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  • These Awful “Rope. Tree. Journalist.” T-Shirts Are Terrifying

These Awful “Rope. Tree. Journalist.” T-Shirts Are Terrifying

November 07, 2016

  • A Reuters reporter snapped this pic at the Minneapolis International Airport this week.Source: twitter.com / Via: twitter.com

  •  There’s only one more day until we have to hire a new President of the United States, and political tensions are running extremely high. If you’ve somehow managed to disagree with that statement, here’s Trump announcing his Trump TV on Facebook Live.   Reuters reporter Jonathan Ernst took this photograph at the Minneapolis International Airport this week, and its text is extremely worrisome.  The shirt reads:  “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required.”   If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will. The shirts have been around since at least 2007, but in a world where Donald Trump is kicking out reporters from rallies for not supporting him, and has reportedly had his staff physically harm reporters, these shirts should be taken very seriously.  These shirts are not only terrible because they are suggesting death to reporters, but are also reminiscent of of a horrible time in American history when lynching was considered a solution to getting rid of people you hate, particularly in the Southern half of the United States.

  • This Tweet is from way back in 2007, so these shirts aren’t new.Source: twitter.com / Via: twitter.com

  • This woman is yelling at reporters in Colorado Springs, CO during a Trump rally.Source: theslot.jezebel.com

  •  It’s no secret that Donald Trump has some opinions about journalists, and the media in general. Just earlier this month, he said that reporters were the most dishonest people he’s ever met.  According to CNS News, the quote reads in full: “Another important issue for Americans is integrity in journalism. These people are among the most dishonest people I’ve ever met, spoken to, done business with. These are the most dishonest people. There has never been dishonesty, there has never been dishonesty like we’ve seen in this election.”   But wearing these shirts crosses a whole new line — from generalized harangue against “the media” to actual, suggested violence. Reporters all over the world are being harmed and or killed for doing their job (ISIS is very public about their hatred of popular media) and it is quite jarring to live in a world where supporters of a Presidential candidate have been whipped up into endorsing lynching journalists.

  • One. Day. To. Go. Just because the election cycle is ending tomorrow doesn’t mean the drama will quiet down. What do you think will happen on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments below or @WhatsTrending on Twitter.