Alabama Lawmaker Sends Racially Charged Email to Gun Owner

Montgomery, AL — An Alabama lawmaker blasted a gun-rights-supporting constituent as some kind of hillbilly in a racially charged rant sent from his government email account.

The constituent, identified as Eddie Maxwell, who appears to be a strong Second Amendment advocate, sent a mass email to all of the state’s lawmakers expressing his opinion (which may or may not be correct) that any new gun control legislation would violate their oaths of office based on Alabama Supreme Court precedent.

State Representative Joe Mitchell (D – Mobile), who has been in office since 1994, responded as follows, with copies to all of his colleagues:

” Hey man. You have used the word ‘except’ when I think you mean somethin’ else. Hey man. Your folk never used all this sheit to protect my folk from your slave-holding, murdering, adulterous, baby-raping, incestuous, snaggle-toothed, backward-a**ed, inbreed, imported criminal-minded kin folk. You can keep sending me stuff like you have however because it helps me explain to my constituents why they should protect that 2nd amendment thing AFTER we finish stocking up on spare parts, munitions and the like.Bring it. As one of my friends in the Alabama Senate suggested – “BRING IT!!!!”

Maxwell subsequently responded to Rep. Mitchell in another mass email, in part, that “That’s not the type of reply I expect to receive from a state legislator. The lack of response to your racist comments from your fellow members speaks volumes about the state of our legislature as a whole. I’m not a racist and I find your reply to be especially offensive considering the position you hold.”

According to the AL.com website, “Mitchell, who is black, did not respond to email and telephone messages from AL.com seeking comment this week.”

The two men subsequently had a further exchange that was mostly about civil rights rather than gun rights specifically.

Democrats seem to be engaging in damage control following the release of the emails. Craig Ford, House Minority leader, has denounced the email from his fellow Democrat Joe Mitchell: “I assure you that Joseph Mitchell does not speak for Democrats or anyone else other than himself.” The Alabama Democrat Party released a statement stating that “Recent inflammatory remarks made by Representative Joseph Mitchell do not represent the values of Alabama Democrats.”

The Alabama House of Representatives could reprimand Mitchell for his offensive email comments to Eddie Maxwell.