A Republican Ohio state lawmaker blamed US mass shootings on video games, “drag queen advocates,” “fatherlessness” and former President Barack Obama in a Facebook post on Sunday.
What We Know:
- The Ohio state Republican Party has called Representative Candice Keller to resign following her remarks on the recent shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas which left well over 20 dead and many more injured; The two shootings have reignited public discourse about gun control laws and inspired massive political activism for stricter laws and more drastic action.
- Keller took to Facebook to share her accusations blaming a laundry list of liberal agendas for the shootings in a now-deleted post. Keller claims (among other things) that the breakdown of the traditional family, gay marriage, violent video games, professional athletes who protest the American flag, recreational marijuana and “snowflakes who can’t accept a duly-elected President” are all to blame for the overwhelming number of mass shootings in the US.
- Ohio Republican Party leader Jane Timken has asked Keller to resign after her “shocking” comments on Facebook. “Keller’s Facebook post was shocking and utterly unjustifiable. Our nation is reeling from these senseless acts of violence and public servants should be working to bring out communities together, not promoting divisiveness,” Timken said. Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones also called for Keller to resign.
- Keller responded to these calls refusing to resign, saying she will take her Senate campaign to the voters instead. “Established moderates have never been fans of mine because I ran against their endorsement and won,” Keller said in response.
- Keller has a long history of making controversial comments on gun control political activism; in 2018 Keller criticized teen survivors of the Parkland shooter who spoke out against gun control on national television claiming the activists “would just as soon be eating Doritos and playing video games.” In her speech at the State house steps around the same time, Keller criticized the government for infringing on gun rights.
Keller’s remarks have sparked outrage as the nation mourns the devastating and frightening losses from these mass shootings.
