Indiana state official ~ *Use Live Ammo on Wis. Protestors*

[Exotix]

.. taken out of context ....



Ind. official who urged 'Use live ammunition'on Wis. protesters loses job.

Deputy state attorney general let go after review of 'deadly force' tweets.

Today

'Use live ammunition' tweet costs official his job - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com



An Indiana state official who tweeted that riot police in neighboring Wisconsin should "use live ammunition" to clear out pro-union demonstrators has lost his job.

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday that Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Cox "is no longer employed by this agency."




The office made the announcement after reviewing statements Cox purportedly made in tweets and blog posts, including one in which he said he advocated "deadly force" against "thugs" who threatened state elected officials in Wisconsin.

The tweets that got Cox in trouble were made in an exchange with Adam Weinstein, a copy editor at Mother Jones who has been writing about the worker protests at the Wisconsin Capitol.

Wisconsin workers and their supporters have been demonstrating for well over a week against Republican Gov. Scott Walker's plan to strip public sector workers of nearly all their bargaining rights. Walker says the legislation is needed to help solve Wisconsin's looming budget deficit.



"The Indiana Attorney General's Office conducted a thorough and expeditious review after Mother Jones magazine today published an article attributing private Twitter postings and private blog postings to Cox," the atorney general's office said.

"Civility and courtesy toward all members of the public are very important to the Indiana Attorney General's Office.

We respect individuals' First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility."



Cox did not respond to an e-mail request for comment Wednesdayfrom msnbc.com, but told WRTV of Indianapolis that his Twitter comments were meant to be satirical.

"I think this whole situation is a bit ridiculous.
Public employees don't lose their own First Amendment rights, especially on their own time and own resources by virtue of their public employment," he was quoted as saying.

"I think we're getting down a slippery slope here in terms of silencing people who disagree."



On Saturday night, Mother Jones staffers tweeted that a source had told them Wisconsin riot police were preparing to clear out demonstrators from the Wisconsin capitol building — something that didn't end up happening.

In response to that post, user JCCentCom tweeted "Use live ammunition."

He went on to tweet: "against thugs physically threatening legally-elected state legislators & governor? You're damn right I advocate deadly force."

Weinstein said only later did he find out that JCCentCom was the Twitter user name for Cox, one of more than 140 attorneys in the Indiana Attorney General's Office. Weinstein wrote that Cox has expressed similar contempt for political opponents on his personal blog, Pro Cynic, which has since been disabled.

Weinstein said Mother Jones sent an e-mail to Cox's work address, asking if the Twitter and blog comments were his, and if he could provide context for some of them.
According to Weinstein, Cox responded from a personal e-mail address: "For 'context?' Or to silence me?

All my comments on twitter & my blog are my own and no one else's.
And I can defend them all."




Screenshots of tweets purportedly made by an Indiana state official suugest using "deadly force" against some Wisconsin protesters.

[MrPeabody]

No worries, I'm sure he can get work as a moderator on CF PR&C.

[Exotix]

Originally Posted by MrPeabody

No worries, I'm sure he can get work as a moderator on CF PR&C.

[ChasC5]

After 2009; the Wackos are fully out of the box.

It's amazing what happens when the entitled don't get their way.