Yesterday this image was making the rounds in social media. Today, it’s been removed.
For a moment, let’s ignore the fact that threatening the life of a president is treason. For a moment let’s set aside our ideological differences.
Fifty-five years after the brutal murder of Emmett Till, reflect that his mother held an open casket funeral, to force everyone to acknowledge the ugliness perpetrated on her son.
We draw attention today to this abhorrence to sicken all those still in possession of conscience. It’s important for everyone who believes we’ve solved racism to get a good look at living face.
If liberty and justice ever is ever going to be for all, we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’re ready to work. We hope you are, too.
Read more on Conflict.
Images of lynching courtesy of the author
I agree, those pictures of lynching are just unspeakable… My 12 yo son has watched videos of Obama and Romney making speeches in his Social Studies class…we talk frankly about some of the disturbing issues that have come up in the news….and we do talk about race and the open hatred and resentment against certain groups of people….we just read “Chasing Lincoln’s Killer” and it seems that some people out there still wish things were how they were before the Civil War (ie., before the blacks were freed)….yes, it is terrible reading about civil rights and democracy in his textbooks… Read more »
Where’s the article?
IS threatening the life of the US president treason, as treason is legally defined? Something about providing material aid and comfort to the enemy? Is it a “fact” that making such threats is treason?
trea·son
/ˈtrēzən/
Noun
The crime of betraying one’s country, esp. by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.
AnonymousDog – I’m so glad you brought up this point, it has been helpful to clarify matters! I take it that you are making reference to 18 USC § 2381, which you are quite correct deals with the issue of “Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason….”. So there are two questions that arise, and two conclusions. 1) Was the image produced in consort with a foreign power with the intent of threatening the commander in… Read more »
It is against the law in the US to threaten the life of the POTUS, or incite others to do so, even if that threat is abstract with no actual intent or plan in place. Threatening the President of the United States is a class D felony under United States Code Title 18, Section 871[1]. It consists of “knowingly and willfully mailing or otherwise making “any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States”. The United States Secret Service investigates and monitors such cases. The courts have generally… Read more »
Jackie as always thanks for bringing up the tough and difficult question. A related but different story was told on the radio this morning on NPR, which I thought was quite inspiring: The Strange Story Of The Man Behind ‘Strange Fruit’ http://n.pr/R4P1l7
Three questions come to mind.
1) Is it racially motivated?
2) Is it designed to offend above and beyond Politics?
3) Did Kris Haynes get the phone number he asked for?
… and as an aside, if the image had not been of Obama, would it still be on facebook now? I think we all know the answer to that one!
1) yes.
2) yes.
3) as it’s been removed, there’s no way of knowing.