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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowEditor’s note: The following story contains profanity.
Zionsville Mayor Emily Styron expressed her frustration about gun violence in the United States in a profanity-filled Facebook tirade last week following a school shooting in Texas that took the lives of 19 children.
Guy Relford, an attorney and host of the WIBC 93.1 FM radio program “The Gun Guy,” posted a screenshot of her Facebook comments Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.
Styron’s comments were written late last week during a conversation about gun-ownership rights involving several individuals on the Facebook page of Robert Goodman Jewelers, which had opened the thread by asking for political change and showing support for gun-free spaces.
Styron responded to a Facebook user named Joel Bardach by writing, “F— you. I am so sick and tired of the stupid, useless rhetoric by jack asses like you when it comes to gun regulation. F—ing sick and tired of mass murders [of] OUR F—ING CHILDREN… it’s time for the majority who know that gun permits and banning automatic weapons is COMMON F—ING SENSE. So yeah, F— YOU.”
IBJ added hyphens to the profanities, which Styron spelled out in full.
Styron went on to write that she was “the f—ing mayor of this town” and called the commenter a “f—ing a–hole.”
I'm so proud to live in Zionsville, where we have a dignified stateswoman like @styron_emily as Mayor – always willing to engage in a constructive dialogue with her constituents (or not).
I'll be discussing her unhinged, profane rant with @hammerandnigel on @93wibc today at 3:35 pic.twitter.com/WWKzooR16z
— Guy Relford (@guyrelford) May 31, 2022
Styron told IBJ on Tuesday that she posted the comments from her personal Facebook account the morning after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers on May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The thread, however, has a May 26 start date and Styron didn’t comment until May 27.
“As a mom and a mayor, I woke up that morning just so angry and so frustrated that it takes more work to be able to exercise our constitutional right to vote than it does to get a semi-automatic weapon and go in and shooting a whole classroom of people,” Styron said Tuesday.
Styron, the second mayor in Zionsville history and a Democrat in a community led by an all-Republican town council, called the system of gun regulation in the United States “broken.”
She also pointed to a lack of gun control legislation in the years since a gunman killed 20 students and six staff members in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
“My oldest child was around 10 or 11 when Sandy Hook happened … and my youngest child is now 10 years old, and we are seeing the same sort of horrific violence happen again in America,” she said.
Many Twitter users responded to Relford’s post expressing support for Styron’s comments, while others questioned if a mayor should use profanity on a public forum.
Styron said she noted during her 2019 campaign for mayor that she uses colorful language at times. She added that she thinks she could have had “a more genteel and appropriate, less vulgar response to that gentleman,” but preventing gun violence is an issue she is passionate about.
She worries that increased access to guns as a result of the new Indiana law that eliminates the license requirement to carry a handgun will lead to more violence. It’s a concern, she said, for Zionsville’s police department and community.
“I am done listening to people who want to argue ‘but my rights,’” she said. “I’m just done. I want us to be mad and to elect people into public office who are going to protect our communities, our children, our teachers, our churches.”
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yawn
What did Joel say to set her off? Would be nice to have the full context.
SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED
Hey Eddy, the Second Amendment is not an absolute right. The courts have allowed “infringement” of gun ownership by the mentally ill and felons. The Heller decision by the Supreme Court only upheld the individual right to own a hand gun in your own home (it conveniently neglected that whole “well regulated militia” reference in the amendment). No court has yet ruled on an individual’s right to buy or possess a semi-automatic gun that can mow down children in less than a minute. Perhaps that’s why the NRA’s Republican sycophants do not want to propose banning such weapons. They know it is likely even this Supreme Court would uphold such a ban.
Remember when the founding father who physically wrote the constitution and bill of rights said he assumed it would change in the future based on the changes to society…..
And yet we now have a society with the world of knowledge at our fingertips and citizens only 30% as intelligent as prior generations….
Well regulated militia
The founding fathers in their wisdom did provide a way to change the constitution based on the changes to society. It is called the amendment process. An amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.
The “gun guy” is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the NRA and Jim Lucas. He profits off the bills he writes.
