Apr 29 2005
The shots heard round the world.
Anyone listening to Air America Radio a few days ago was treated to a pretty tacky commercial.
Here is a transcript:
“A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn’t safe anymore, so he’s gonna fix it for us. Well, here’s your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [sound of three shotgun blasts].
“The AAARP, the American Association of Armed Retired People [sound of rifle being cocked]. Just try it, you little bastard.”
Pretty nice huh? It was done sounding like a cantankerous old redneck, giving it a nice bit of stereotyping and helping it be even more tacky.
The Story broke, where else but on the Drudge Report when Matt Drudge reported that the Secret Service was looking into it, due to the implied threat to the president (here).
Now, first of all, I don’t personally think it qualified as being a threat to the president as defined under US Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 41, � 871–Threats against President and successors to the Presidency
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
I don’t think the commercial references him by name or by office. So it was a vague threat at best.
Honestly the bit was more of a satirical commentary then a threat anyway, and last I looked there is free speech here. I think the over reaction to it in many places is making it a bigger deal then necessary.
