High School Student Who Challenged Bachmann Receives Online Threats

Well isn’t this, sadly, predictable:

CHERRY HILL, N.J. — A New Jersey teenager says she’s received threats since challenging U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann to a debate over the Constitution.

Ann Myers challenged the tea party favorite in a letter dated April 29. After it started getting media attention last weekend, commenters on tea party websites have threatened to publish her home address and some have threatened violence.

The 16-year-old from Cherry Hill says several commenters have called her a “whore.”

Her father, Wayne, says he’s concerned for his daughter’s safety.

Welcome to America, where threatening teenagers is now a form a political debate.

FILED UNDER: US Politics, , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Have a nice G.A. says:

    Welcome to America, where threatening teenagers is now a form a political debate.

    So whats your point? Now that is happened to some one other then a teenage TEA party or teenage pro life member it has become a inevitable reality?

  2. Southern Hoosier says:

    Well isn’t this, sadly, predictable:

    What that she says she received threats or that she actually received threats? And who were those threats from? Remember when Gabrielle Giffords was shot? It was some far right extremest that did it, until the attacker turned out to be an apolitical nutcase. Or remember the Times Square bomber, a member of the Tea Party? Yeah right. http://goo.gl/BRqqC

    Never wait for the truth to come out, just blame the right, right of the bat.

  3. Derrick says:

    What that she says she received threats or that she actually received threats? And who were those threats from? Remember when Gabrielle Giffords was shot?

    I think that your hackery has tied you in a bit of knot. The fact is that Giffords did receive death threats from the right. Just because she was shot by some apolitical nutcase doesn’t excuse that fact. Just because many in the Tea Party like to make threats and not act on them doesn’t make you guys better, it just makes you a bunch of stalkers.

  4. Southern Hoosier says:

    The fact is that Giffords did receive death threats from the right.

    There were also death threats: Arizona police are now disclosing that Rep. Giffords had received threats of various natures for years.

    http://goo.gl/Z309e

    From the right? Just like the person that shot her was from the right? Yeah always the right.

  5. John Peabody says:

    Doug, if it was predictable, why did you post the story in the first place? While I am sure that the threats do not come from OTB readers, I know that such stories pick up steam at each repeating. The original story was nothing but a lark, suitable for a community newsletter. Placing it on OTB alongside foreign policy and critical economic matters just seems non-sensical. My opinion.

  6. Southern Hoosier says:

    There is a whole apolitical culture out there that likes to makes death threats against whoever is in the news at the time. If the threat is against someone from the left, it was made by the right. If it was against the right, then it was made by the left. Until someone actually commits a crime or the threat is taken seriously by law enforcement, we do not know who made the threat or why.

    And anyone can call themselves a Tea Party member, just like anyone can call themselves a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent.

  7. Rick Almeida says:

    There is a whole apolitical culture out there that likes to makes death threats against whoever is in the news at the time.

    Stupidest statement of the weekend? I know, I know, it’s only Saturday.

  8. Tano says:

    I don’t quite see the basis for SH’s complaint. There is nothing in what Doug wrote that identifies “the right” as guilty of these threats. The quoted news-story also does not identify the guilty parties, it only notes that someone left such comments on Tea Party websites.

    I don’t see how you could report this story more objectively….

  9. george says:

    I don’t think this is exclusive to supporters of any political party. But a country is in pretty bad shape when people start making death threats against a high school student for calling out a politician.

    If nothing else I’d think people would be too busy being amazed that a high school student even knows the name any out of state politician other than the President.

  10. Southern Hoosier says:

    Tano says:
    Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 13:04

    I don’t quite see the basis for SH’s complaint. There is nothing in what Doug wrote that identifies “the right” as guilty of these threats.

    Well isn’t this, sadly, predictable:

    If that statement had been left out, then I would agree. “I don’t see how you could report this story more objectively….”

    Isn’t it a given that all threats “predictably” come from the right? Just like the two examples I gave.

    Just like Derrick said “The fact is that Giffords did receive death threats from the right.” When there was nothing to show who made the death threats.

  11. Southern Hoosier says:

    Rick Almeida says:
    Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 13:02

    There is a whole apolitical culture out there that likes to makes death threats against whoever is in the news at the time.

    Stupidest statement of the weekend? I know, I know, it’s only Saturday.

    Just like there is a whole class of cyberbullies. But they don’t exist either?

  12. Jay Tea says:

    This is just wrong. She’s just a kid. There’s no reason to treat her like a Wisconsin Republican, for god’s sake…

    J.

  13. John Peabody says:

    Again, kudos to Jay Tea!

  14. Tano says:

    Isn’t it a given that all threats “predictably” come from the right?

    Classic conformation bias.
    This is your thesis. Doug uses the word “predictable” and then you, activating your thesis, claim he is blaming the right. Then you claim to have another example of your thesis in action.

    You are just a troll SH, and a pretty transparent one at that.

  15. Hey Norm says:

    Threats or not…Bachmann would stlll lose the debate.

  16. anjin-san says:

    Threats or not…Bachmann would stlll lose the debate.

    And everybody knows it…

  17. tom p says:

    You are just a troll SH, and a pretty transparent one at that.

    And a racist one at that.We got you SH.

    Do your self a favor, Shut the F up.

  18. Southern Hoosier says:

    Tano says:
    Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 15:14

    Isn’t it a given that all threats “predictably” come from the right?

    Classic conformation bias.
    This is your thesis. Doug uses the word “predictable” and then you, activating your thesis, claim he is blaming the right. Then you claim to have another example of your thesis in action.

    That’s right. And my examples show a bias against the right.

  19. Southern Hoosier says:

    tom p says: Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 19:43

    And a racist one at that.We got you SH.

    Do your self a favor, Shut the F up.

    Wow! Great come back! Did you cut and paste that or did you retype it?

  20. anjin-san says:

    And my examples show a bias against the right.

    Run along and have a nice cry…

  21. Southern Hoosier says:

    anjin-san says:
    Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 13:07

    And my examples show a bias against the right.

    Run along and have a nice cry…

    Why cry about the truth? That just the way the media is.

  22. anjin-san says:

    That just the way the media is.

    Yep. They ask brutal questions like “what newspapers do you read”. Then they show the answer. Totally biased. Bastards. Don’t then know they should report on “the right” the way Hannity does – with kneepads on?