MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new debate over snow is heating up online with posts from two Memphis City Council members, one of whom claims she has been threatened for her posts.
Pearl Walker and Yolanda Cooper-Sutton shared posts on social media this week questioning whether the snow falling across the city is real or could be man-made. This topic is trending on TikTok.
Screenshot of post from Yolanda-Cooper-Sutton’s account
The comments quickly spread online, prompting a backlash as crews across Memphis still deal with icy roads, school closures and cleanup from one of the city’s worst winter storms in recent years.
Memphis residents grapple with snowy streets after winter storm
We reached out to Congresswoman Walker about her position.
“I had a cousin post where she was holding a lighter on a big chunk of snow and the snow was melting but the water wasn’t dripping down and I commented that it looked different,” Walker said. “But what Memphians need to know and understand is that I have a right to my opinion, and my opinion and voice are greater than the Constitution.”
WREG also contacted Cooper-Sutton. She said she had intended to share a light-hearted post with family and friends, but it had now been blown out of proportion.
“I’m doing a great job, but there’s been some threats to my life and my family’s life,” Cooper-Sutton said. “People are talking on my Facebook page and they hope I die and they hope I survive some snow, but no one visits my page and actually sees the work I’m doing, delivering food to my neighbors, my elderly neighbors, calling, praying, you know, for our city, and I don’t know what that means or where this attack is coming from because it’s really ugly and despicable.”
Snow and ice removal services in high demand after winter storms
Councilwoman Cooper-Sutton said the challenges many of her neighbors and constituents face during snow and ice recovery are far more important and urgent than any social media post about whether the snow is real.
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