Need Some Freeper Advice Here

RightFighter

[RightFighter]

Okay, I need some advice from some of you about what "my friend" should do regarding a situation that happened at work yesterday. Here's the scenario:

First, my "friend" lives near Daytona Beach. Of course, you all know that President Bush is going to be there tomorrow for the Daytona 500 race. My friend was at work yesterday at one of our locations, and he noticed a couple of our vendor support reps were on site. He went back to greet them and chat for a minute. One of them was getting ready to leave, so my friend suggested that he find an alternate route to drive home because the traffic on the Interstate was pretty bad heading south from that office. He said he would.

At this point, one of my friend's co-workers, having overheard this discussion about the traffic, said something like "Oh, is the traffic bad because of the races?" The vendor rep said that he didn't think it was bad due to the races this particular time, but rather due to the construction that is happening on I-95 right now. The employee then said "Oh, I thought it might be for the races. President Bush is coming to town for that. I bought a gun for the occasion."

My friend did a double-take and said "You'd better be careful saying something like that." It had clearly made everyone in the room uncomfortable. He looked at my friend and said "Why? Are you going to turn me in for it?" My friend said "I might." The vendor rep then made a positive comment about Bush, in an obvious attempt to try to give this guy some hint that he wasn't talking to anyone that was sympathetic to any hostile feelings he has toward the President. The employee then started arguing with this vendor rep about tax policy. Pathetic!!!

Feeling thoroughly uncomfortable at this point, and not wanting to associate with him any longer, my friend left the room and went to another area. He talked with one of the girls that works there and mentioned it to her, and another girl who overheard them talking said "Oh, he said that to me earlier too." So now my friend has heard that he's said this multiple times in one day. Needless to say, he was very concerned, not so much that he thinks he's serious in any way, but it's just one of those things that you don't joke about. It's the equivalent of getting on an airplane and saying to the stewardess, "What would you say if I told you there's a bomb in my bag?"

My friend wasn't sure what to do. Part of him wanted to just call the police and narc on the guy, knowing full well that he would probably spend a night in jail, at a minimum, for what he said. The Secret Service doesn't play around with that kind of stuff. However, he doesn't want to ruin the guy's life for what is most likely just a stupid comment by a stupid liberal. So, he waited around until after hours and talked with the manager of that location and let him know what had happened. He was shocked and said he would deal with it, and my friend told him that he would take it no further, but that he wanted him, as this guy's boss, to know the kinds of things he is saying at work, and also that he didn't care if the guy knew it was him that reported it.

The question is - did my friend do the right thing?

[HardStarboard]

Turn him in - pronto!

[beckysueb]

I had assumed once your friend notified the manager, the manager would have called the police.

[Quix]

I think he needs reported to the Secret Service. No question.

Toooooo many red flags on this for my comfort.

That showed a tenacity of IN YOUR FACE blatant violent assertion saying something he knew to be high risk and illegal--particularly in this current context.

That shows, to me, a particularly hazardous mental bent that could easily act such out. It sounds like the guy thinks about such things more than a little and is more than a little itchy to act such things out.

I hope to see on this thread later, that some decisive action has been taken. If I'm still of the same frame of mind when I return later to night; and if there is no indication on this thread that more serious reporting has occurred, I will report this thread to the Secret Service, myself.

That's how serious I think the guy's psychology is.

[Alberta's Child]

Sometimes I yearn for the days when a moron like this who mouthed off at a stock car race track would have been taken away in a box.

[muawiyah]

Hey, if you don't turn in your buddy, what I'll do is make sure one of those FBI field offices knows about this thread, and they'll do a look/see on the ISP supporting this and give you a call.

Happened to me once when I posted some important stuff before calling them ~ remember the little kid whose Dad and Mom had gone over to the Church of the First Born and were feeding him nothing but lettuce and watermelon?

I got called!

My home phone number is unlisted.

I got called. Deal was I mentioned that I knew where they were headed ~ either South to the little mission where they bring in peyote, or to Christmas Valley, Oregon.

Notice that they caught up to them on a road that takes you to Christmas Valley (which has lots of Church of the First Born types as well as several very secret DOD installations.)

Anyway, FBI tracked me down and called me.

[Bud Krieger]

Report this cook. Anyone who would be crazy enough to say something like that in public , has to be a bit crazy !! He deserves to have a freindly visit from the Secret Service.

[prisoner6]

Make the appropriate authorities aware...others have posted tip links and that would be good. Local police/FBI would be fine as well.

Bear in mind when he's carted away he'll start screaming about the Jack Booted Thugs and the Patriot Act and how Dubya and Ashcrfot and all the hate mongers on the right are taking away his freedom. Tough.

I wouldn't be surprised if he WANTS to be questioned so he can brag to his lefty friends, so in a way you're doing him a favor.

prisoner6

[Bud Krieger]

cook = kook !!

[MegaSilver]

No, your friend did not do the right thing. Tell him to call Secret Service and alert them to this. It's nothing to toy around with, and the person who did needs to learn a lesson. Tell him that if he doesn't call, you will.

[RightFighter]

"My friend" is calling right now.

[xJones]

"The government has never approached me, warned me, notified me, or asked for any information regarding our users or anything else. I've had zero contact from the government."

It wasn't JR that the government contacted. The one example I watched was when a well-known Freeper several years ago made a rash comment about Clinton. He realized his stupidity, and had the post removed within 10 minutes or so of being posted. Too late, the Secret Service called on him at his home in Florida. I have no idea how they could track him down like that but they did.

That Freeper posted a frantic vanity on FR, saying that the Secret Service had called and was coming over that day to interview him.

You should understand that that Freeper was/is a retired senior citizen with a bad heart condition. He was personally known by many other Freepers, and well-liked as somewhat of a good-natured blow-hard. Everyone that knew anything about him, knew that hell would freeze twice before he ever harmed anyone, let alone the President. So, a nervous good-time was had on that thread, with everyone giving him the most hilarious advice on what to say during his up-coming interview with the SS. During the interview, one Freeper even called his home and talked to his wife, and afterwards, the hapless guy reported that the Secret Service had been very nice, and realized he was no threat.

All in all, it was quite a lesson, and it wouldn't be surprising if this thread isn't read also.

[archy]

I can understand your friend's reluctance. But you have no idea as to the past history of the guy making the threat's past history of criminal behaviour or mental stability, and neither does your friend. Give the feds, in this case the Secret Service, a call and let them make the determination- if they think the guy's background holds problems that require further investigation, let them have at it.

But in this case, give them the call.

I'm not certain which USSS field office is closest to you, but here's the list.

Remember, the guy who said that is not only a threat to the president. He's a threat to Homeland Security as well.

US Secret Service Field offices, Florida:

JACKSONVILLE 904-296-0133

MIAMI 305-863-5000

ORLANDO 407-648-6333

TALLAHASSEE 850-942-9523

TAMPA 813-228-2636

WEST PALM BEACH 561-659-0184

[skip2myloo]

Hopefully, RightFighter will do the right thing -- we don't need to be drawing any unnecessary attention to FR.

[RightFighter]

The call has been made.

[muawiyah]

There is no doubt this thread will be read because at least 30 folks have reported it.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Turn him in to the SS and let them determine what is going on instead of second guessing. If is just your average Bush hater running his mouth, they will probably let it pass with a strong warning. If he is serious, do you want to be responsible for not stopping it when you had the chance?

[RightFighter]

I took all of your advice and I called the Orlando field office of the USSS. She said an agent would probably be calling me back about it.

In case you haven't figured it out, I am my friend.

[skip2myloo]

Now that you mention it -- I do remember that thread.

Makes one wonder just what tentacles they use to track a guy so fast.

[beckysueb]

Kind of thought so.