America's public servants are being terrorized with death threats. The 'emotional toll' is lasting.

• Election officials, public health workers, school employees, police, flight attendants, scientists, journalists and food servers are among those being targeted in a proliferation of death threats.
• Jeffrey James Higgins, a former law enforcement officer of 25 years who defends police, said even overt threats may not be criminal if perpetrators claim they were joking or exaggerating.

Lydia Kou was in the midst of a Palo Alto City Council campaign when the first chilling call came in last year.

An angry voice railed against her position on a hotel project, then launched into a tirade of nasty sexual remarks. Kou hung up, disgusted and frightened. But the caller persisted, leaving a series of harassing voicemails, even enlisting someone else to help.

Then, after more than a week's silence, the man struck again with a bone-chilling message: "I'm back. I'm going to call you until you change your number. You deserve to have your throat slit."

Kou's voice broke as she relived the experience. “When I heard that message, I felt cold inside,” she said. “It still has an emotional toll. … I’m constantly watching over my back.”