Fear for Obama's Safety Grows as Hate Groups Thrive on Racial Backlash

[festus]

Obama's Safety: Hate Groups Thrive Amidst Town Hall Health Care Debates - ABC News
Fear for Obama's Safety Grows as Hate Groups Thrive on Racial Backlash
Violent Signs, Gun, Standoff Latest in Emerging Anger Towards the President
By BRIAN ROSS, ANNA SCHECTER and MEGAN CHUCHMACH
August 14, 2009—


Experts who track hate groups across the U.S. are growing increasingly concerned over violent rhetoric targeted at President Obama, especially as the debate over health care intensifies and a pattern of threats emerges.

The Secret Service is investigating a Maryland man who held a sign reading "Death to Obama" and "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids" outside a town hall meeting this week. And in New Hampshire, another man stood across the street from a Presidential town hall with his gun on full display.

Los Angeles police officers apprehended a man Thursday after a standoff with him inside a red Volkswagen Bug car in Westwood, CA  the latest disturbing case even though officials said the man had mental problems.

"I don't think these are simply people who are mentally ill or off their rocker," Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told ABC News of those behind the threats. "In a very real sense they represent a genuine reaction, a genuine backlash against Obama."

Experts say a sharp growth in so-called militia groups that helped spawn a wave of domestic terrorism in the 1990s  and are now using YouTube, rock music and the Internet to recruit members and spread hate and fear - shouldn't be ignored.

"It's certainly a scary time," said former FBI agent Brad Garrett, now an ABC News consultant. Garrett said the Secret Service "cannot afford to pass on anyone," and he believes "they really do fear that something could happen to [Obama]."



Garrett said statements like one recently made by controversial radio host Rush Limbaugh comparing a logo for the White House plan to a Nazi symbol "legitimizes people who are on the edge to go do something or say something."

"And if you go and take a look at this, you will find that the Obama health care logo is damn close to a Nazi swastika logo," Limbaugh said.

Later, someone painted a swastika outside the office of Congressman David Scott of Georgia, one of Obama's supporters.


Secret Service Security Around Obama
While officials told ABC News that the President's daily threat matrix has yet to reflect a sharp increase in threats, White House officials privately admit deep concern and have told the Secret Service to keep security tight, even if Obama objects.

"I think the president has, in effect, triggered fears amongst fairly large numbers of white people in this country that they are somehow losing their country, that the battle is lost," Potok told ABC News. "The nation that their Christian white forefathers created has somehow been taken from them."

Asa Eslocker contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

[HK4U]

I am sure because of the great threat sooner or later it will be necessary to suspend the constitution and declare martial law.

[ecocks]

Sigh, not to put myself on the damned threat matrix/list, but...

There's the guy in NH and whoever dropped a firearm at Gifford's TH meeting.

So, I wonder what would happen in a state like NH or Idaho if 30-40 people showed up open-carrying at a public site where Obama was speaing?

Would they be treated differently if the speaker was Fred Thompson, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee?

What about if they were CC?

Do any politicians have the courage to publicly throw open a TH to those who are exercising their 2A rights/freedoms?

[symtron]

The political party, sex or race of the person in the Office of President does not matter when I make this statement.

When it comes to the safety of the POTUS, I feel no one (outside of federal security) should be allowed to carry in his presence in a public setting.

The potential effect of his/her being attacked or killed would sink this nation for years to come and I feel the overwhelming history of this country when it comes to the Executive Branch is enough to justify this rule.

You can't carry into a airport, or on most of the federal properties so why would there be a problem with attending a event where the POTUS or the VPOTUS is and not allowing personal protection?
(I am assuming security screening would be in effect)

Not to make anyone mad or to rile anyone, just how "I" feel.

<flamesuit on>

[MADnMO]

Originally Posted by symtron

The political party, sex or race of the person in the Office of President does not matter when I make this statement.

When it comes to the safety of the POTUS, I feel no one (outside of federal security) should be allowed to carry in his presence in a public setting.

The potential effect of his/her being attacked or killed would sink this nation for years to come and I feel the overwhelming history of this country when it comes to the Executive Branch is enough to justify this rule.

You can't carry into a airport, or on most of the federal properties so why would there be a problem with attending a event where the POTUS or the VPOTUS is and not allowing personal protection?
(I am assuming security screening would be in effect)

Not to make anyone mad or to rile anyone, just how "I" feel.

<flamesuit on>

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall NOT be infringed.

I don't see anything in here that says except when POTUS is around.

Just how I feel.

[symtron]

I feel you in that, but you can't carry into a airport. Is that infringing on your right?

Make it clear I am a "gun toter" and will be until I die...

[MADnMO]

Originally Posted by symtron

I feel you in that, but you can't carry into a airport. Is that infringing on your right?

Make it clear I am a "gun toter" and will be until I die...

Yes I believe it is. However I am a law abiding citizen and I obey the law even if I think it is unconstitutional.

[utimmer43]

Originally Posted by symtron

...but you can't carry into a airport. Is that infringing on your right?

[Piece Corps]

Originally Posted by ecocks

Sigh, not to put myself on the damned threat matrix/list, but...

There's the guy in NH and whoever dropped a firearm at Gifford's TH meeting.

So, I wonder what would happen in a state like NH or Idaho if 30-40 people showed up open-carrying at a public site where Obama was speaing?

Would they be treated differently if the speaker was Fred Thompson, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee?

What about if they were CC?

Do any politicians have the courage to publicly throw open a TH to those who are exercising their 2A rights/freedoms?

How is the security at these meetings? I'm sure if the president was there, you'd be body-cavity searched before you could piss in the Porta-Potty out front. But if it's not a government facility or a school, I wouldn't have any problems carrying. Are they frisking everyone who comes through the doors? Are there metal detectors?

I carry all the time, and going to a town hall rally wouldn't be an exception unless it was against the law.

[Tex4oc]

First of all if the president was actually doing his job and SERVING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, he wouldn't be in any danger at all. You don't bite the hand that feeds you, or piss off a waiter who is giving you good service. Why would you threaten an elected official who is bending to the will of the MAJORITY of the people At this juncture he ought to just say "hey apparently the polls were wrong and the 'crisis' is just a small problem that the public will just have to deal with. But then pigs would fly out of my butt, and cars would run on water.

P.S. I carried to all three TEA parties I attended(concealed), and not once did my pistola want to jump out of it's holster or cause any sort of mischief. But then I live in Texas, and except for the open carry thing, our politicians are for the most part gun friendly.