing blog Colorado Peak Politics for his statements to KRDO, but it's difficult to disagree with Morse's take on some of these opposition emails.

Below is just a small sampling of some of the ugliest emails Colorado lawmakers received in 2013, but be warned, although some of the strong language has been censored, the contents of the emails are still EXTREMELY offensive. The identities of the email authors, as well as the lawmakers who received these messages, have been removed from each email. Spelling and grammar remain as originally emailed.

March 5, 2013 at 7:49 p.m.

I am going to stick a knife up your c--- and tear your heart out through there. If you have one.

March 9, 2013 at 7:19 a.m.

You are a waste of a human being. Let's hope someday you are raped and wish you had something to protect yourself. If I was one of your children, I would be very ashamed of my mom and her ignorant mouth. You are truly the leading a--hole in the state.

Guy

March 6, 2013 at 4:20 p.m.

Subject: Hoping YOU get raped !

But of course my prayers won’t be answered because you are way to fat and ugly for anyone to rape. You are a pig. I don’t just mean the way you look either. You are a PIG. A NAZI PIG. Another typical mindless idiot obamanite zombie MORON. You and those like you are the reason the word democrat has become a curse word in duhmerica. Maybe someone will in fact stick a gun in your mouth and rob you and beat you to death. THEN the world will in fact be a safer place. For this I pray and I am an atheist !

March 5, 2013 at 10:26 a.m.

Do us all a favor and go play in oncoming traffic you pathetic excuse for a human. Freedom and Liberty are two items you do not deserve.

Go f--- yourself,
Patrick

March 6, 2013 at 12:41 p.m.

If I run into you I will vomit on you. What a disgusting, smarty-pants, know-it-all trailer piece. Who would be able to NOT to vomit on you. Smarty-pants, guess what I wish for you. How that girl could hold back when you had the disgusting gall to lecture her is beyond me. May Westminster be swallowed by a sink hole (except for the animals). If you are an example of the kind of human-like creature THAT ( do you get the distinction-I bet you're not bright enough-80 point IQ) lives there it will be no loss. I can wish-it's still a free country until the coup.

Absolutely worst wishes,
MCM

The gun control debate was extremely heated in Colorado and these emails represent just some of the vitriol spewed at lawmakers. Some even received death threats. Franklin Sain, a Colorado Springs man, was accused of sending several profanity-laced, violent emails and voicemails to Rep. Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora) over her support of gun control legislation. Sain was charged with harassing Fields, but the charges were later dropped.

Back in February, during the legislative hearing process, freshman Rep. Joe Salazar (D-Thornton) received a voicemail threatening his life.

Democratic House Speaker Mark Farrandino said threats were also made against several of the highly visible members of committees during the hearings who supported a particular gun control measure, including against Rep. Daniel Kagan (D-Cherry Hills Village).

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Before You Go

Pivotal Moments In The Federal Gun Control Debate
1981: The Attempted Assassination Of President Ronald Reagan(01 of10)
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on March 30, 1981, President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, was shot in the head. (credit:Ron Edmonds, AP)
1993: The Brady Handgun Violence Act (02 of10)
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The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated that federally licensed dealers complete comprehensive background checks on individuals before selling them a gun. The legislation was named for James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act(03 of10)
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The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, instituted a ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons, including Uzis and AK-47s. The crime bill also banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. (An exemption was made for weapons and magazines manufactured prior to the ban.)
2004: Law Banning Magazines Holding More Than Ten Rounds Of Ammunition Expires(04 of10)
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In 2004, ten years after it first became law, Congress allowed a provision banning possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition to expire through a sunset provision. Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke told HuffPost that the expiration of this provision meant that Rep. Gabby Giffords's alleged shooter was able to fire off 20-plus shots without reloading (under the former law he would have had only ten).
2007: The U.S. Court of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Rules In Favor Of Dick Heller(05 of10)
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In 2007 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to allow Dick Heller, a licensed District police officer, to keep a handgun in his home in Washington, D.C. Following that ruling, the defendants petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
2008: The NICS Improvement Amendments Act(06 of10)
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Following the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech University, Congress passed legislation to require states provide data on mentally unsound individuals to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, with the aim of halting gun purchases by the mentally ill, and others prohibited from possessing firearms. The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush in January of 2008.
2008: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban As Unconstitutional(07 of10)
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In June of 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court ruling the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional in the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller.
Gabrielle Giffords And Trayvon Martin Shootings(08 of10)
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Gun control advocates had high hopes that reform efforts would have increased momentum in the wake of two tragic events that rocked the nation.In January of 2011, Jared Loughner opened fire at an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), killing six and injuring 13, including the congresswoman. Resulting attempts to push gun control legislation proved fruitless, with neither proposal even succeeding in gaining a single GOP co-sponsor.More than a year after that shooting, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was gunned down by George Zimmerman in an event that some believed would bring increased scrutiny on the nation's Stand Your Ground laws. While there has been increasing discussion over the nature of those statutes, lawmakers were quick to concede that they had little faith the event would effectively spur gun control legislation, thanks largely to the National Rifle Association's vast lobbying power.Read more here: (credit:AP)
Colorado Movie Theater Shooting(09 of10)
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In July of 2012, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on theatergoers attending a midnight premiere of the final film of the latest Batman trilogy, killing 12 and wounding scores more.The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, allegedly carried out the act with a number of handguns, as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine.Some lawmakers used the incident, which took place in a state with some of the laxest gun control laws, to bring forth legislation designed to place increased regulations on access to such weapons, but many observers, citing previous experience, were hesitant to say that they would be able to overcome the power of the National Rifle Association and Washington gun lobby. (credit:AP)
Sikh Temple Shooting(10 of10)
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On August 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire on a Sikhs gathered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding four more before turning the gun on himself. (credit:AP)
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