When it made a hard right turn toward more talk and less news, WIBC lost my respect years ago. Its hosts feed hate and anger with conspiracy theories, misinformation, half-truths, and just plain nonsense. They contribute nothing to a civil society. Dead air would be much better.
You’re right..just like CNN
Sounds like CNN, MSNBC, NPR, ABC, NBC, ABC, the NYT, LA Times,
Boston Globe, ect……. All media outlets that went from straight news to
Leftwing activism.
WELL REGULATED
See, I can quote the Second Amendment too.
+
@ Ed….wasn’t there something about ” well regulated “?….
Jolf R. ~ Eddy has never read the Militia Act of 1792 which actually clarifies the matter. He likely believes the Founding Fathers created the 2nd Amendment so that citizens could overthrow their own government, when it actually allows the federal government to call militia members to bring their own weapons and put down an insurrection against the government. No wonder Heller skipped over that “well regulated militia” reference!
The country wouldn’t exist if those dumb tax-hating ornery hayseeds hadn’t had the capacity, through firearms and self-defense, to overthrow a tyrannical government.
As someone else noted, if the US turns into a modern-day Gilead (the paranoid fever dream of many on your political cult), how would you be able to stop all the women from getting turned into handmaids if you cannot subvert such tyranny?
The dictator of the nation to the north of us seems very worried about his position, as reflected on his goal to introduce a sweeping handgun ban. Should tell you everything you need to know, after his tyrannical treatment of the truckers, about how badly he wants his subjects to fear him. The 2nd Amendment is a bulwark against the repeal of the other 9.
Lauren B. – There you go again, not knowing what you are talking about. First of all, nowhere in our Nation’s founding documents is there a case made for the people’s “right to arms” in order to overthrow their own government. Our Declaration of Independence does not cite such a circumstance, and most certainly neither does our Constitution. To the contrary, the 2nd Amendment’s reference to a “well regulated militia” (which was conveniently ignored in the Heller decision) is beautifully clarified in the Militia Act of 1792. Because you apparently are either unable or simply don’t care to study up on such things, let me help you. The Act requires state militias to self-arm in preparation for a call by the president to put down insurrections against the federal government. Got it?
Brent B.
So why is there a second amendment then??
Every time Lauren B. posts I grab popcorn and debate sending roses…bravo!
Really?? This is ok language for an elected official, a supposed leader? Basically all the guy said was gun control has not worked in Chicago & NY the problem is mental illness. Just an opinion. Congrats to you Zville voters.
Paul A. ~ Gun advocates who say tighter restrictions on gun availability and ownership don’t work – and anecdotally cite gun deaths in large cities like Chicago and New York – have no way of knowing how many gun deaths were prevented by those restrictions. As usual, they don’t know what they are talking about.
Brent, given that Chicago currently has a homicide rate approaching that of Latin American cities, we probably don’t want to know who has been prevented from such mayhem. But if that’s the best you can offer, you can only continue to feign perplexity about why your top-down initiatives seem so toothless. If a criminally minded scumbag is hellbent on making a name for himself (or herself, but mostly himself), he will find away. Australia has all but banned and confiscated firearms, but the New Zealand shooter found access and managed to smuggle them into another highly restrictive country to carry out his carnage in Christchurch.
Perhaps the high concentration of crappy, criminally minded people in these urban centers has more to do with their homicides than access to guns. After all, gun crime in small-town and rural America is basically (not completely, but mostly) unheard of, and those people are armed to the teeth. Based on the access of guns, we should be hearing about shootings in towns smaller than Uvalde all the time, and the media would be chomping at the bit to report it.
Lauren B. – Is citing a single mass shooting in New Zealand the best you can do to make you can for unfettered access to semi-automatic guns that can massacre school children? Furthermore, if your fictional “criminally minded scumbag” is “hellbent on making a name for himself” has other options why hasn’t he used them already? I’ll tell you why. It is more difficult than obtaining military-style guns, which results in more fatalities in less time.
Brent – let’s see gun death data in urban (democratic MSAs) cities and specifically people under 20 years old and compare to other demographics…
Not just what the media reports. Actual data.
I’ll wait…
JCB, there’s only 3/100 Republican run cities in America…. You know the places that supply the GDP to support most of the state?
