NH State Rep Under Fire For Derogatory Comments About Gun Owners

[mikeyp]

State Rep Under Fire For Derogatory Comments About Gun Owners

On Facebook, Nashua Democrat Deb Stevens said Trump supporters were "planning to use their guns to deliberately harm others" if he loses.

patch.com

House Republicans are calling on Speaker of the House Stephen Shurtleff to denounce comments made on Facebook by colleague state Rep. Deb Stevens of Nashua. (Courtesy )


NASHUA, NH — The New Hampshire House minority leader is calling for disciplinary action against a Democrat from Nashua after she made what he considered derogatory comments about supporters of President Donald Trump that own guns. State Rep. Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, called on House Speaker Stephen Shurtleff, D-Penacook, to take action against state Rep. Deb Stevens, D-Nashua, after she took to Facebook on Dec. 28, 2019, and shared an MSN.com story on Facebook about "far right" and "white voters" of the president's threatening civil war over potential election results.

In her comment, Stevens rhetorically asked whether or not Trump supporters were "stockpiling ammo (and) amassing weaponry … to start a Civil War" based on what she read.

"These people are planning to use their guns to deliberately harm others," she added. "These are the dangerous people among us who own guns (and) brazenly declare their intentions to harm (people) who disagree with their views. When there is a mass slaughter, often the question is, 'What did we miss?'"

Hinch said this week, a number of Republican members of the House had reached out to Shurtleff via email and in person requesting he denounce the comments. Instead, Shurtleff made what Hinch called a "non-specific scolding" in the House Calendar.

"Recently, there have been several very disappointing social media posts from members on both sides of the aisle of the New Hampshire House," the calendar note stated. "I remind members that you should not be writing or saying anything in a public venue that you would not be proud to read from the well of the House, especially if you choose to use your legislative title. This autumn, I attended a leadership seminar at the Lincoln Institute in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. While there, I thought a lot about our beloved 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, who is reported to have said, 'Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.' These words are just as important today as they were over 150 years ago. We must never forget that one of our primary responsibilities as State Representatives is to maintain the integrity and dignity of the New Hampshire House."

Hinch said the comments were "offensive, inflammatory and set a dangerous tone," and needed a full rebuke from Shurtleff.

"Casting aspersions like this on decent, law abiding citizens is unbecoming of an elected official, and show her bigoted views towards gun owners, Trumps supporters, and Republicans alike," Hinch said. "The Speaker needs to publicly disavow these comments and tell us how he plans to discipline Rep. Stevens, as he has done to Republican members, over public comments."

Hinch said Republicans appeared to be bearing the brunt of the speaker's actions whereas Democrats were not being held to the same standard. He added, "There cannot be accountability for some, and not for others"; the same standard should be applied.

"We all support freedom of speech, but as elected officials, there is also an expectation of decency and respect towards the citizens you represent," he said. "With these comments, Rep. Stevens has demonstrated she is unable to provide objective representation to the people of her district, and can't be trusted to give a fair shake to citizens coming before her committee who may own guns, support the president, or any other condition she has expressed as being a danger."

Steven, Hinch said, deleted the post but then, "reposted a similar article with identical language."

Stevens did not respond to email requesting comment about the issue. Neither Shurtleff nor House staff issued a statement concerning Hinch's request.

 

[Winchester73]

Politics....the poison that will tear us all apart. No longer can we agree to disagree, we must now work to destroy the other side, via politics.

 

[FisherTech]

Don't count on any help from Shurtleff is an anti gun Communist, He is or was a School Teacher and prior to that a Deputy U.S. Marshall.

 

[Devils Paintbrush]

Politics....the poison that will tear us all apart. No longer can we agree to disagree, we must now work to destroy the other side, via politics.

Makes the chances of the nation coming together as a cohesive unit to defeat another nation in a war very unlikely.

Whoever the enemy might be.

