Secret Service Investigating Facebook Poll Asking Whether Obama Should Be Killed

Not appropriate, either, IMO.

Originally posted by threekings
reply to post by dariousg

 

and if the same question was posed about the leader of Iran?

To be sure, I would find it just as moronic and in bad taste if a poll were asking about Bush and I definitely didn't like much of anything about his Presidential term(s)!

Whether the poll was expressly stated question or a veiled one, it's obvious that the message can be interpreted by many people in many different ways.

[edit on 28-9-2009 by LadySkadi]

Hey, fat lip person . . .right over here . . .

I don't like it for two reasons. One, no class,(just like my statement above)
and when I say no class I mean that some people like yourself believe
that you can shoot your mouth off and belittle anything and anyone you
want because it is your god-given right. Hah!

And two, I'm an Obama supporter and proud of it.

When I felt angry at Mr. Bush in the past, assassination never entered my
mind. After all, he is just human, like the rest of us.

Originally posted by ninecrimes
And if over 50% of the participants think you should be killed, that should speak volumes for your character; what kind of person must you be, where more people want you dead, than alive?
as to avoid any further polls?

This is where I disagree. We are well within our right to judge Mr. Obama as a president, but who are we to judge his character? None of know the man personally and from what we do know, he has yet to do or say anything that says that his character is flawed. If you choose to call him a liar and a political opportunist, then you maybe correct, but guess what: that makes him no different from any other president we've ever had. If President Obama has "bad character " (not saying that's what you said), then so did every president before him. He is playing by the same rules his predecessors played under, but I digress.

As for the 50% of participants, notice that it'd be over 50% of people who a) Are on Facebook and b) Cared enough to participate. The poll could show that 100% of respondents stated that Obama should be assassinated and it would mean absolutely nothing. The results of the poll would be no indication that the president has to examine his own character.

We all also know why so many people despise him: Politics, nothing more. For some (not all), race is also involved in the dislike. He's done nothing to show that he is any greater or worse of a human being than any president before him.

Its also quite interesting that it took people about two years to despise President Bush, but it took less than a minute for people, particulary on ATS, to despise President Obama, something to think about, but not discuss in this particular thread.

reply to post by sos37


Isn't the Guardian a news paper for the Brits? I tend to patrol my own country for sick, subliminal propaganda...ya know the same kind of stuff that spewed from the mouths of the last administration.

I could not stand the sight of Bush, I found him an utter embarrassment but I would have gone after anyone that suggested, intimated or simply beat around the bush about assassinating him. I silently suffered through the Bush years...now it's your turn.



[edit on 28-9-2009 by Witness2008]

It's perfectly normal when a person is in a situation they can not get out of to wish for an others death it is 100% a normal thought that crosses almost any ones mind.

The hard part is... How do you tell apart those who simply say the words aloud from those who actually go beyond the "wish" stage. To actually plot to kill another person and to wish or even say out loud even often... that "some one should die" or "i'd like to" these 2 things are by definition the line between a sane and insane person most of the time.

Lets face it

Someone dropping dead can be great for some one elses life very often... maybe it's a person who has custody of a kid or a cop that showing up in court or a president that is putting policy into place that will potentially Ruin your life... Sure, wishing them dead saying you'd like to kill them... Perfectly NORMAL. Even a poll to see how many people feel that way about Obama... PERFECTLY NORMAL. It's normal to question "am I the only one that feels this way"

But 99.9 % of us have these feelings and then realize,

A: i'm, throwing my life away completely

B: I will get by this somehow and this situation really isn't worth this it's not like there is knife to my throat I have options

C: The whole possibility of your soul thing

on and on and they DON'T do anything

I'll admit freely, when I saw the whole school thing today i've been livid all day, Summers... I'm divorced they will take my one time of the year at least in part away from me where my kids and I spend long duration time together... when my kids are straight A students

Yeah... the words came out of of mouth today, I am completely starting to hate this guy on many levels as a president. I wish he would drop dead before he can pass some of these laws, that's how much pain they will cause me in life for no reason, none in regards to my kids...