You’re asking for skewed data that wont even support your point…
Quality Elected Official…Glad she is in Zionsville…
A sad example of “leadership” for sure. If she is not embarrassed by her words after the fact, that is even more problematic …
Really so sick of the deflection toward mental illness care, harden defenses at schools, or blame the police response when the true issue is ready access to guns. Here us an 18 year old kid who had no problem acquiring two AR-15 assault style weapons (sounds like something every 18 year old wants for their birthday) and a cache of ammunition just days after his birthday. Is it so hard to face that reality without a selective reading of the Constitution?
100%. Especially when the same “leaders” who deflect toward mental illness have no interest in actually providing funding to make mental health care affordable and accessible to those that need it.
I mean, Connecticut has done everything it can to curtail “ready access to guns” and yet Sandy Hook still happened a decade ago.
New York State has been very pro-active about stopping access to firearms, which did nothing to stop the Buffalo shooter or the near-daily array of firearm-related crimes (including quite a few mass shootings) in New York City.
If 18-year-olds are “kids” (never mind that the law says otherwise), what’s the right age to start allowing the purchase of firearms? 21? 47? The Las Vegas shooter was in his 60s, if I recall correctly. So was the recent subway shooter in NYC.
You do realize that any 18-year-old who successfully enlists gets to receive far greater assault-style weaponry than AR-15s, which are not assault nor automatic?
Lauren B. – Like all gun-crazed advocates, you claim tighter restrictions on gun availability and ownership don’t work – and anecdotally cite gun deaths in large cities like Chicago and New York as if to prove your “facts.” But you have no way of knowing how many gun deaths were prevented by those restrictions, do you? Simply put, you don’t know what you are talking about.
Brent, I don’t even own a gun. “Gun crazed.” LOL.
I’m not a slobbering ideologue who thinks every human failing can be solved through top down government fiats, like you.
Just because you belong to a hivemind doesn’t mean most people do. There is still a funny thing called volition, doncha know. You can mock the notion of “evil” as being something for those quaint, churchy people, but your attempt to supplant government with religion is playing itself out, quite predictably, with carnage in big cities where people keep scratching their heads and blaming guns as they continue to let hardened criminals out on bail.
Lauren B. – Stay on topic. Your diversions to other issues when you are losing the argument is telling. You’re like the pinball that bounces off the rubber looking for but not scoring any points.
Brent–
I know it’s terrifying and highly unpleasant, but Keith answered precisely. 2A is a reminder that muskets and militias helped thwart tyranny in the 1770s and could do so again today. Rationalize all you want, because we know you want the government to be able to exact complete and perfect control over people. A situation like Australia or Canada–where people couldn’t leave their homes without their masks, even when walking alone–is a dream come true for a government who does not fear its populace.
The fact that you have to resort to “think of all the ADITIONAL deaths Chicago and New York might have if not for their gun restrictions” is one of the most embarrassing unintentional self-owns you’ve engaged. We know how dysfunctional these places are even WITH the gun restrictions. And most of them have been run by one party for over a half century. I’m not partisan enough to suggest that GOP big-city mayors (rare though they may be) are perfect at reducing crime. But the difference between Giuliani/Bloomberg in De Blasio is evident to anyone with eyes and a pulse.
If you think that a reference to human volition is “diversions to other issues” perhaps its because you’re so programmed into top-down thinking (the government enacts, the people obey) that you no longer know what volition means. If you ever did.
Where do we send the check in support of the Mayor’s reelection.
The people of Zionsville support and stand with our Mayor. We’re all tired of this 🤬 —-t.
I live in Zionsville and do not agree with mayor foul-mouth. This only proves she cannot control her anger.
No we don’t.
I cannot agree with an uncouth bully who uses her elected position to create division in our town. Her profane attack on social media without apology is still another embarrassment. We thought we were getting a new mayor, instead we’ve gotten a publicity seeking activist with a hair-trigger temper.
No chance the majority supports her anymore, she had her chance and completely came off the rails. No politician should ever engage in public conversation like she did. Unprofessional on so many levels and should draw attention to other decisions her regime has tried. The clock is ticking for a replacement!
