In Norman, Oklahoma, a bitter online argument did what elections could not: it forced a sitting councilwoman from power. Bree Montoya’s decision to tell a Trump supporter to “open a vein” and “put a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger” shattered any illusion that political passion excuses cruelty. Her later apology, though remorseful in tone, could not erase the screenshots or the shock many residents felt at seeing an elected official invoke suicide as an insult.

By the time she resigned, the damage had spread far beyond Ward 3. Citizens packed city hall, not just to see Montoya step down, but to demand something bigger: a code of conduct, clear standards, and consequences that don’t depend on going viral. Their anger reached the mayor, too, for his silence until national attention hit. Norman is now left with a vacant seat and a hard lesson about how quickly a single post can expose the character of those in power.