Of course we can’t draw a direct line between what the NRA threatens about journalists and what happened in Annapolis, Maryland a few days ago. But we can draw some conclusions about what our own President and hate filled organizations like the NRA are saying about the freedom of the press in America- one of the pillars of a democracy and our own country since its’ inception.

New evidence is emerging about the shooter of the Capitol Gazette office and is also alarming:

“Of the thousands of people I’ve dealt with in court, this guy stuck,” McCarthy told USA TODAY. “I was extremely scared that he was going to do something to me and my family.”

McCarthy says he became a target of Ramos’ rage after representing a woman in 2011 who accused Ramos of stalking her and threatening her online.

The woman told McCarthy that Ramos, who had gone to the same high school as she did, had been harassing her online since 2009. McCarthy described it as the “worst case of harassment and stalking I have ever encountered in my career.” (…)

McCarthy stated repeatedly that no one had ever frightened him the way Ramos did. He called Ramos a “classic loner” and “as angry and obsessive an individual as you will ever meet.” He also said Ramos viewed anyone who opposed him as an enemy.

“He described adverse parties as belligerents,” McCarthy said. “Like he’s at war.” (,,)

In another post, Ramos makes mention of a shotgun, saying “My bullets are words.” Police say Ramos used a shotgun in the shooting on Thursday.

He also posted multiple times about the 2015 attack at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, even including photoshopped images of one magazine staff member with a bullet hole in his head and blood on his face. His loathing of the press may not have been just fixed on the Capital. In 2014, he posted his thoughts on the beheadings of James Foley and Steven Sotloff and accused the press of propaganda. “Journalists making a living (literally) by participating in propaganda is nothing new,” he wrote. “Think about it.”

Ramos hadn’t posted on the account since January 2016, but just moments before the shooting on Thursday, a message was posted: “F— you, leave me alone.”

How and why did this man have a gun? Until we make it more difficult for people like this to legally ( or illegally) purchase or get their hands on guns, we can expect to see more senseless loss of life.

Let’s just look at this article and video from the ever hateful Dana Loesch ( March of 2018 and after the Parkland shooting):

… “To the politicians who would rather watch America burn than lose one ounce of their own personal power, to the late night posts that think their opinion is the only opinions that matter.

“To the Joy-Ann Reids, the Morning Joes, the Mikas. To those who stain honest reporting with partisanship.

“To those who bring bias and propaganda to CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times… your time is running out. The clock starts now.”

Yes. She said this.

With rights come responsibilities. That goes for the first amendment and the second amendment.

And we have ample evidence about what our President thinks about the media– except of course what can realistically be called state TV or Fox news. And let us also remember that Trump gets his own views about things from Fox news- not the other way around. There are many people serving in his administration who have worked for Fox news. That alone should be of concern for us all. From the above linked article:

Berman said that while he does not doubt Trump’s sincerity in saying journalists should not be “violently attacked,” he finds it “hard to believe” Trump’s comments aboard Air Force One that he has “a lot of respect for the press.”

Berman’s comments were followed by a montage of Trump attacking the press in past speeches and rallies, including calling media “fake news,” “absolute scum,” “disgusting” and “very dishonest.”

Much of Trump’s criticism of the press has been directed at CNN, which he has repeatedly labeled “Fake News.”

“Fake News”- what a clever way to go after the truth. The truth is that the “fake news” is coming from the mouth of our very own President who lies every day and demeans his critics. This has served to rile up his base and ferment fear and paranoia that could erupt into more than verbal attacks.

Threats to the first amendment are more dangerous than threats to the second amendment. For one can lead to the other. If we don’t have a free press, we don’t have anything. The idea that that individuals are stockpiling guns to protect themselves from the government could very well turn into attacks on our democracy itself.

These are potentially frightening times for our country.

These are hallmarks of autocracy.

Finally one journalist had the courage to speak out at a recent press availability. Thank you Jim Costa.: 

Someone must do this before more tragic incidents happen.

In what other democratized country not at war do Presidents speak like this? We have examples of oppressive regimes and dictatorships where this happens. But not in America have we ever seen this before.

This is frightening and should be alarming even to the rank and file NRA members and Trump supporters. If this were coming from a Democrat, there would be hell to pay. It would not be tolerated or accepted- period.

But the Republicans in Congress have no courage or the will to speak out. They are aiding and abetting this kind of dangerous behavior. Until something happens similar to or worse than the shooting at a newspaper office in Annapoli, Maryland they won’t.

At what point will common sense happen? It could just be too late. We will rue the day we allowed this to take place.

We are better than this. And we are not going to let it go unnoticed. It’s time for all Americans who want to preserve our democracy and the rule of law to stand up. And that includes you Congress.