the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano in August State.

Representative Corey Paris advises constituents via Instagram to look out for one another as federal immigration and Customs Enforcement ramped up activity in Connecticut and beyond.

Paris Post went viral after being shared by a right-wing social media account that account and ices account amplify the message calling on Paris to be criminally charged for his initial post.

Some of the response was ugly and focus instead on the black lawmakers, skin color.

Here to talk about political violence and its proliferation through social media is Corey Paris.

There you see him right there.

Democratic state representative out of Stanford Representative Perez, thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank you so much for having me.

Frank.

Appreciate it.

Hey, I say that the response was ugly because many of the users seized on a term you used to make everyone aware of a potential threat.

You ask folks to be vigilant.

What we're trying to do with your post.

Well, I think it's very simple.

What I was trying to do with my post, I was just simply trying to provide information in err on the side of caution to all of my constituents and I serve a majority Latino district here in Stanford.

And so it's really important for me to ensure.

> > And not only majority Latino, but a huge population of them.

People in my district are immigrants from Haiti from other Latin American countries from the Ukraine's European countries as well.

It is really important for me to be able to say to them be on the look out for one another piece a this weekend.

We don't want families to be displaced.

If we can help it.

And then it came from a human empathetic point of view, not for any thing that was political, but again, being who I am and the work that I do, all of that is always misconstrued and used politically.

when really, for me, it's just about the human form.

And when you say that your words were misconstrued, what were some of the responses that you receive from folks?

What were they saying that was totally against it sounds like your intention.

> > O well, you know, I I mean, where do you want to begin?

And I and it almost happened it almost happened > > look, let me say that is I think the biggest piece around this has been.

Help us understand in terms of the rhetoric that people were sharing, something that.

> > shouldn't it shouldn't.

> > I would say that he did here and I think that's what I'm trying to be careful about, you know, share some of the rhetoric.

Rhetoric was was a visible and it was certainly divisive.

And most of the rhetoric rhetoric was racially based.

and inflamed.

And so there are people who made comments such as you know, we have many people in our family.

We have many black people in our family tree back.

Many of them are hanging outside right now.

We could use room for one more.

We got many calls both to me personally and also to my my office of folks saying that while they were going to be the ones to do it, but someone some great person in this country, some great American would be the one to do the job hanging me from a tree that I was a traitor that the end.

We're done.

They use any and you know, the inward with ER in the end.

it was just terrible.

It was a was incredibly terrible things that were say it's terrible and we don't want anybody to share it and repeat it.

But the reason why we're bringing it up, I think is because if you especially with lynching.

> > We want to understand why somebody would would say that.

I'm a situation that it's certainly uncalled for.

And I guess understanding the distinction between those kind of threats and lynching and I just want to know why what the intention behind > > Well, I think it's pretty that is.

it's it's pretty visible.

You know, as a black elected leader, the threats don't always look the same as it would for my white counterparts and colleagues sometimes the threads are rooted in race.

Sometimes they're rooted in power and sometimes are rooted in fear.

And these direct intimidation from federal authorities, specifically ice that I face in ways that no American should face whatsoever.

And I feel like the situation of was used to weaponize and silence debate in participation around trying to keep people the key here is that it was political coercion and not necessarily public safety.

So I think for for me, what's really important is that people understand that I didn't say anything different than any of my other colleagues, both white and black.

It said.

But black elected officials got you know, targeted are more strangely then then white elected officials.

And I think that that is unfortunate.

My family was directly threatened.

My my family members outside of the state were directly threatened.

We were.

Seriously concerned about our safety, but also concerned about the safety of other elected officials who may be dealing with this.

And and it's it's hard to be able to trust the institutions are upheld to defend its people, its citizens and to protect its citizens when they are the propagating the of the very violence against said Citizen.

And I think that's a concern for me, not just for me, but it should be concern for every American in this country.

I appreciate you sharing that testimony very much.

I want to know how did your colleagues both Democrats and Republicans respond to these threats against you?

> > Yeah, well, you know, this may be a much harder to put out there.

But look.

> > I was deeply and and honored to have such support from and so many people across.

Our state, but certainly from my colleagues in the House and the Senate for they're reaching out.

They all publicly defended me > > you know, nearly 30 or 40 of them publicly defended the in a press conference.