And I'm a sane person, That is first thought... "God if only he has a stroke" more extreme "Maybe they will get him".... Sure, absolutely. But I am sane... I get no time with my kids if I act out in any manner really... so they win, you know when your screwed

Then.... My mind goes to, I have to work to see him not elected, I have to actually get involved and fight...in ways I CAN, Legally and sanely to see these things do not pass.... I can preach on a forum, I can get involved locally, I can do what's in my best interests, work my rear end off to get the ball rolling politically against these things even against him, there are Legal routes

But here's the dilemma. How does secret service even begin to handle this?????????I have to say.... it is true, you think about it and put emotion aside, you can't let anyone kill the President Love him or hate him... it's anarchy, it's crazy as said above the country would fall apart... It just CAN'T be that way they have to protect him and surely there are some even close to him that hate him right now... and they have to be big boys about it and protect him anyway, as we all do, as I do

even if it's being responsible and just saying aloud... hey i'd like him to die too... but we can't do it that way, the consequences would be worse than the solution...

But how do they, Sort the nutters from the sane....? How should they handle it? Certainly they have to investigate a poll like this...

But what's next? do they go forward and then detain people for Speech? Do they investigate 1/3 the country that at this point surely feels this way? Is it even the peoples faults that emotions are so High following let downs after the previous 8 years which is not even remotely any fault of Obamas?

How do we even cope with it internally? I am here and so pissed it's killing part of my day today. And rational. But yet if something did happen to Obama I wouldn't shed a tear at this point.

And that's a terrible feeling, how much more likely is it that some thing will happen to this guy now? How hard core will the Govt get as the people feel and voice this sentiment more and freaks actually try as a few freaks already have? How many rights and violations will we loose simply for speaking maybe? And How much further anger will that generate from the public?

We are in a bad, bad, bad circle here and I fear it's going to get worse, maybe end badly... None of this is very good

In the end, the sane truth is:

This is our fault for supporting a 2 party system so long and being apolitical... Obama doesn't deserve to die... he's not Hitler he's simply in a direction, an extreme one perhaps but none the less... he's a good man in the end...

This isn't about Obama it's about DEACADES of either crummy foreign policy or crummy domestic policy. There is no moderate party... I actually like Obamas foreign policy, I have no idea why we are involved over seas constantly since ww2 it's insane, being respectful to other nations extending some olive branches...okay... friends not enemies... BETTER than Republican fear mongering and cultural imperialism... But where The Republicans harass the world, the democrats harass us lol, 2 party system... a teeter totter, back and forth through stupidity on one front or the other.

If there was an overall genuinely moderate party... none of the last 40 years would have been as they havde been

and it's US, Our apathy that has allowed this, we are joiners, one party or the other as IF either can represent us individually and where our real beliefs lay. Our plunge back and forth has resulted in Socialist (obama) and Fascist (Bush) Presidents. Why? because we don't have Socialist and Fascists parties because we LIE and vote Democrat and Republican

If we had the TRUTH about who these men were via a system of 10 real parties each TRUE to their core philosophies, neither Bush or Obama would be in office. Our Senate and Congress would Have constitutionalists and libertarians and socialists and democrats and republicans in it... we would know who represents us, we would know who we were getting as a president...

But we were all lazy and liars and vote by popularity and never worked in the political system, we just want to vote for the "winner"

Why vote constitutional... or libertarian?

Why?

because if every one voted with heart you'd have a chance in the end, if the party grew big enough over time because you supported it it would sway the winner

And Obama... I'd have to vote No on that poll, because this is a lesson. About what happens when you ignore or follow blindly in politics... and it wont be THAT harsh a lesson, but it is a lesson, I will have misery as a result and I never cared about politics

Now for 4 years... I have a Socialist changing things and it's partly my fault not Obamas for being who he is. He's living his life, doing what he thinks is best... in 2-3 years, my efforts will be real, to see change come again...

And hate him all you want, wish whatever I or any one else pleases... you can't go "kill' the president when you didn't do a damn thing about it. And realistically I know, every single person who feels "that sore" about it as I do, was a person who didn't do a genuine god damn thing to stop it

So who's to blame?