Nothing to see here, just a bunch of cowards online opining on how a woman should speak instead of doing literally anything else worthwhile.
It doesn’t matter if it had been a man, woman, or wild animal… trying to make your point with profanity-laced conversation, devalues your points.
+1 Glen.
You’ve got that right. If you can’t handle a few F-bombs but can handle children being murdered, who’s the real problem?
Millions of us share her fury, grief and outrage at these mass shootings. If Democrats struggle to bring about meaningful change in this country, it is entirely possible that it’s because we’re usually too f**king polite. And one suspects the same men who are clutching their proverbial pearls over our female mayor’s use of the f-word have never once complained about the profanity-laced (and completely nonsensical) tirades that regularly spewed from the mouth of their Lord and Savior, Grab-em-by-the-Pu**y Trump.
Don’t worry Andrea: most of us have seen the morbidly obese blue-haired women screaming “f–k!” outside the Houston Convention Center and we don’t exactly mistake Dems for Jane Austen wannabes.
I mean with arguments like the one posed by Styron, how can the firearm debate even continue? So persuasive.
But it is nice to see you play the gender card to deflect Styron from any responsibility from her childish tirade, or to bring up the ex-president who still lays claim to 88% of your gray matter. The recent (barely covered) episode in West Virginia notwithstanding, the only thing more skewed toward males than mass shooters is the male tendency to thwart the mass shooters.
Lauren B. – The 19 armed, uniformed officers at the Uvalde school apparently lacked the “male tendency” to thwart an 18-year old with a semi-automatic weapon as he massacred 19 children. Think about that. Nineteen adult, armed males versus one individual armed with a semi-automatic weapon. Pretty good odds for the good guys with guns, right? Then again, maybe the bad guy’s semi-automatic gun upset those odds. Maybe the 19 armed guys realized that.
Lauren B’s wonderful response to you, Andrea S., is spot-on.
I would argue that as an elected official who is supposed to be able to show grace and class, using F-bombs and other profanity to make your point devalues your conversation. Just my perspective.
Glen F. – Do you feel the same about Trump when he utters his F-bombs and other profanity to make his points? What is your “perspective” when he does it?
Brent, did I mention one word about political affiliation or whether I support Trump or not? You clearly missed the point! I don’t care if it’s a Democrat, Republican, independent, or unicorn…keep it classy when you’re in higher office.
Glen F. – Read my comment again. I never mentioned your political affiliation or admiration (or lack thereof) for Trump. But I apparently touched a nerve with you, for some reason. Compared to the mayor of Noblesville, the ex-president is the champion of F-bombs and profanities and has a long record of shockingly nasty language.
Brent, read my comment again. There is no implied suggestion of a political affiliation but you confabulated such. I would call it trying to change the subject or gaslighting perhaps on your part? Stay focused please on the subject at hand (Zville mayor).
OH yes all those Amy Vanderbilt Polite and etiquette inspired Democrats that demonstrated after the election by walking around with vaginas on their heads.
Stating “F&$@ you” is as mean-spirited as it gets and ends any conversation right there. And using “F-ing” to describe children is just vulgar and unacceptable. There has to be a more suitable role for her than mayor.
While the media makes this a gun thing, it was a human being who did this.
Typically, “mass shootings are socially contagious and when one really big one happens and gets a lot of media attention, we tend to see others follow.” The media has more responsibility in this than the guns. When do we face the real issue and look at the human beings who do this, and common characteristics of all these shootings. Some expert people have looked and make the quote above. Is our society willing to do something meaningful, or just ban “high caliber 9mm” as Biden says. (Political prattle is not intended for people who understand the words the pol uses.)
Mental health is complex, and often goes back to child abuse, in particular children abused young and defenseless. Child welfare workers and mental health workers too long have been underpaid and overworked. An equal amount of carnage can be done with motor vehicles and gasoline. It is time for the message to be about the human beings who did these horrible acts.
Fred S. – Just for clarification, “it was a human who did this” WITH A GUN who purchased the weapon (actually two of them) in a state where a permit is not even required. Which means a background check is not performed. Which means there is zero chance to deny this human from acquiring a weapon that massacred 19 children in their school. This is the real message about a human being that did this horrible act.
