On Monday, June 15th, North Carolina Republican Larry Pittman (Cabarrus County) released a racist, unhinged screed on his public Facebook account in which he referred to Black Lives Matter as "ignorant thugs," "domestic terrorists" and "vermin" who are paid by George Soros. He specifically advised police officers to murder protesters.

This is not Pittman's first brush with outrageous irresponsibility:

• In 2012, he publicly advocated bringing back public hangings, and suggested that doctors who perform abortions be executed.
• In 2017, he suggested that Abraham Lincoln was similar to Adolf Hitler
• Also in 2017, he proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow North Carolina to secede from the United States

Yet this time, Pittman has gone too far. He has literally advocated racist murder. He shows no regard for his fellow citizens - least of all, those of color. He has faced no consequences to his outrageous provocations for too long.

Larry Pittman is a threat and a menace whose naked racism and hate has no part in our politics. The North Carolina Republican Party has an opportunity here to draw the line and tell us who it wishes to be, and who it welcomes into its ranks.