SIMS: When Public Officials Spew Hate, Our Communities Suffer

Hateful and violent rhetoric from those in positions of public trust is not just offensive—it erodes the foundation of community, civility, and democracy itself. The assassination of Charlie Kirk should have been met with grief and calls for healing. Instead, some public figures and leaders in New Hampshire responded with mockery, cruelty, and rhetoric that normalizes political violence.

Keene City Councilor Bobby Williams’ inflammatory Facebook posts after Kirk’s death exemplify this dangerous trend. Calling Kirk a “piece of [expletive] who promoted gun violence and died by gun violence,” and coldly dismissing Kirk’s family’s grief with “His wife made her choice. His kids need to know,” Williams chose cruelty over compassion. Beyond his words, Williams posed smiling in a photo with another individual holding a sign declaring “86 47”—a phrase that chillingly signals support for “getting rid of” President Donald Trump. His actions and words are not isolated incidents but patterns of deeply divisive, politicized hatred. Despite over a thousand community signatures demanding his resignation, the Keene City Council voted 11–4 against disciplinary action, with many members remaining silent or hiding behind free speech claims. This failure to hold Williams accountable is alarming.

It is vital to understand that public pressure for Williams—or any official—to step down is not about suppressing free speech. It is a call for accountability, basic decency, and responsibility from those we elect to serve all constituents with respect and integrity. Free speech does not protect public officials who weaponize hate and mock assassination to stoke division.

I share these concerns not just as a community member but as someone personally engaged in leadership roles across multiple fields in New Hampshire. I hold an MFA in Theatre, coach gymnastics for girls and women in Keene, and serve as the Southern NH Chapter Leader of the Independent Women’s Network as well as the New Hampshire State Chapter Leader for The WalkAway Campaign, having walked away from the Democratic Party in 2019. These roles emphasize my commitment to leadership founded on respect, inclusion, and empowerment—values that hateful rhetoric utterly contradicts.

I am especially disturbed by Jamie Bradley, Executive Director of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, who posted “Anti Vaxxer finally gets shot” with a laughing emoji soon after Kirk’s assassination. For a leader deeply embedded in the arts and involved with children, such a statement is despicable. How can we trust a cultural institution led by someone who openly celebrates violence? How can artists or audiences support or engage in a space that tolerates this? The integrity of and public trust in community institutions hinge on leaders embodying respect, empathy, and responsibility.

The call to action is clear:

Keene residents must demand that their City Council unequivocally condemn hateful rhetoric and take meaningful action to hold officials like Bobby Williams accountable.

The Seacoast community, including patrons and artists, should urge the board of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre to address Jamie Bradley’s conduct publicly and transparently.

Constituents across New Hampshire must hold public and community leaders to standards that protect human dignity and reject divisiveness and violence.

When local officials normalize hateful speech and mock violent tragedy, they degrade public trust and threaten the democratic values that bind us. It is up to all of us to insist on leaders who uplift our communities rather than tear them apart.

New Hampshire deserves better. Our future depends on leadership that respects our shared humanity and stands firmly against hateful rhetoric in all its forms.