Belleville Councilman Drops Mic On Liberals: ‘The Poor Snowflakes Are Emailing’

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Do local community leaders have a responsibility to avoid fanning the fires of hatred on social media? Or do they have the same right to free speech as their constituents?

That’s the question that is fueling the controversy around Belleville Councilman Kevin Kennedy’s foray into the world of social media.

The longtime local politician and Belleville High School graduate is well-known for not shying away from his beliefs. He’s been a vocal critic of “sanctuary cities,” and has taken shots at Democrat leaders Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters, writing that “these two bitches much be auditioning for Saturday Night Live.”

Why are people complaining? Take a look at some of Kennedy’s posts below. (WARNING: Some posts contain profanity)

On Tuesday, the councilman admitted that his posts have inspired several Belleville residents to email the township complaining about his social media presence.

“You enjoy dishing it out but clearly you can't take it, and you don't respect the free speech of others,” a local blog wrote to Kennedy in response to his recent posts. “Secondly and most importantly, there's a world of difference between free speech, and hate speech. You're a sitting councilman - a municipal leader in a very ethnically-diverse town of 36,000 people. You may feel that expressing wildly misogynistic or racist views is your right, but your constituents have every right to be appalled by your words, and the example you're setting for the town.”

“I support your right to free speech,” the blog wrote. “However, if you don't know the difference between free speech and hate speech, perhaps it's time to step away from Facebook.”

But apparently, Kennedy’s not that worried.

“The poor snowflakes are emailing Belleville complaining about my posts as a councilmen [sic] what a**holes,” he wrote.

While Kennedy’s summation of the principle of free speech may be a bit rough around the edges, a nation that prides itself on the 1st Amendment can’t decide to censor someone simply because their ideas are controversial, according to groups like the ACLU.

“We are not a nation that pushes bad ideas underground,” the ACLU of New Jersey wrote in a blog titled: Don't Fight Hate Speech By Limiting Freedom. “We are a people who believe in allowing ideas - even odious, hurtful ones - to get out, and we do not hesitate to give a good public tongue-lashing to ideas that deserve it. As Americans, we have used our freedom of speech to slowly but surely reject hateful, inhumane ideas and allow ideals like equality and justice to flourish.”

Several internet comments have rushed to Kennedy’s defense and enthusiastically supported the content of his posts, as well as his right to make them.

• “I don't see a problem with your posts. You have the right to free speech as long as it's not that you’re going to kill someone.”
• “Free speech is only apparently free when certain folks are doing the speaking.”
• “God bless your crazy a**… wish you nothing but the best… you got my vote.”

What do you think? Does Kennedy step over the line with his Facebook posts? Take our reader poll below and tell us why you voted that way in the comments section.

WHO IS KEVIN KENNEDY?

Here’s how Kennedy describes himself on the Belleville municipal website:

“In 1998, I was elected to the Belleville Town Council and 2003, elected again, and re-elected in 2006, 2010, and 2014. My mom’s family comes from Wexford, Ireland where my great, great, great-grandfather John Redmond M.P. fought for ‘home rule’ for Ireland.

“I have served on numerous boards in the township since the 1980’s. In 1983, I started the Kevin G. Kennedy Civic Association that has given 90 scholarships and over 500 plus Thanksgivings and Christmas dinners and toys for Belleville families over the years.”

Kennedy states that he’s a member of the Belleville Irish American Association, The Giblin Association and the Belleville Knights of Columbus #835.

He’s also apparently an animal lover and Sly and the Family Stone fan, as well as a fan of Gone With the Wind, according to his Facebook page.

SPEAKING THEIR MINDS

Another Essex County community leader, an associate pastor at St. John's Catholic Church in Orange, has also made recent headlines with his pull-no-punches social media posts.

Peter West has laid into Islam, Hillary Clinton, President Trump and "whiny liberals” from his internet pulpit, amassing almost 10,000 loyal Facebook and Twitter followers by effusively praising Trump, railing against Muslims, assailing millennials as "snowflakes" who attend "cry-ins" and describing liberals as "smug and arrogant."

• See related article: Pro-Trump N.J. Priest Dislikes Muslim Immigration, Loves Rainbows

Photo of Kevin Kennedy: Belleville Township

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