UGA group disbands in wake of threatening tweet
ATHENS, Ga. - The University of Georgia is investigating a former student political group after a threatening tweet advocating the beheading of Republican lawmakers. The tweet has been removed by members of the Young Democrats Socialist which has also removed itself from UGA as a student club.
"I think that violence and radicalism and putting down another's rights have and thoughts is never the answer," said Ben Grayson, Chairman of the UGA College Republicans Club.
Grayson is referring to a tweet in May from a member of the former student Democratic Socialist Club.
It was in response to a tweet from a professor, not at UGA, saying lawmakers who want to be rid of Obamacare should have been shot. The student's tweet said they should be guillotined.
"Why would you put something out you truly don't believe. You know you look at the extreme violence that just happened with the Republican congressman being shot," said Gary Wolfe, a parent of a UGA student.
Wolfe learned of the recent tweet from his son who did not to talk to FOX 5 News.
UGA student Justin Ford said many in his generation raised in a filter-less electronic world do not see what the big deal is.
"Something, like, that and saying something like that no matter how inflammatory it is just doesn't seem that big of a deal to someone," said Ford.
His mother, Beverly McMahon, however, had a much different point of view.
"I think we need to calm down. Just everybody needs to take a step back and try to think about what they are saying," said McMahon.
A representative from the former UGA club said "One of our volunteers tweeted an inappropriate joke about political violence. He did not request anyone's permission to post this crude remark. We are committed to managing our online communications more carefully from now on."
"The University of Georgia Police Department is investigating this matter. The issue has also been referred to the Office of Student Conduct, which regulates student organizations," UGA tweeted this week.
As far as any actions against the Democratic Socialist Club, UGA said in a statement, “As far as UGA and what actions against the group could be involved, a spokesperson tells us the group's student membership took it upon themselves and voted unanimously to disband as a student organization. As a result of this vote, this organization is no longer a group at the University of Georgia"
A member of the now Athens Democratic Socialist Club said the group removed itself from UGA in part because of being harassed and because they want to engage more people in the community.