Megan Green blasts Police Union after social media posts mock her
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A St. Louis Police Officers Association social media post depicting a candidate in Tuesday's election as famous Chinese dictator is causing some backlash.
The artwork shows the face of Aldermanic President candidate Megan Green atop a cartoon rendering of the body of former chairman of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong.
"I am a democrat, I'm not a communist," Green said.
The post is one of three targeting Green, asking voters to elect "anyone but Green" Tuesday. One depicts her as a football player, "Mean Megan Green," and another has a red circle with a line across the communist party symbol of a hammer and sickle and the slogan "Better Dead than Red."
"It was followed by a paragraph demeaning me, I think a lot of folks who read that thought, 'OK, this now stepped over a line," Green says.
Police Officers Association Business Manager Jeff Roorda defends the posts. The hammer and sickle image was taken down, but the other two remain posted on the St. Louis Police Officers Association Facebook page. You can see all three in the slideshow at the top of this page.
"I think that's an accurate depiction of her political leanings," Roorda said. "I mean she's running as a democrat, but that's not what she is."
Green and some of her supporters have taken to social media, condemning the posts and saying it could incite violence against Green.
"A line was crossed when it's insinuated that it's better for someone to be dead, than to be seen as a communist," Green said.
Roorda says the posts are not calling for violence against anyone.
"Better Dead than Red is a pro-American slogan," Roorda said. "It means that the person saying it would rather be dead than be a communist, and I don't know how you take that as a threat."
Roorda says Green has an "anti-police" agenda and is not suited to be president of the board of aldermen.
Green says she has "worked to hold police accountable" and is not anti-police.
Green is running for president against three other democrats: Incumbent Lewis Reed, State Senator Jamilah Nasheed and former aldermen Jimmy Matthews.
Both Green and Roorda are predicting the posts will help energize their supporters to turn out for Tuesday's election.