Obama or Yourself? Myself?

Maybe Obama picks up that one cigarette too many lol.... who knows? But I wouldn't count on it, he has good doctors...

Next time we better wise up and pay better attention. Not bitch about revolution or killing the president and hope things don't go that way, it wont be a better answer, things will just be worse...


[edit on 28-9-2009 by mopusvindictus]

The poll was wrong. Should he be killed is not a good question to ask. It's almost like asking "Would you kill him if you had a gun an an opportunity?"

Young kids come on facebook... not good.

Now, WILL he be killed IS a good question. I think the odds are rather high someone will try but unless they manage to take out all the people in line for the presidency in one fell blow...
Policy won't really change much.

I know most people here on ATS are of the libertarian/right-wing brand, so I have to ask you all a very probing question: Where is your keystone value of libertarianism/right-wing politics: personal responsibility?

Free speech is a right and we should definitely be able to say whatever we damn well please. However, free speech does not protect one from the consequences or repercussions of said speech, unless those consequences in turn violates one's rights. Some of you say that the Secret Service is coming close to violating the right to free speech, but guess what: they're not. You exercised your right to say something and another party is going to exercise their right to deliver the consequences. The consequence, in this case, being the right to discover the legitimacy of the threat. Unfortunately, for the perpetrator, threats of death and violence is an irresponsible use of free speech and thus, any Secret Service investigation would most definitely not be a violation of anybody's rights.

Its a bit of irony I see amongst all these "individualist" and "personal responsibility" type folks. It seems to mean something only when someone else screws up.

I'm not lucky enough! so don't worry it will never happen

reply to post by mopusvindictus


Starred and flag. Beautifully said.

Although I will say the onus is more on the "base" of each party, the "extremists," so to speak. They are the oens responsible for getting someone to the general election, so the candidate in each party is a reflection of the base of each party. Which is why the opposition comes to despise the other so much.

And for those of you who really want our president dead, you need not worry. With all the virulent attacks you and your leaders dish out daily, mounting crises, etc., I'm sure ample opportunity exists for it to happen naturally. Then you punks can revel in your pathetic "victory" while being able to absolve yourself of any blame and wrongdoing in the matter.

reply to post by sweatmonicaIdo


Well isn't THAT THE TRUTH!!!!

The reality is after initial anger on a subject, this guy is in deep doo doo as President of the United States plus the decisions he is making which you have to admit are bold...

Life would suck worse if he dies, seriously... and he is a VERY likely President to meet that fate.

Spew all you want, you really don't want this guy to die of any unnatural cause.

I mean by what hand... it's War or Revolution as a certainty, then life would truly stink.





[edit on 28-9-2009 by mopusvindictus]

There is a lot of anger among a vast number of people, odds are that a few would be hell bent on acting on some murderous plot.

I don't envy the secret service, especially having to protect this president in these times, pushing the agendas he is.

But, I didn't envy them when Bush was president either... Every President finds a way to piss everyone off sooner or later, the problem is that some people are just insane enough to fantasize about killing a president, potentially acting on those fantasies.

In Oboma's case I believe the threat is more urgent and the threat is possibly greater in his case, because there is not only the random insane person to worry about, there are entire domestic groups of people, some racially motivated, some who simply believe he is a threat to the democratic republic, some who may attempt to take his life.

This is something that needs to be taken seriously, take the politics out of it... This is the life of a human being we are talking about here, some people are unable to separate the person from the policies and will make the case that killing him would be in the best interest of this nation.

They couldn't possibly be more wrong, but that doesn't mean they are not plotting on doing it anyway.

If something bad happens to our president, no matter what you think of his policies it would be among only a few of the very darkest days in this nation's history.

There is a potential for rioting and possibly wide scale racial violence following the assignation of this president... Believe it or not, some white supremacist groups believe they can bring about a race war (something they badly want to happen) if they can kill this president.

Do not think for a second that they are not planning on doing that.

