Aaron Bernstine, a Pennsylvania state representative, has officially made known his stance on protesters who shut down a road. The Republican took to Twitter on Saturday morning after reading this story on St. Louis protesters who blocked traffic Friday to protest the acquittal of a former white cop charged with murder in the death of a black motorist.
Bernstine’s solution was simple.
If anyone EVER tries to stop my car on a highway with negative intentions… I will not stop under any conditions. https://t.co/Uf62WwhIUk
— Aaron Bernstine (@AaronBernstine) September 16, 2017
Only a month after a white supremacist allegedly drove his car through a crowd of Charlottesville protesters and killed a 32-year-old woman, Bernstine’s tweet was not well received by many on Twitter.
.@AaronBernstine …save this 4 ur allocution when it forces u 2 plead guilty on murder 2 charges to avoid this tweet's proof of murder 1.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 16, 2017
Cool, I know some guys feel the same way as you. Their interest include tiki torches, Nazi slogans, and not stopping their cars.
— A.R. Moxon (juliusgoat.bsky.social) (@JuliusGoat) September 16, 2017
Jesus would be SO proud of you suggesting you'd murder someone or multiple someones to get to work, because you don't like their speech.
— Maggie (@maggiemae802) September 16, 2017
Aaron Bernstine is a member of the PA assembly. Rep. Bernstine's office numbers are: (724)7522120, and (717)7838322. That'd be murder, sir. https://t.co/hnDY0eCGjo
— PA Stands Up (@PAStandsUp) September 16, 2017
But Bernstine didn’t back down on his hypothetical intentions.
Feel free to call my office and let me know if you think it is ok to refuse to stop if thugs try to stop me or my family on a highway https://t.co/vKQCOz8h74
— Aaron Bernstine (@AaronBernstine) September 16, 2017
Difference between me and these snowflakes is that I won't be assaulted in name of "free speech" https://t.co/vKQCOz8h74
— Aaron Bernstine (@AaronBernstine) September 16, 2017
Ask people in LA how that worked out for them. https://t.co/ONB4pqUifh
— Aaron Bernstine (@AaronBernstine) September 16, 2017
Wrong…. I'm saying when thugs try to stop cars and threaten drivers trying to go to work. https://t.co/gdOjiK0Vlz
— Aaron Bernstine (@AaronBernstine) September 16, 2017
Reached by the Times in Beaver, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Bernstine softened his tone.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I could’ve been more articulate with my comments,” Bernstine said. “That being said, what I meant, and what I continue to mean, is that people that are committing crimes in the name of protest, it’s important that we continue to stand against that.”