The Arizona Republic is responding to death threats after endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.
The newspaper has a history of being conservative. Endorsing Clinton marks the first time in the paper's 126-year history that it has backed a Democrat over a Republican for president, The Washington Post reported.
The president of The Arizona Republic, Mi-Ai Parrish, described the threats in a column published Sunday: “You’re dead. Watch your back. We will burn you down. You should be put in front of a firing squad as a traitor.”
The publication's editorial board began to take a stand against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump more than a year ago, saying that his principles don't reflect a conservative stance and that his stances are “bad for the party, bad for Arizona, dangerous for America,” Parrish wrote, adding that the publication made the decision to endorse Clinton "soberly."
“We chose patriotism over party,” Parrish wrote. "We endorsed the Democrat. And then the reaction started pouring in. Threats against our business. Threats against our people.”
The threats that have surfaced have brought back memories of a car bombing that killed an Arizona Republic reporter more than 40 years ago.
Parrish chose a non-combative approach in her response, sharing testimonials about several of her staffers who’ve had to deal with the backlash from endorsing Clinton, The Huffington Post noted.
She ended each anecdote with a statement about free speech, noting that it requires compassion, open debate and bravery, and that it is "sometimes the only way to hold the powerful accountable."
“To those of you who have spit on, threatened with violence, screamed at and bullied the young people going door-to-door selling subscriptions, I give you those dozens of young men and women themselves," Parrish wrote. "Many sell subscriptions to work their way through school. Most were too frightened to share even their first names here. But they are still on the job. They know that free speech is part of a society that values hard work and equal opportunity.”