Fear of Tea Party violence has led four Arizona Republicans to resign

“I love the Republican Party,” Arizona Legislative District 20 Chairman Anthony Miller said in an email on Saturday, “but I don’t want to take a bullet for anyone.”

Miller was one of four Arizona Republicans to resign in the wake of the weekend’s shootings in Tuscon.

It’s important to note that this wasn’t a snap decision. As an African American Republican, working in a state known far and wide for its shamelessly institutional racism, Miller didn’t exactly feel accepted prior to the shootings. A former member of the McCain campaign staff, Miller claims he was referred to as “McCain’s boy” by conservatives supporting other candidates, and that he even received subtle threats of violence from one such critic.

“I wasn’t going to resign,” Miller said in his email, “but decided to quit after what happened Saturday.”

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