Hopefully we’ll be rid of potty-mouth Emily in a couple of years. Another emotional leftie that can’t control themselves. People like this should never be in leadership positions.
Nice to have you checking in on this, Lauren B; thanks so much for so eloquently refuting the intellectually-challenged among us.
As a Life Member of the National Rifle Association since 1972, I would support raising the age to buy firearms to 21 ONLY IF we concurrently restored the minimum voting age to 21. Having 18-year-olds vote has damaged the country as much as that same demographic has done with firearms, although it is admittedly more difficult to quantify.
So, as usual in these mass-murder instances, we focus on the vehicle, not the vehicle’s driver. For those of us with functioning brains willing to engage in honest introspection, here’s the unvarnished truth about what has happened in our society. Writer John Davidson is correct, though; there’s no law we can pass to correct this. But that doesn’t change the reality of it.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/05/27/school-shootings-arent-caused-by-faulty-gun-laws-but-by-the-collapse-of-the-family/
Thanks, Brent; ‘glad to amuse you. I assume you didn’t bother to expose yourself to John Davidson’s excellent treatise? Or did you? And if you did, what is it there with which you disagree?
Personally, I’m happy to see the Indiana Democrat Party come out with full support for Mayor Styron. It proves who they are, not that there was ever any doubt. This is great fun…
The attack (and subsequent collapse) of the American family which is on parental accountability is the cause for 99% of the failure of society in our country today.
Pick a topic.
Done and done.
JCB agree wholeheartedly!
She’s a kook and is on her way out. Good riddance
It’s a gun problem, it’s a mental health problem, we have too many guns, we need more guns, it’s a family values problem, we need more thoughts and prayers, we need to do something, “shall not be infringed”, “a well-regulated militia”, blah, blah, blah. For every cause or specific variable cited or change proposed, there are counterexamples cherry-picked by the other side to attempt to refute the position – in the service of “proof” that we simply have to live with the heart-rending result of our own making.
We can’t see the forest for the trees, unfortunately – it is a predominantly US problem. We simultaneously contribute 5% of the world’s population and 30% of the world’s mass shootings. We are at the same time the world’s wealthiest country so heavily armed while having the worst gun violence problem and where a distinct minority of us claims that nothing can be done to improve the situation while at the same time we insist American ingenuity reigns supreme. Why not do all of the above – improved school safety, red flag laws, improved background checks, improved police training, raise the age limit, improve access to mental health care, tighten regulation on certain weaponry and see if the problem can improve over ensuing years? Seems our 5 and 30 problem noted above is a great case study on what recalcitrance and failure to get out of the starting blocks yields. Why not at least try to get out of our own way?
Leaders set examples; this is a poor example of a leader. She goes next election.
She’s no different than Trump. I thought there was going to be ‘more civility’ when Trump lost. It only seems to be getting worse.
Except Trump never used the F bomb. She’s just another leftist bully political hack.
Maybe I’ve become desensitized to profanity in today’s crass and crude world, but I actually have less of an issue with the Mayor Styron’s language than I do with two other issues that Mayor Styron’s commentary exposes: (1) A clear example of someone who believes their opinion is the ONLY one that counts, and (2) an over-inflated sense of her place in this world [“And the ****ing Mayor of this town.”], as too often exhibited by government bureaucrats. Both expose her egotistic nature. Seriously, Zionsville? A very nice town, but let’s face it, not even Single A ball in the world of political importance.
Well said!
Great points!
Nailed it!
2A doesn’t mean what they want it to mean. No, they’re not “coming for your guns” – but it’s time we all admit that having more guns is worse than having less guns.
Let’s get down to the facts. No matter what the subject, it is obvious that the Mayor has a limited vocabulary and only knows one adjective. She may think it makes her look tough but in truth it makes her look classless. Further, when she can only make her point by use of pejorative name calling, it’s obvious she is of limited intellect. She also lacks the comportment one would expect from an elected official, although this seems to get a pass in her party (see Rashida Talib). Perhaps she will soon be making size comparisons a la Lori Lightfoot in Chicago.
