NYS leaders briefed how to 'tone down' rhetoric which leads to political violence

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — This week, top leaders in New York were briefed by state Homeland Security officials about the responsibility of toning down rhetoric that can lead to political violence. The discussion comes in the wake of the political assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“We need to make it less acceptable to use the type of rhetoric that leads to increased threats, and if we make that less acceptable, the threats will come down,” said Jackie Bray, New York’s commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. “Language that calls people vermin or enemies of America, that is all language that ramps up political violence. What we need right now are political leaders to ramp it down, to watch the words that they use, understanding that they have a responsibi