 

[Admin]

harm ppl who disagree with their views

Oh you mean like Antifa does?

 

[HARRYM]

Good thing NH is a Red State.

 

[HARRYM]

Politics....the poison that will tear us all apart. No longer can we agree to disagree, we must now work to destroy the other side, via politics.

We can't choose the fight(s) that come before us. The Left now feels confident in standing up out of the shadows and stating openly what they have believed for many years. Pelosi, Shiff, Nadler, Warren, AOC, and many others on the radical left don't care about our views or positions. In fact they have all gathered at the old North Bridge and have announced loudly that we will all be Socialists or we will be silenced. Our opinions haven't mattered to them nor will they ever. America MUST wake the eff up. The ONLY question is one of will those on the right of Law, the right of the constitution, keep Nancy and her crew waiting at that bridge any longer.

 

[drgrant]

Politics....the poison that will tear us all apart. No longer can we agree to disagree, we must now work to destroy the other side, via politics.

You posit this as though it's some synthetic thing that wouldn't exist otherwise... that's laughable, at this level. No longer is it "just politics" but people who want to pass legislation that will f*** up your life. This isn't about the paint on the walls at the local high school anymore. It's more often about stuff that has a huge impact......

 

[Winchester73]

You posit this as though it's some synthetic thing that wouldn't exist otherwise... that's laughable, at this level. No longer is it "just politics" but people who want to pass legislation that will f*** up your life. This isn't about the paint on the walls at the local high school anymore. It's more often about stuff that has a huge impact......

My point is exactly that-it's the big things that politicians push upon us, as though we aren't capable of making our own decisions about how we should live our lives. If you disagree with them they are willing to do anything to ruin your life. Gun confiscation, health care, even how you want to heat your house are just a few of many examples of how politicians want to run your life.

Politics and politicians have half the country despising the other half, as though it's some sort of game for them to play.

 

[W.E.C]

Impeach this mentally unstable version of chicken little.

 

[drgrant]

My point is exactly that-it's the big things that politicians push upon us, as though we aren't capable of making our own decisions about how we should live our lives. If you disagree with them they are willing to do anything to ruin your life. Gun confiscation, health care, even how you want to heat your house are just a few of many examples of how politicians want to run your life.

Politics and politicians have half the country despising the other half, as though it's some sort of game for them to play.

The thing is though it's not just "politics and politicians"- there's a whole cauldron of our "fellow americans" that have voted for these people, in order to f*** us up the ass. Remember this is a respresenative government. This isn't something that happens "by accident". Yeah, there's a contingent of voters that are ignorant and don't know any better, but a lot of them do intentionally vote for these people, knowing exactly what they will do.

There used to be a veneer/sheet or whatever over this for many years, but now it is starting to deteriorate.

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

the cauldron of shitbags precipitating/pushing for tyranny is actually a very small but vocal/involved minority that lame stream fake news portrays as a much larger group....

Yeah, but how do we explain the fact that a lot of the shitbag pols keep getting reelected? While I agree some of the voters are simply stupid and ignorant, it's pretty obvious that either only
two things are possible, and the 2nd one seems more likely, especially lately.

-These voters are blind to the downside costs of the pol's policies
-These voters actually WANT those policies enacted

It's also worth noting that not that long ago a lot of dems were careful to avoid extremist viewpoints and so forth. Now any dems that take that stance are shouted out of the
room...

-Mike

 

[MisterHappy]

the cauldron of shitbags precipitating/pushing for tyranny is actually a very small but vocal/involved minority that lame stream fake news portrays as a much larger group....

And, the Bolsheviks, which means "Majority" were a minority, back in the day. Spin is not a new thing, you know....

 

[Twigg]

It's gonna get interesting as November gets closer.

buy ammo now while we still can

 

[42!]