Amazed by those who justify her social media bullying, which is what it really is. Most likely they are the same folks that were outraged by “mean tweets,” despite the fact that the mean tweets never contained the F bombs. Hypocrisy abounds.
If this is what Zionsville wants in a Mayor, I’m glad I live in Carmel.
I’m just a country boy. Not ignoring the tragic murders by a mentally sick idiot, why do so many people refer to a “semi-automatic” rifle like this is something unusual? Almost all hunting rifles and self-defense pistols are “semi-automatic” except maybe pump-action shotguns used for hunting water fowl. Non- “semi-automatic” are “manual-action” such as bolt-action, lever-action that were predominate in early 1900s. Full “automatic” weapons, where you hold the trigger and the rifle keeps shooting, i.e., like the military use, are not legal for general sale in US without very strict requirements (police, feds, etc.). (They are also very expensive.)
Ed D., you are correct – it was very likely NOT an AUTOMATIC weapon. It was semi-automatic, unless the 18 year old loser either (1) obtained a VERY difficult permit to get using the ATF Form 4 for a fully automatic weapon [extremely unlikely given the time line of his purchase], or (2) made the doable but somewhat difficult mechanical modifications to the semi-automatic weapon to make it fully automatic…also very unlikely. As you point out, it doesn’t change the tragic nature of the situation.
I don’t oppose some of the ideas being suggested. However, it would be enlightening to make a matrix of the various proposals and then all the mass shootings and see how many of the mass shootings would have actually been prevented by the proposals… Take for example, a three day waiting period. Doesn’t seem too onerous – I wait that long for my shirts at the laundry. But how many of the mass shootings would that have stopped. How many mass shooters didn’t have their guns for three days, or got them from a source other than a registered FFL? The kid in Michigan (who had numerous known behavioral issues) was GIVEN a gun by his parents! (The same parents who, after the shooting, were caught trying to flee the country.) Even in the case of Uvalde, the shooter had the gun for more than three days.
Unfortunately, we are reaping the whirlwind we sowed going back decades with permissive parenting and other socially “trendy” actions.
Comments are lit!
Lots of communists out there – stay safe
The woman has no moral compass and has crossed the line. To display outrage can be done without the insults and disgusting name-calling. Her actions are unacceptable, very inappropriate, and unprofessional.
She admittedly responded emotionally at a time when she was stressed. Who hasn’t? But she is incorrect that “it takes more work to be able to exercise our constitutional right to vote than it does to get a semi-automatic weapon and go in and shooting a whole classroom of people …”. All that is required to vote is to obtain a government I.D. or Drivers License at a BMV office and then register to vote. This is the same I.D. that you must have to write a check most places, rent a a car, board a commercial airliner, buy alcohol or tobacco, rent a carpet cleaner from Home Depot …, etc. etc. It is certainly a smart idea to get such an I.D. as it is extremely difficult to assimilate into American society/culture without this I.D. Contrast this with purchasing a semi-automatic weapon which requires a multi-page form upon which the applicant must attest to many questions regarding arrests, felony convictions, domestic violence incidents, mental health, etc. That application is submitted on the spot to an instant background check network and eventually the application is approved or rejected. The wait can sometimes take an hour or more. Or someone could steal a weapon, but of course there are already laws against that, not to mention that many inner city/municipal prosecutors and judges currently favor releasing such suspects immediately and in many cases choose not to prosecute them. This just speaks to the “work” of obtaining a weapon and not to the unconscionable “work” of actually using it to kill others.The big takeaway from all this is that we don’t need elected leaders that go off emotionally under pressure. … that make ridiculous incorrect statements like this mayor. I realize it supports her party’s narrative that we need to loosen voting requirements at the same time we ban firearms, but that is a narrative that has nothing to do with reality. We need elected leaders with innovative ideas to effectively address the mental illness epidemic we have and have had for quite some time … leaders that will support law enforcement in spite of the rare instances when law enforcement wrongs someone … leaders that will demand that crimes be punished and that those that commit the crimes are the ones punished, rather than punishing everyone else that obeys our laws. I’m certain that taking law-abiding citizens guns away would be a disaster.