WASHINGTON, D.C., July 31, 2019 – Following news reports of a gun shop billboard in Murphy, North Carolina that features the faces of Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and implies threats of lethal violence against the four, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:
“There are almost no words to express how vile this billboard is, but we know this much: it crystallizes a truth about how much Donald Trump has undermined our shared values. Today we live in a country where a great many people apparently feel there is nothing wrong with singling out duly-elected Congresswomen of color for hatred, persecution and deadly threats — because the hatred is being instigated by the President of the United States. We join civil rights allies in calling for Cherokee Guns and Allison Outdoor Advertising to remove this billboard immediately, and to disavow the irresponsibility and casual bigotry it represents.”