I'm in Nashua, this stuff makes me want to run for Rep even more. As I wait out the residency requirement I'm looking at the time demands and starting to wonder how I'm going to manage working and serving, I may not be able to after all

 

[SpaceCritter]

Yeah, but how do we explain the fact that a lot of the shitbag pols keep getting reelected? While I agree some of the voters are simply stupid and ignorant, it's pretty obvious that either only
two things are possible, and the 2nd one seems more likely, especially lately.

-These voters are blind to the downside costs of the pol's policies
-These voters actually WANT those policies enacted

It's also worth noting that not that long ago a lot of dems were careful to avoid extremist viewpoints and so forth. Now any dems that take that stance are shouted out of the
room...

-Mike

In New Hampshire's case, lax voting laws demonstrably have turned key races, so cheating needs to be figured in as well. They do it, do it a lot, and know they can get away with it.

 

[42!]

Yeah, but how do we explain the fact that a lot of the shitbag pols keep getting reelected? While I agree some of the voters are simply stupid and ignorant, it's pretty obvious that either only
two things are possible, and the 2nd one seems more likely, especially lately.

-These voters are blind to the downside costs of the pol's policies
-These voters actually WANT those policies enacted

It's also worth noting that not that long ago a lot of dems were careful to avoid extremist viewpoints and so forth. Now any dems that take that stance are shouted out of the
room...

-Mike

A lack of alternatives also plays a part, we need better people running. But, as someone who wants to run, I'm finding out that the time commitment doesn't fit well with someone who works, unless you own your business.

 

[SpaceCritter]

A lack of alternatives also plays a part, we need better people running. But, as someone who wants to run, I'm finding out that the time commitment doesn't fit well with someone who works, unless you own your business.

As a rule it won't. It always favors the idle, who tend to be supported by the also-idle, cuz they have the time on their hands to do it (and usually have the same "concerns" in common). Even for dogcatcher.

 

[Admin]

In New Hampshire's case, lax voting laws demonstrably have turned key races, so cheating needs to be figured in as well. They do it, do it a lot, and know they can get away with it.

+1

 

[headednorth]

The fact that the NHGOP left approx 25 seats without a republican candidate quite literally meant the difference between dem control of the house and a very split/narrow majority dem control of the house in the last election

sounds like what happened in VA

 

[42!]

The fact that the NHGOP left approx 25 seats without a republican candidate quite literally meant the difference between dem control of the house and a very split/narrow majority dem control of the house in the last election

But why rely on some organization to do this? The people in the district need to put up candidates. They don't have to be card carrying Republicans, I'm not. Retirees, business owners, people who have the flexibility to run and attend. If you aren't one of these, maybe you know some who is, talk to them. Offer to help them, not just to get elected, but after they win. Help them weed through the paperwork, maybe a technical skill that could help, an organizational skill, or dealing with campaign finance. The President doesn't run the country alone, a rep shouldn't need to be on his/her own either.

The biggest barrier to this position is having the time. Find someone who has that and help put together a team that will get them elected AND be there after the election.

 

[drgrant]

sounds like what happened in VA

VA is different.... gerrymandering. There were districts set up where the non moonbat had no chance of winning.

 

[42!]

IMHO thats backwards

The NHGOP has been a hot mess for years.....the name Jennifer Horn ring a bell?

The NHGOP should be involved in helping people understand HOW to run, what it takes and how to make it happen.....its called having support.......things are improving but its only in the last year and its like they have to beat their way out of the dark ages to catch up whats been lost over the last 10 plus years......

People come to NH and try to get involved but for years and years and YEARS you couldnt even tell that there was a GOP group in my COUNTY because the NHGOP failed to publish any info on calendars and when you called they it was like you were talking to a mental patient that had just been released from bellview......

This doesnt even take into account prominent GOP figures doing dumb shit like donating money to planned parenthood...

We have "GOP" lobbyings that have been caught donating to Clinton and other prominent Donks.......

