Black Congresswoman threatened after Beck website posts edited video
An African-American Congresswoman from New York was forced to call the police on Thursday after she says an edited video posted on Glenn Beck's website incited threats of violence against her.
Judith Kargbo, a spokeswoman for Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), confirmed to Raw Story that the Congresswoman's office had asked Capital Police to investigate calls threatening the lawmaker.
"On April 19th, the congresswoman went within the district to speak to Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform," Kargbo explained. "There she was giving an overview of her agenda in Congress and pretty much using the example of the tea party to show how important mobilization is and organization is."
"That clip that was originally on the Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform site was edited and was posted up on TheBlaze.com, and that of course is Glenn Beck's website," she continued. "That was edited down and what people were taking away from it was that the congresswoman was saying that all tea party members are crazy and all tea party individuals show the ugly side of the United States."
Kargbo said there were a "range of calls" after the video was posted. While some were very respectful, one was "threatening in nature."
"Something to the effect -- I don't have the exact words -- of, 'She thinks we're crazy, that b-word has not seen nothing yet,'" she recalled.
"Things like that we have to take seriously," Kargbo explained, noting that the Congresswoman's office is located next to the office where former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) worked before being shot in 2011.
In a statement on Thursday, Clarke pointed out that the threats "demonstrate the volatile political environment of 2012."
"Know that I find it extremely disappointing that my words were edited and removed from context," she added. "I stand by my statement and I will not be intimidated by those who use fear to make their point known."
During her remarks to Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform the congresswoman had pointed to an incident where members of the tea party allegedly hurled racial epithets at two African-American congressmen, Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). Clarke said she had dismissed many members of the tea party as "crazy" before they successfully elected 39 members to the House of Representatives.
The video posted on Beck's website had first been edited and published by Andrew Breitbart's Breitbart.com.
Former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod sued Breitbart last year after another one of his websites published a selectively edited clip that led to her firing.
Part 1, part 2 and part 3 of Clarke's unedited remarks can be viewed on YouTube.
Watch the unedited video from Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform.
Watch the deceptively edited version of Clarke's remarks from Breitbart.com.
(h/t: Capital New York)