Posted on 02/27/2009 6:31:43 AM PST by mnehring
A Camp Lejeune Marine has been charged with threatening Barack Obama before the president was sworn into office last month.
Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech from the base in Jacksonville today.
Kody Ray Brittingham, 20, faces up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release if convicted of threatening the president-elect, according to U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding.
Brittingham also could be fined up to $250,000.
According to a news release, Brittingham told people in November that he intended to shoot Obama, among other things.
We take all threats against the president and other high officials of the United States very seriously, Holding said. The threat itself represents a disruption of the United States government, even if no actual attempt is made to carry out the threat.
In todays speech, Obama is expected to unveil his plans to withdraw combat troops from Iraq. He is scheduled to arrive on Air Force One at the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air station in the morning, according to a White House news release.
Obama will speak from the Goettge Memorial Field House about 11:45 a.m., the release said.
Gee what happened to the first amendment?
The Marine is a moron if this is true, and the prosecution would be appropriate.
But, beyond this you will see now that the Holder and the Justice Department has more money directed to investigate civil rights violations under Obama’s new stimulus plan, you can bet that most speech against the “One” will be viewed as hate speech.
But in your heart...
If one or both were to actually refuse a deployment, which would lead to charges, then the issue would bec ome national.
“what about all threats against Palin or Bush? Just freesdom of expression?”
He’s an active duty Marine. He should have known better. I deal with this all the time with my soldiers. (I’m a Major in the Army). No matter how much you dislike the CINC, you just can’t trash him or threaten him in public.
No, not even in my heart. I don’t think that way.
“Dissent WAS patriotic”.
And if those channels are no longer available ? ...
then we wouldn’t even be here chatting away on the internet, the world would be a very different place and we don’t know what we can or can’t do.
Bull crap. I've threatened to kill people before. So have you.
It is our right to express our disgust for people by saying that we'd like to kill them or like to see them die.
That right is secured by the first amendment. It is only when we act on that threat that we should be subject to prosecution.
I am willing to bet that there has never been an assasination of a president by someone who has publicly threatened to kill them. Assassins don't threaten to kill presidents. They just do it.
**********You don’t like him, go the legal channels******
You mean like the Supreme Court?? He doesnt have standing.
A threat like this will always be taken seriously, and he was stupid to make it.
Having said that, there are no channels that will listen .
We can only hope to survive until 2010.
No kidding. Go to the dummie underground site on any given day and see that kind of remark. These charges are baseless and reek of communism. Where’s the ACLU to protect this man’s right to free speech?/sarc/
This POS is an enemy of the US, just as is Bin Laden.
Agreed per post 52
You are right, I know how they feel about us.
Facts is that I have a Harvard Educated 1/2 Hispanic son-in-law. (who I love as a son) And I have lots of non-White friends, many on this forum.
All the MSM wants to do is divide us. They see that Southern states have been more driven together because of past events than the rest of the nation. They intend to divide us (the nation) and conquer us. (Subject us to a corrupt global government)
I will die opposing that.
The People......
right. It’s dangerous.
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