Some of whats gone on in past amongst the "establishment" is inexcusable

I guess I just don't want to be part of one of the two political parties that have been F'ing up this country. I'll vote for a republican when that INDIVIDUAL is the best choice. But I have no dilution that either, or any, PARTY is the solution.

 

[42!]

Here's the reality of the situation thats been clear since before 2009/tea party phenomena.....

Starting a third party isnt gonna happen

Punting the establishment out of the parties that exist is a strategy that is working.

The donks and GOP for many years were happily sharing the plunder/expansion of big gov........

The establishment of the GOP is in process of being banished to the wilderness in states nationwide and at the national level....

Rove is all but gone
The liles of Romney/Boehner/Ryan/McSame are gone or marginalized along with most of the rest of the never trumpers......not going to take 2020 for granted but a second term of trump would go a long way to draining the swamp
Trump has infused a wilingness to fight in the GOP that has long been absent
Even previously squishy deciples of ryan like McCarthy have found a willingness to fight/do the right thing
People like Rep Gaetz

Here in NH, Stephen Stepanek the new Chair is the best thing we've seen in a long time here in NH

Did I not make it clear when I said "or any, PARTY"

The problem is that people have bought into the idea that there has to be political parties. Why can't a community, in this case a district, organize people without regard to a party membership to support a candidate? We are not talking about President here, we are talking about State Rep. We managed non-partisan town elections in my old home town, and these county districts are a lot smaller. So it can be done, it just takes people who want to, and who aren't brainwashed into thinking if you're not Dem or Rep you don't exist.

Stop sitting around waiting for someone else to do something and then saying "but so and so didn't do anything"

 

[ridleyman]

Good thing NH is a Red State.

It is? Sadly, NH has been stricken by the same cancer that seems to be invading old reliables like VA, NV, and others. Maybe if you vote Nashua and Manchester off the boat it will tip safely conservative again.

 

[SpaceCritter]

It is? Sadly, NH has been stricken by the same cancer that seems to be invading old reliables like VA, NV, and others. Maybe if you vote Nashua and Manchester off the boat it will tip safely conservative again.

I'd settle for giving Hanover to Vermont.

 

[whatluck]

VA is different.... gerrymandering. There were districts set up where the non moonbat had no chance of winning.

This is a huge problem all over the country. I've walked around cities like Boston, Houston, even Seattle talking to people and it seems not everyone is a lunatic leftist even in these strongholds. I have to wonder how much of their support base is illegal immigrants, dead people, and other fraud. Politics are just one of the tools being used against freedom. Leftists have been using the same playbook since the early 20th century. Controlling the message, controlling the opposition, repeating the lie, black flagging events, hyping up the media, and ramming through legislation that we later figure out was 99% stuff that had nothing to do with the sensationalized narritive in the first place.

 

[KBCraig]

The fact that the NHGOP left approx 25 seats without a republican candidate quite literally meant the difference between dem control of the house and a very split/narrow majority dem control of the house in the last election

I welcome input from you, or anyone else, about how to persuade more people to run for office.

It's a huge PITA. It costs money to serve, not to mention the time. I have the shortest commute of all Coös delegates, at 98 miles each way (time 1:45 to 3+ hours depending on the weather).

I am semi-retired, working 30 hours at a part-time job where my boss gives me a lot of flexibility in my schedule. When the House is in session, I work Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday, and I'm in Concord from one to three days of my three days off Tuesday-Thursday. This week I'll be down all three days, and one of them won't even be paid mileage.

I hate politics. I'm willing to engage as a legitimate form of self defense. That's really the only thing I can offer to fellow advocates of small government: "If you won't do it, someone who *loves* government will!"

 

[Winchester73]

I dislike politics as well. This dislike came about because of dealing with some politicians. I do not like being lied to, nor do I like being deliberately misled or dismissed out of hand by them. All those things have happened to me when I tried to be involved in the process the way I was taught in my high school good government classes.

 

[snowballs]

Well I guess you can rule out the hot factor.