Are female politicians more at risk of violence against them? (1 Viewer)

[The Z Machine]

With the news of the (foiled) plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, it got me thinking... Would this plot have been hatched against a male politician if he had acted exactly the same as Whitmer?  Or is there something about women in power that galvanizes men to try and perpetuate violence against them?  Obviously Gabby Giffords comes to mind here.

I bet the FBI has records of credible threats against national and high level state politicians.  Do those records indicate a disproportionate number threats of violence against women compared to men?  Or are there so few real, credible threats that the n is simply too low to draw conclusions?

 

[wikkidpissah]

All men are deathly afraid of all women because any woman can invalidate a man's reason for existence with but a two-letter word. Women are completely unafraid of men unless made to be. This is not a good formula for men and women co-existing on an extrasexual basis.

 

[Tolstoy]

Especially when they get all uppity

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I wonder what JFK, Ford, George Wallace, Reagan, and Steve Scalice have to say about all of this.

 

[Joe Summer]

I wonder what JFK, Ford, George Wallace, Reagan, and Steve Scalice have to say about all of this.

Has there ever been a female politician who was assassinated? Does Cleopatra count?

 

[BobbyLayne]

Has there ever been a female politician who was assassinated? Does Cleopatra count?

Indira Gandhi

Gabby Giffords

 

[The Z Machine]

I wonder what JFK, Ford, George Wallace, Reagan, and Steve Scalice have to say about all of this.

Look for the word "disproportionate". 

 

[perbach]

Indira Gandhi

Gabby Giffords

I thought Gabby survived?

 

[BobbyLayne]

I thought Gabby survived?

So did Ford, Reagan, et al 

I was just rolling with it

There have been a ton of female lower level politicians murdered in other countries, but I doubt the names would be familiar other than Nehru's daughter. The PM of Rwanda is *I think* the only other female head of state who was assassinated?

 

[Jackstraw]

I wonder what JFK, Ford, George Wallace, Reagan, and Steve Scalice have to say about all of this.

For perspective politicians have been disproportionally male in our history of course there would be more historic cases. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Indira Gandhi

Gabby Giffords

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated 

before Thatcher there were very few female heads of states that weren’t hereditary or the wife of the President taking over. Even Indira Ghandi was the daughter of Nehru. Golda Meir was one of the first genuine female heads of state.