A Michigan lawmaker is under fire for a Facebook post showing a stack of loaded firearm magazines and alluding to George Floyd protests, according to a report.
State Rep. Gary Eisen said in a social media post that a client came into his welding shop and alleged that those involved in the nationwide protests and riots are “liberals” because “liberals look for trouble and civil unrest and Conservatives PREPARE for it.”
“… so i thought maybe I will load up a few more mags….,” Eisen wrote, alongside a photo of several magazines and target ammunition.
The post drew a rebuke from dozens of Facebook users, including one poster who replied, “Your statement alone shows you are wanting something to happen and you should be representing the people who are being oppressed by a system that wants them dead.”
One resident, Jim Soto, called for Eisen to quit his state legislative post.
“He should resign,” Soto told the Detroit News. “There’s no ifs, and or buts about it. This isn’t a joke.”
But Eisen said Tuesday the post was meant sarcastically, and accused detractors of trying to “make something out of nothing,” the Detroit News reported.
“I’m not threatening anybody,” he told the outlet. “I’m just saying I have the right to go in my house and protect myself.”
And many responding to his Facebook post agreed.
“Very wise words, it never hurts to be prepared as the old motto goes!” one man wrote. “We the people of God and the Patriots need to stand firm so our foundational beliefs don’t vanish from our State and Our Country, the hearts of our people!”
Eisen, a St. Clair Township Republican, said he supports the protests, but not the violence and looting that have resulted in some cities.
The death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day has sparked nationwide outrage and protests that have periodically turned violent.