A pro-life U.S. Congressional candidate from New Jersey received a letter threatening him and his seven children Tuesday, according to his campaign.
Jay Webber, a pro-life Republican running for the 11th Congressional District of New Jersey, said the letter was delivered to his business office in Whippany, NJ.com reports.
“What the f— is wrong with you… you scumbag?” the letter states. “You BETTER hope that you don’t win! Or else. How many kids do you have… 7? Unlucky 7.”
It also criticized Webber’s pro-life position, saying, “You think the Gov’t should have the ‘right’ to manage a women’s [sic] healthcare including right to abortion??”
The letter and a ripped up campaign sign apparently arrived together, The Hill reports. Webber posted photos of both on his Twitter page, along with a statement on the threat.
“Criticizing a candidate on the issues is part of politics,” he wrote. “Threatening my children is not. We are thankful for the support of law enforcement as we work to find whoever is behind this gutless act. We will not be intimidated as we work to make #NJ11 better for everyone.”
His campaign said they gave the letter to the state police for investigation.
The race between Webber and his Democrat opponent, Mikie Sherrill, is close, with the latest poll showing Sherrill with just a narrow lead, according to the local news.
Webber is endorsed by the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List and has a 100-percent pro-life voting record from New Jersey Right to Life.
Reports of assaults, vandalism, threats and other harassment against pro-life advocates have been increasing rapidly in the past several months. These range from threats against prominent pro-life politicians like U.S. Reps. Chris Smith, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Steve Scalise to a Missouri sidewalk counselor who had a gun pointed at him.
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Last week, a Democrat connected to Planned Parenthood and billionaire George Soros was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Republican woman in Nevada. The attack happened just a few days after two Minnesota Republican candidates said they also were assaulted by left-wing protesters.
At least four Republican party offices have been vandalized in the past month. Someone vandalized the office of U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a pro-life Republican leader, this month as well, the Daily Caller reports.
In September, a popular conservative blogger was under police protection after she received rape and death threats because of a pro-life tweet. In June, a Florida man who volunteers at Planned Parenthood was arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill pro-life U.S. Rep. Brian Mast’s children. Then in August, someone threatened to rape and kill the family of a pro-life advocate with Operation Rescue.
This fall, Students for Life of America also reported a spate of vandalisms, including posters being torn down at Woodson High School in Virginia, signs and flags being stolen at University of Nebraska-Omaha, and posters being torn down at Robert Morris University and Kutztown University. Abortion activists also vandalized pro-life students’ displays at Xavier University in Ohio and St. Louis University, the pro-life group said.
LifeNews has documented nearly 30 incidents targeting pro-lifers in the past 30 days.