OK man gets visit from SS..over "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," sign on his car

[rainbow4321]

I don't know which is scarier, this idiot or the people making comments on the article...one comment wants the officer's name released to the public, another is mad because the police couldn't understand "a play on words".

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090220_12_A1_OKLAHO347104

Chip Harrison admits he's no fan of President Barack Obama, but he said he never dreamed the homemade anti-abortion sign in his pickup window would bring Secret Service agents to his door.

Harrison's sign, "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," was taken from him by Oklahoma City police but later returned. He was cleared as a potential presidential threat. But a week after the traffic stop that led police to confiscate his sign, the construction worker's name was appearing on national Web sites, and telephone calls supporting his First Amendment rights and his views against abortion were coming from people across the country.

(snip)

Officers took the sign and notified the local field office of the Secret Service. Capt. Steve McCool, police spokesman, said Thursday that the sign was taken from Harrison in error, and Oklahoma City residents should not worry that their First Amendment rights will be violated.

Adrian Andrews, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Oklahoma City office, said his department checks all potential threats. Agents determined Harrison was not a threat, but Andrews said he does not encourage such signs. "There are better ways to make a political statement than to say 'Abort Obama,'" Andrews said. "That's going to get our attention every time."

[musette_sf]

1. good on the SS and Agent Andrews.

[47of74]

2. The Secret Service needs to take a hard line with these things

[RB TexLa]

3. I don't think "abort Obama not the unborn" or "abort Bush not Roe v. Wade" should get any attention

from law enforcement. Both of those signs or bumper stickers convey a political message not a threat with any criminal intentions.

[npk]

5. Bombing abortion clinics sends a strong political message also

Some of these same anti-abortion zealots who have taken part in the violence against these clinics, patients and doctors, were just labeled to making s political point by their supporters. It still equates to violence. This man could have been hoping his little bumper sticker might also be taken literally by some of these far right wing violence prone idiots in this country.

Thank you to the SS.

[RB TexLa]

9. Except bombing a clinic a criminal act. By your logic anyone who during the last 8 years

published on DU that they wished Bush or Cheney were dead could have been "hoping" that extremists would then go cause that to happen and should have been investigated and possibly imprisoned for what they wrote.

[npk]

15. You can be imprisoned for writing a threat against Bush

or any other president. People have gone to federal prison for simply writing out a threat. My point was that anybody can make a threat, no matter how ambiguous it is, and then say I was just making a political statement. There are many followers of the anti-abortion movement who sent out notes and pamphlets with threatening language and some people acted on those threats. That is why the SS investigated this incident.

[paulsby]

7. i agree

the police dept. (eventually) did the right thing by admitting the onscene officer made a mistake in deciding to confiscate the sign (good thing he decided against custodial arrest - probably a sure loser lawsuit for them).

the secret service has a different protocol,a different goal, and a different penal code than the locals.

so, in other words, even though it is true that he did not violate the law by displaying that sign, it does not therefore follow that the SS might not have an interest into looking into the guy to see if there is more "behind the scenes"

the cops are tasked with investigating crimes, maintaining the peace, etc.

the SS are tasked with (among other things) protecting the president from all threats. their role is (and should be) more prophylactic in that regards. iow, even if no crime occurred (and none did based on my understanding of first amendment law, to include the classic cases of incendiary speech by H Rap Brown, etc.), the SS can still investigate.

[sammythecat]

11. Nice explanation. Thanks,

and welcome to DU. I hope you post more.

[paulsby]

13. thanks. glad to be here

[blondeatlast]

21. Welcome to DU. That is a great explanation of the situation and

the different roles the authorities play.

I won't be "secret" and I'll pass along a heart to you--look forward to reading more form you, I think.

[Ikonoklast]

10. Then I am glad the President's safety isn't up to you.

The Secret Service takes even the slightest hint of violence very seriously.

[blondeatlast]

22. Substitute GWB for Obama and I would strll applaud the authorities' actions in this case.

Eeven the mildest implied threat to the leader of our nation requires action whether I approve of the leader or not.

[Winterblues]

34. When anti-abortionist refer to abortion as murder, when they suggest to abort something or someone

They are suggesting to murder them. How can you not think a suggestion like that not be investigated?

[Enrique]

4. awesome name for a Secret Service guy

"Secret Service. Capt. Steve McCool" :thumbsup:

[sammythecat]

17. "You're shittin' me. Get oughta here."

"No, really. I'm Captain Steve McCool, Secret Service."

"Yeah, okay, I'm Batman."

[bluestateguy]

Uh huh

And I'm sure that asshole, who now whines about his free speech being "violated", cheerfully supported the USA Patriot Act, and warantless wiretapping, and secret renditions of "terrorists".

