You should not threaten to murder anyone. (That’s a pretty categorical claim, I know, but bear with me).
For starters, death threats are morally wrong (I shouldn’t have to say this). Generally speaking, they’re also illegal (especially depending on the target). And if it’s a self-described “pro-lifer” who is making the death threat, well, that’s just stupid as hell.
In other words, don’t be like Michael Brogan, who was indicted this week for threatening to murder an unidentified U.S. senator on Dec. 4 because of her pro-abortion platform as well as her opposition to President Trump. Brogan has been charged with making a threat through interstate communications based on a voicemail he left at the senator’s office in the nation’s capital. Here is what he said, according to a transcript provided by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York:
Because nothing says I want to build a culture of life quite like telling someone, “I’m going to fucking light you up with fucking bullets.”
The transcript of the voicemail Brogan left the senator leaves little ambiguity as to his meaning. It was clearly a death threat. And for the record, Brogan appears to identify as a “pro-lifer,” according to U.S. Capitol Police Special Agent John R. Delegan, who was assigned to the case.
In the court filing published this week, the special agent wrote that he had “reviewed Brogan’s social media information, including information in which he previously indicated that in or about January 2017 and in or about January 2018 he traveled D.C. for the annual ‘March for Life.’” He seems to have been a frequent attendee.
Brogan told federal authorities later that he was “very angry” about something he saw the senator say in a video posted online. He also said he didn’t even remember what he said in the voicemail.
“Not to trivialize it, I wish in retrospect I didn’t do it, but I don’t think it’s that big,” the Brooklyn, N.Y., man told the New York Daily News Wednesday. “I didn’t think it was going to come to this,” he added. “I wouldn’t have done it.”
“Honestly, if [the agents] didn’t come I probably would have forgotten about the call altogether,” he added. “I reacted the wrong way and I made a call, I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”
Brogan was arraigned in Brooklyn Federal Court Wednesday. He was released later on a $50,000 bond and ordered to wear a monitoring ankle bracelet. Oh, and the New York Daily News also reported that Brogan’s home proudly sports a “Keep Christ in Christmas” sign as well as various Nativity paraphernalia. He’s really going for the Stereotype Olympics gold, isn’t he? At this point, I feel like anti-religious and pro-abortion activists owe Brogan some flowers and a “Thank You!” note. I don’t think he could have made their job smearing the pro-life movement any easier.
Let’s just file his story away under: You are not doing yourself or your movement any favors.