> > At the Capitol and in.

> > I think also so many of our constitution, leaders from our Lieutenant Governor to our attorney general were very supportive as well.

My Republican colleagues, there were some Republican colleagues who did reach out and there are other Republican colleagues who, in fact, did fit Flay fanned the flames of some of the rhetoric which was concerning to me and also hurtful because I've always prided myself on being a and elected official that can work across party lines that can do bipartisan > > solutions that have bipartisan solutions to big challenges that we're facing the state on issues that are often divisive and polarizing.

And so for this to be an opportunity that some that some colleagues have rallied around me and others had not.

You know, that was obviously very hurtful.

But I believe that that right there, what I have to remember is that that provides an opportunity and environment for dissent and where there is no dissent.

There is no democracy and or freedom and so I welcome that dissent.

Whether I agree with it or not, whether I believe it's misguided or not, but I welcome that this is being part of the American process.

And I think that that is a part of our government and our values that must be protected.

Moving forward before we talk about how you are going to move forward from this and continue on that, I just want to really understand the role of social media in this conversation.

> > Because there was an account that shared what you had said and made it go viral.

And then there were some unfortunate consequences as a result of that.

So help us understand how social media can make this whole situation worse.

> > Well, I think the biggest thing is here, Frank, is that when I raised concerns about how immigrant families in Connecticut were being treated in particularly treat children.

I found myself suddenly on a list and I don't think that that was by coincidence.

If someone like me with a platform and legal protections can be intimidated.

Imagine the impossible choice that puts that that that puts on families every day, especially families are being targeted because of their immigration status I've spoken to mothers who won't leave their home to bring their children to school.

I've spoken to young people terrified of speaking up, get their entire family taken I I also know that this is not just about politics, but it's also about safety and dignity and belonging.

And we should not shy away from that.

The problem is right now is that the social media aspect is driving all of the conversations to both ends of the spectrum on in terms of extremism.

So, you know, someone asked me yesterday, what can they do to help defend defend the union and try to protect the Republic.

Well, here's the thing you got to organize.

And then they as we the question was, should we be preaching to the same choir that that believes the same things that we believe in or should we be preaching to the other side?

I think the other side, whether you're Republican or Democrat, whatever you may feel the other sides have to come to the middle if they're going to come to the middle, you can't bring them there with your believes in your rhetoric.

It is important, however, to keep talking to the people who are in your choirs.

So therefore, that does mean, you know, having these conversations on social media in a safe in a safe manner in a in a respectful manner.

It is about sharing information that people may not necessarily know what's going on because my fear also is so many people are tuning out what's actually happening with our reality simply because simply because they don't want to see this happen.

They don't want to believe it's happening and the desecration of our very institutions is unfolding right before our eyes.

The only way that we can do that is by sharing this information the best way possible.

The Western District, major crime squad in capital of the police are investigating the case.

Has there been any progress?

Are you?

> > Any closer to feeling a little bit better about the situation.

Any details you can share with us.

> > Well, Frankie, I'm not going to wade into a a federal or statewide investigation in terms of all the hate crimes that have been brought against me and my family, I'm going to let the brave men and women who are serving in these in these roles be able to do what they do best and find ways to continue to uncover what's happening.

What I would like to do is for us to explore ways in the Legislature to better protect our elected officials because I'm not I may be the first at this level in Connecticut that has spread to a national and prominence or, you know, I do.

We want to say that it was prominent, but in terms of being on people's radars.

It was a national story.

I know I won't be the last.

And so my concern is for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that may one day face this.

I can't speak to where we are with with an investigation, but it's still happening in terms of us moving forward.

I think what's most important is that we were certainly shaken by this experience, but we won't be moved by this experience.

And so we want to continue to do the work for the people that we were elected to do as best and as safely as we can do it.

Corey Paris is a Democratic state representative out of Stanford.

We appreciate you sharing with us at a time when.

> > Here are the target of the type of ballots were violence we're talking about on the show.

Have a nice day.

Representative parents, we thank you so much for coming on this show.

Thank you so much.

After a quick break, we'll ask an African American studies professor to analyze the interview.

We just had and the rhetoric associated with discourse involving advocates for social justice in the modern age.

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