is it okay if I express concern about Barack's safety?

[Syrinx]

Sure, there are still some wacko racists out there. But that's not what I'm talking about. I think that the Secret Service is very much capable of protecting him from people like that.

Okay, so I'm a conspiracy theorist. You got me.

I don't know exactly who killed JFK, but I think I've a pretty good idea. Regardless of the particulars, I think JFK was killed by "The Establishment," because of the totality of his policies. He was going to go hard against the "military-industrial complex." And he was pushing his "New Frontier" agenda, which would have, at the time, required either tax hikes, or cuts in defense spending. The Establishment didn't like either one of those. And oh yeah, he was planning on getting out of Vietnam.

He was killed.

His brother, Robert, I think, would have resumed JFK's policies had he not been assassinated. Plus, he had a full head of steam on civil rights. God, I'd like to know how history would have gone if Bobby had lived.

He was killed.

No man is perfect, but Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may have been close. I can't resist the temptation to quote the man. This passage always gives me chills.

And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

He was killed.

John Lennon is one of my favorite musicians/artists of all time. He was a complicated, interesting dude. Maybe kind of pretentious, but I liked him a lot. The FBI followed him around, he was on Nixon's "enemies list," and they tried to deport him on trumped up charges.

He was killed.

I even have questions about the assassination of Malcolm X. I think the popular theory is that Farrakhan did it in a deadly power-play. But I think it's an entirely credible theory to say that maybe "the Establishment" killed him. He was never a threat when he was seen largely as a fringe, white-hating radical. (This is from a google search, a website I never saw before.)

When he returned, Malcolm said he had met "blonde-haired, blued-eyed men I could call my brothers." He returned to the United States with a new outlook on integration and a new hope for the future. This time when Malcolm spoke, instead of just preaching to African-Americans, he had a message for all races.

Then he was a threat. And he was killed.

And even George Wallace. He was still at the time a virulent racist, which probably appealed to "the Establishment." But, he too, was an outsider that threatened to shake up the status-quo.

He was killed. (In the long run.)

It seems that when anyone threatens the status-quo, and seems genuinely capable of pulling it off, they are taken out. No exceptions.

And that is why I am worried about Barack. Sorry for saying it out loud.

(Hey, DU, please get "Barack" into spellcheck.!)

[yellowdogintexas]

1. not crazy. I actually had fears about Bill Clinton when he was first elected

seriously .. young, attractive, way more progressive that anything we had seen for a while, etc.

Fortunately this did not happen but the worry is there.

Actually, Obama or Sen Clinton either one could have been a walking target to certain factions.

[Bucky]

2. Obama is way way less of a threat to the Establishment than RFK is.

There's probably some whacks out there who'd like to glorify themselves, but the powers that be are totally unthreatened by Obama's policies.

[Clark2008]

3. George Wallace wasn't killed

He died of septic shock (the same thing my step-Dad died of almost a year ago) in 1998.

And, yes, it's OK to worry about Obama's safety. My husband expressed the same concerns last night.

[Syrinx]

5. I edited my post just before I saw your correction :)

He effectively died when Arthur Bremer shot him. Stump speeches were his life.

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened to Wallace if he hadn't been shot.

He never believed all that racist shit he said. To my mind, that makes it even worse. He totally squandered his considerable political gifts.

At the end of his life, and for many years before, he was an anti-racist.

What a waste.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Michelle says no.

"She called on another supporter, whose voice quivered and broke with barely contained emotion as she explained how important it is to her, personally, that our country change course. She explained that she had just returned from Oregon where she campaigned for Obama and attended the 75,000-person rally by the river. She had noticed, she said, that the Secret Service had increased security dramatically for Barack Obama's rallies since the Phoenix rally in January.

The room collectively gasped and murmured, some aghast that these fears were being spoken aloud directly to Barack Obama's wife. Some nodded, concern and fear on their faces. Others shifted on their feet, displaying a range of emotions -- concern, discomfort with the topic, indignation.

The woman continued: "What can you tell us..." and then her voice caught and broke as a sob rose up from her chest. She paused for a moment. "I'm afraid of what might happen. What can you tell us, after last week's comments--" another sob-- "after last week's comments, to make us feel more at ease?" She cried unabashedly after finally getting out her words.

The room that had been electrified with positive energy throughout the evening suddenly became still and quiet, all eyes focused on Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama's eyes, though, were focused on that concerned supporter. She paused, allowing the clearly distraught supporter to pull herself together. Maybe it was 30 seconds before Obama spoke, stretched out into imaginary minutes. Finally, she said firmly, "I'm ok. Really. I am ok. And if I'm ok, you should be ok.

"You know, we talked about this as a family."

She held the microphone with one hand, the other curved inward over her heart as she talked. Her tenor and body language was clear. Michelle Obama was talking as a mother. She was introspective and intimate, looking the questioner in the eyes as if they are the only two in the room.

"We talked about this as a family."

The room remained still and quiet. Imagine having that talk with your children. Then, she paused, gathering herself, pulling herself up, seeming to grow even taller, Michelle, the campaigning wife returns. She says,

"I've talked about this before. Barack is probably safer now than he was before. Kids are dying in the street in our community. They get shot walking to class, sitting in school, taking the bus home. They are dying in the street.... Send us good vibes. Pray for us. Think positive thoughts. But most of all, be vigilant. Be vigilant about stopping this kind of talk.
It's not funny. You don't have to like Barack to dislike that kind of talk. Be vigilant about stopping that kind of talk."

Then she reminded the crowd what we are fighting for, and why it is important to forge ahead without fear. "Fear is the reason this country is where it is today. Fear is a useless emotion. Don't ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn't. Don't ever make decisions based on fear."'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/michelle-obama-in-phoenix_b_103924.html?page=3

[Window]

7. What a woman, wife and mother. Bless you and yours, Michelle.

Peace:kick:

[JTFrog]

6. Actually, before Hillary, it was against DU rules to do so.

True story.

[Donkey_Punch_Dubya]

8. They have been killed without exception?

Malcolm X's killing has been verified as not from the Establishment. Bill Clinton shook up the status quo, and there wasn't even an attempt on his life, despite some RW assholes openly pining for it.

RFK was killed by Sirhan Sirhan over pro-Isreal comments (Sirhan was Palestinian). And despite winning 4 primaries that year, there were only about 15 states that had elections to determine convention delegates. Most states had meetings where party bosses chose the delegates, and RFK didn't have much pull there. He likely would not have won the nomination that year, even though he was the best choice and could've done so with 50 state elections instead of 15. I think if the Establishment was going to murder Robert Kenneday, they would've waited until he actually was the Democratic candidate at least.

That said, with the poison of the RW chattering class, this year is probably the highest risk ever for a Democratic candidate. There might even be some racist talk show jerks imploring their listeners to kill Obama if he's still ahead in the poll in the fall. But that best chance ever is still like 5% at best, so it's not something that's remotely likely.