Parkland parents respond to Marjorie Taylor Greene's mass shooting conspiracy theories
The thought of losing a child is too much for most parents to think about. The thought of watching your child being killed on camera is unfathomable.
Linda Beigel Schulman and her husband Michael watched security camera footage of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. They witnessed their 35-year-old son Scott Beigel, a teacher at the school, usher students into a classroom, away from the gunman. Then they saw the gunman fire at their son six times, saw the blood, saw him collapse to the ground.
Two other teachers and 14 students were shot and killed by the gunman, Nikolas Cruz, that day. Scores of students and teachers survived the terror and horror of fleeing for their lives and watching their friends and colleagues get murdered in front of them. The trauma for survivors and their loved ones was—and is—real.
So what kind of person would spread lies about what happened, criticize survivors for their response, pour salt in those wounds?
Apparently, a sitting member of Congress.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a freshman GOP representative from Georgia, has a history of touting conspiracy theories, especially surrounding mass shootings. She's on video suggesting that the Las Vegas shooting was a planned event to strip Second Amendment rights:
Here’s Marjorie Taylor Greene talking about the Vegas mass shooting just to remind us all that she’s a dangerous cr… https://t.co/eLv7XKd3cY— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@Rex Chapman🏇🏼) 1611848848.0
And Media Matters for America has reported on since-deleted Facebook posts that show Greene supporting the conspiracy theory that Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings were "false flags"—a term conspiracy theorists use when they think the government or some other powerful group stages an event like a mass shooting with crisis actors as means of control.
The Schulmans have something to say about that. Speaking to Olivia Nuzzi at New York magazine, Linda Schulman said:
"Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the shooting where my son was murdered protecting his students was not a 'false flag.' It was not staged. It really happened. Do not trivialize my son Scott's sacrifice to save his students for your own political gain. As Joseph Welch said to Sen. Joseph McCarthy Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 1954: 'Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Have you no sense of decency?' Congresswoman Greene, I ask you the same question. Are you that cruel? HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF DECENCY??"
Schulman asked Nuzzi, "What do we need to do? Show her the video? Do I need to take her over to Scott's mausoleum? Does she need to see how he was shot six times from three feet away?"
Another Parkland parent, Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed in the shooting, told Politico, "She is going to confront her lies. She is a fraud. She has no place being the halls of Congress. I do intend to bring her evidence of my daughter's murder." Guttenberg has called for Greene's removal from Congress.
@loisbeckett @fred_guttenberg .@fred_guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the Parkland HS shooting, slams… https://t.co/a5MjZ4Xc70— The Recount (@The Recount) 1611856660.0
Greene is also shown in newly resurfaced video harassing Parkland survivor David Hogg, who has been a vocal activist for gun reform since the shooting and is a co-founder of March for our Lives. This is a grown woman following a teenager who had survived a school shooting, telling him she carries a firearm, peppering him with questions and comments that could easily trigger trauma, and then calling him a coward who is being paid off. Absolutely ridiculous.
"I absolutely remember that," Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg says about GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene conf… https://t.co/hGl9ADuAY5— CNN (@CNN) 1611839700.0
Yet another video has surfaced of Greene doing the same thing another time to another group of young gun sense advocates, also including David Hogg, who end up chanting "Enough is enough" to drown out her incessant yammering.
Marjorie Taylor Greene started to rant at David Hogg, so students started chanting “enough is enough,” loud enough… https://t.co/NbFUXmY72i— Scott Dworkin (@Scott Dworkin) 1611820550.0
What's perhaps most chilling about these videos is that she appears to have zero empathy and zero acknowledgment of what these kids went through. It's all about the guns. Debating gun laws with people who haven't been through the trauma of a mass shooting is one thing, but following and harassing kids who watched or heard their friends and teachers get shot in front of them at school? That's some next-level inhumanity on display.
Speaking of which, Greene has also indicated support for executing prominent Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, Presidet Obama, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on social media. So that's neat.
How has Greene responded to all of this? A combo of silence and with claiming that the media is out to get her. She explained away the Facebook posts by saying that she's had lots of different people run her social media accounts, which frankly is a cop-out. She did not offer comment on New York magazine piece. At a town hall in her district this week, she refused to hear questions from the press, and in fact, had reporters escorted from the meeting by the sheriff simply for trying to ask a question about it. (She had told the press ahead of time that they were not allowed to ask questions or talk to anyone at the town hall, which is, of course, not how any of this works. It's called the First Amendment.)
Marjorie Taylor Greene's account has deleted 19 tweets in the last 12 hours. Greene is also scrubbing her Faceboo… https://t.co/H3x1O6u3ML— andrew kaczynski (@andrew kaczynski) 1611849581.0
And what of the response in Congress? One member, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) has introduced a resolution to have her removed, as she poses "a clear and present danger to Congress and our democray."
Meanwhile, the GOP has seated her on the House Education and Labor Committee.
#ExpelMarjorieTaylorGreene if you have any respect whatsoever for the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting. https://t.co/bdxhYzLpYn— Cody Baker 𓆦 (@Cody Baker 𓆦) 1611842148.0
Our country has a decision to make. Are we going to accept conspiracy theorists who harass traumatized teens and families and advocate killing other members of our government in the halls of Congress? Is there really no line that can't be crossed by people we put in power?
Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert care more about protecting guns than protecting children, our most precio… https://t.co/j6U1BIoKZ6— Lily (@Lily) 1611850212.0
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12 non-threatening leadership strategies for women
We mustn't hurt a man's feelings.
Men and the feels.
Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.
In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent.
One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.
Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much?
IS IT?
Sorry, I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo, here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.
Encourage.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When setting a deadline, ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something, instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.
Sharing ideas.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When sharing your ideas, overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead, downplay your ideas as just "thinking out loud," "throwing something out there," or sharing something "dumb," "random," or "crazy."
Email requests.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.
Idea sharing.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting, thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it, no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.
Sexism.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you hear a sexist comment, the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home, with your friends and family, and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.
Mansplain.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that, it might be tempting to say, "I already know that." Instead, have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.
Mistakes.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your "hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.
Promotions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry, opportunistic, and transparent. Instead, ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.
Rude.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time, and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.
Interruptions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you get interrupted, you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead, simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.
Collaboration.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When collaborating with a man, type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.
Disagreements.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When all else fails, wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man-like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact, you may even get a quick promotion!
In conclusion...
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a "secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.
About the Author: Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a writer, comedian, and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings, is out now.
The comedic book cover.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace, Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.
This article was originally published on March 25, 2019.