Posted on 03/03/2019 1:30:24 PM PST by DeathBeforeDishonor1
Federal authorities are looking into reports that a hateful message targeting U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was scrawled onto a bathroom stall at a Twin Cities gas station.
The message, written in black marker in the men's room, read: "Assassinate Ilhan Omar."
It came to the attention of customer Brian Raines, who had stopped by his local Holiday gas station in Rogers on Feb. 22.
Raines, a father of two children and a U.S. Navy veteran, said he asked the manager why he hadn't covered up the message. Raines said the manager seemed annoyed by the question, rolled his eyes, and responded that he was waiting for the corporate office to send out a painter.
"I said, 'You didn't think about covering it up yourself?' " Raines recalled. "You don't need a painter to come out on a Saturday to do the right thing."
Raines said he walked back to his truck, still bothered by what he experienced. So he pulled up a picture he took of the message and posted it to his Instagram page, predicting — correctly — he would be trolled by people accusing him of making it up.
The post didn't gain much traction until Omar tweeted it Friday afternoon.
Raines said more people need to come forward and shed light about hateful, racist or anti-Islamic rhetoric they hear in their communities.
"If we don't take a stand and we don't put our name to this stuff, and we don't stand up and be principled, this stuff is just going to continue to flourish," Raines said. "I don't want a bunch of white nationalists with tiki torches marching down my street. This kind of stuff just has to stop."
Raines said he has never met the Democratic congresswoman, who last fall became the first Somali-American elected to Congress. He suspects whoever wrote the message is targeting her because she's Muslim, black and a refugee. Raines said even if people disagree with Omar's politics, attacking her with such venomous speech is not acceptable.
"In this country, we just don't call for the assassination of legally and duly elected officials," Raines said.
On Saturday, Kevin Smith, a spokesperson with the FBI's Minneapolis division, said the bureau was aware of the Instagram post and was looking into it along with other agencies. Raines said no one from law enforcement, nor from Holiday's corporate offices, has contacted him.
Raines revisited the Holiday men's room Friday night and said the writing is now concealed with a smear of white paint and some black duct tape. A man who answered the phone Saturday at the store declined to comment to MPR News.
Its amazing how this happens right after Omar is caught spouting racist gibberish AGAIN on wednesday.
The handwriting matched Jessie Smolletts letter.......BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
They are worried about graffiti in bathroom stalls now? What a crock of sh!t.
The FBI should be investigating her, not some half a&&ed grafitti
But we all know whose side they’re on now
Why the should he be contacted? He seems invested in this. Someone should see if his handwriting matches the graffiti.
Ilhan Omar should be in jail for immigration fraud and not in office.
Here we go again.
Hard to believe, investigating bathroom wall graffiti.
When you’re a Muslim who loves Sharia Law over the U.S. Constitution, dislikes America, promotes Socialism, is an anti-semite, and was elected to Congress then one must expect some folks won’t care much for you.
Wonder if they are going to investigate all the other hateful things against other women scrawled on bathrooms walls.
“For a good time call Heather at XXX-XXXX”
Back to Somalia with her - pronto
Yep, bathroom graffiti is now a federal crime????
I’ve seen my share if it, I’m sure many of you have. Lots of it is obscene making sexual references. And some of it is racist or hateful.
But it seems a stretch to make a literal federal case out if it.
Gee. I wonder why people might think this kind of crap is made up? See my tagline...
Yeah by all means have the FBI investigate bathroom graffiti.
A little anti-Muslim graffiti in a bathroom stall?
The FBI is right on it. Trump supporters getting beaten on campuses everywhere for exercising their Constitutional right to free speech? An executive order from the President is required to get the lead out of the FBI.
She makes incredible hostile comments from a position of power... nothing.
Someone writes graffiti on a wall in the nation, the FBI jumps to action.
Would it be OK to just put up her picture with a crosshirs on it and the caption: Snipers Wanted?????
Simple bathroom rule; “He who smelt it, dealt it”
Is Raines concerned about the hateful, racist, and anti-Semitic rhetoric spewed by Omar?
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