Over A Million ‘Like’ How Ben Carson Is Using The UCC Shooting As A Campaign Marketing Tool

Ben Carson posted a photo and a logo stating “I Am A Christian,” using the tragic UCC massacre as a political tool to shore up his religious bona fides and feed the right wing conservative narrative of anti-Christian persecution.

Actual facts about last week’s tragic shooting at an Oregon community college were slow to come, so many on social media infused the news with their own beliefs. Twitter was flooded with conservatives who immediately insisted the shooter was a Muslim, or Black, or both.

And when the “news” started flowing that the gunman was “targeting Christians,” conservatives again amplified that narrative, morphing it into “evidence” of the anti-Christian persecution claims they’ve been pushing in response to the legalization nationwide of same-sex marriage.

Of course, once the news came that the shooter was a self-described “conservative republican” and not anti-Christian but anti-organized religion, the narrative on the right changed, right?

Wrong.

Of course, the shooting is a tragedy, and that the shooter targeted people of faith is horrific.

That the shooter was a “conservative republican” and not anti-Christian but anti-organized religion is likely news to many on the right. That wouldn’t feed the right wing persecution narrative.

But one, Ben Carson, was quick to use conservatives’ persecution beliefs to his advantage.

On Facebook the day after the massacre, Carson posted this photo to Facebook:

As of this writing, it’s garnered over 1.1 million “likes.”

Carson immediately followed its success by posting this image:

“Please consider changing your profile picture to honor the victims and their families,” he requested. Over a quarter of a million “liked” that too, so Carson followed that with an email and home address collection campaign: Supporters can hand over their name, address, and email address – very valuable information for those looking to fundraise – and get an #IAmAChristian bumper sticker – complete with a bencarson.com advertisement:

“Millions of people are posting pictures of themselves declaring they are Christians in support of the victims and their families from the recent tragic event in Oregon,” Carson claims, while not offering any proof. “I did so on Facebook and so many more of you have as well.”

“Let us not stop there and continue to show America that we are proud of our faith and stand by the values that makes this nation so great.  Pledge your support here and we will send you a Free Bumper Sticker,” he writes on his campaign website.

Carson, in response to the massacre, also placed blame on mental health. 

“In many of these shootings, people have mental disturbances,” Dr. Carson claimed.

Franklin Graham also joined in:

Carson is not only professing his Christian religion to shore up support, his campaign has had to deal with Carson’s ugly comments that he does not believe a Muslim should be president. Carson’s campaign furthering the attack as well, asking supporters who visit his website to sign a petition asking the IRS to strip a Muslim non-profit that took umbrage with his comments of its tax exempt status:

 

In contrast to all this marketing, Democrats have taken real steps to affect gun violence.

Bernie Sanders issued a statement including five action points, and stated “his presidential campaign is assembling a comprehensive package of measures to address gun violence.”

Today, Hillary Clinton unveiled a comprehensive gun control program.

 

RELATED:

TN GOP Lt. Gov. On UCC Shooting: Christians Now Targets Of ‘Aggressive Secularism’ So Arm Yourselves

Watch What Jeb Bush Just Told A Roomful Of Republicans About Mass Shootings: ‘Stuff Happens’ (Video)

‘An Armed Society Is A Safe Society’: GOP Rep. Poses With Gun, Slams Gun Free Zones After Shooting

 

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