In this regard everyone should pray for the safety of our president.

There is nothing good that can come from harming the President.

Just at side note on the subject. Did anyone ever think that some of the things like this are happening or being discussed simply out of frustration? I have noticed that all of the issues that some people are bringing up in regard to him are usually ignored or unlawfully dismissed. People who have concerns are labeled as nuts, that don't know what they are talking about, rather than listening and weighing the merit of there case. It seems that some subjects would amount to talking to a wall. IE. "birth certificate" case. If the justice department will not even look into what 400,000 people are asking them, and using the proper channels gets you "blown off" it is no wonder they start to think this way.

reply to post by Witness2008


Well, investigating people for making statements is a form of prosecution in itself. People with intent usually do not state it to the world. Although, there are exceptions to that rule, by and large any operations of attack on a country or it's leaders is not publicized. I do not see a reason to investigate such a poll or statement unless released by someone who has taken action in the past. If facebook chooses to make it against policy to post such questions than they can prevent polls like this from being posted in the future.

Research the 'Toronto 18' and see where a few misplaced comments ended up landing a group of Arab students after a two year investigation and direct manipulation by two RCMP informants/agents.

Investigations these days is close to the equivalent of prosecution. Just by some of the comments made here. 'make such polls and suffer the consequences' as in, suffer the investigation.

In a stable society, these comments would be thrown by the wayside and receive no attention at all. The people making them would go back to obscurity where they belong.

Originally posted by sweatmonicaIdo


Its also quite interesting that it took people about two years to despise President Bush, but it took less than a minute for people, particulary on ATS, to despise President Obama, something to think about, but not discuss in this particular thread.

Nada. I despised Bush as soon as I knew what he was about.

You do not take a poll as to whether someone, anyone should be murdered.

It's dispicable, anti-social, and conspiratory. When it's the President of the United States, it's illegal.

This has nothing to do with free speech. It has to do with psychopaths making a thinly veiled threat.

If you can't see that.....then something is very, very wrong.

Spew all the vileness you like. If you can't see this is wrong.....then I repeat...something is very, very wrong. Try to see it in a different light. Like, with a conscience.

Barack Hussien Obama is not my president because he is not a natural born citizen of these United States of America. I dont condone murder or assassination in any way, however it is the right of whoever put that up to do so. He/she is not condoning, conspiring, or actively endorsing in any way with this poll, therefore it should not have been taken down. Furthermore i agree that it does take one nut to try and kill Obama but he sure as hell isn't gonna get the sole idea and motivation from a poll on FACEBOOK!!! People need to get real.

Assault and Battery n. the combination of the two crimes of threat (assault) and actual beating (battery). They are also intentional civil wrongs for which the party attacked may file a suit for damages.

Assault is the threat of a violent act. Battery is the actual act. Both are and have been a criminal act.

This has zero to do with Free Speech. The threat is a crime.

I had a friend threaten somebody over the phone in a different State than the one he was in at the time. The FBI was there within 4 hours. He did a year and got 3 years Parole. He threatened to beat a guy up who owed him money. Imagine what would happen to a person who said yes to killing the President?

Inciting to violence is also a crime which is the category I think this one fits into.

The person who posted the poll would be guilty of Inciting and anyone who said yes would be guilty of Assault on the President of the United States. Remember "assault" is simply the threat.

Sometimes I feel like I live in a world filled with idiots.

reply to post by grover


It may be free speech, but sure is stupid free speech.

Sure, you can yell fire in a movie theatre, but be prepared when it ain't.

Just plain dumb.

reply to post by kingoftheworld


By saying yes to the question the person is saying yes the President should be killed. Anyone who thinks that is protected speech should never consider becoming an attorney I'm afraid.

I get a feeling that a couple posting here would have voted yes. Or did? Gives me the creeps.

reply to post by Blaine91555


Saying he "should" be killed is not a threat, it is an opinion, and everyone that is a citizen of the U.S. is entitled to their own under the First Amendment. I definately would not have said yes over the because I am under survaillence as it is, but the point is that the people who did say yes had the right to.