For understandable reasons, I could imagine that Oklahoma City police are very vigilant about terroristic threats.

[MADem]

6. If he's part of that "Abortion is Murder" crowd, I'd say they had a point in checking the guy out.

Play on words? That's not a play, and it's not a clever pun either.

It sounds like a violent wish to me.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. The real problem with this is now EVERY fundie will have that message on a sign,bumper sticker, etc.

That will make it much harder to tell the crazies from the harmless.

[muntrv]

12. Chip, you don't have a 1st Amendment right to call for killing the President.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. I hate to agree with some of the idiots on the Tulsa board

this was Free Speech

I don't agree with it, but I still remember the screams when this was done to "our side."

[B Calm]

19. Promoting the assassination of our President is not free speech!

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Read some of the stuff posted in liberal sites?

Hell, read some of the bumper stickers on some vehicles?

It can be interpreted as assassination...but that is very narrow, but the SS and the local cops acted correctly

By the way, the worst free speech is the kind that makes you very uncomfortable

Like oh, American Neo Nazis... they have that quality about them to make my skin crawl

[B Calm]

24. Have any examples?

[arcadian]

25. Here is an example from this very discussion board.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2487403&mesg_id=2487403

[B Calm]

27. Both posters (VISITORS) were banned! Chances were, they were FREEPERS

looking for a reason to shut this site down!

[arcadian]

29. You were looking for examples.

There is an example. And Skinner DID NOT provide the SS with their names which I applaud.

[B Calm]

30. Still waiting too. . .

[arcadian]

33. How do you know they were FREEPERS?

Pure speculation on your part. Per haps they were misguided liberals who hit "Post Comment" before they really thought about the consequences of their actions.

[gratuitous]

16. Tough call

I'm just not sure how they determined this guy wasn't a threat. Maybe he's one of those particularly sneaky super terrorist types who know how to fool our best interrogators. And can we really take the chance that this guy isn't some kind of super terrorist? Could we live with ourselves if it turns out we're wrong? What kind of message would that send to his terrorist pals around the world? If he is a terrorist, I mean.

Dither, dither.

You know, maybe this was his one slip up. Maybe we wouldn't have noticed this guy any other way. Sure, it seems harmless and all First Amendment-y and stuff, but as the Republicans reminded us over and over again during the Bush administration, the Constitution isn't a suicide pact.

Golly, this is a toughie.

Maybe it would be best for all concerned if we just clapped this guy into an isolation cell, without access to counsel or courts, put him in stress positions, a little sleep deprivation, some basic waterboarding. You know, just so we could be really sure he isn't a threat to our American way of life. And if he doesn't crack after six months, we'll try some more extreme methods for another six months. Just to be sure, you understand. I'm sure Mr. Harrison would fully understand and appreciate the precautions. And so would all his friends and relatives.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. "I'm Sure Mr. Harrison would fully understand..."

Good post, gratuitous. That last paragraph is a gem.
GAC

[Vinca]

20. Hope they visit Alan Keyes next.

People like this are trying to incite one of their nutball fellow sheep to do something. There's a line between free speech and inciting violence.

[Romulox]

26. Who in hell made the SS arbiters of what we can and cannot say?

It strains credibility to suggest that the sign was a threat; where does the SS get off telling us what free speech they "encourage", and which they do not?


"...Andrews said he does not encourage such signs."

[arcadian]

28. If you believe "Abort Obama" is an assassination threat, then you believe that abortion is murder.

It's not an assassination threat. This is merely a tactic of the authoritarians to dig away at a person's right to free speech. Can anybody tell me how a 40 something year old man could be aborted in the same manner as a fetus? The whole thing is ridiculous. The SS over stepped their bounds.

[B Calm]

31. It's not about what we believe, right wingers believe it's murder. . . .

[arcadian]

32. Well, setting aside personal feelings.

Is it possible to abort a 40 something year old man? Like I said. The mans sign is ridiculous and so was the SS reaction.

[B Calm]

37. So was a ridiculous cartoon portraying the president as a chimp

and two cops assassinating him!

[MadHound]

35. Sorry, but this was wrong,

It was wrong when the SS and cops were hassling anti-Bush people for their bumperstickers, posters, etc. It's wrong now to hassle the anti-Obama people in the same manner. The First Amendment applies to all of us.

[Beacool]

36. Much ado about nothing.

Disgusting sign, but not a threat on Obama's life. Gee, if the SS had been called for every bumper sticker and sign I've seen over the years against Bush and Cheney, nearly half of the country would have been visited by the SS.

:eyes: