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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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105

Creator of 'Kill Obama' Poll Is a Kid

No charges filed

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(Newser) – The Secret Service has found the mastermind behind the “Should Obama Be Killed?” Facebook poll—and it turns out to be a kid. After a chat with the young perp and the parents, the agency has decided not to press charges, a spokesman said. “This is something we classified as a mistake on the juvenile's part.” He wouldn’t reveal the juvenile’s name, age, or residence.

A screenshot of the Obama death poll, which Facebook has since removed.
A screenshot of the Obama death poll, which Facebook has since removed.   (Huffington Post)
In this photo made Thursday, July 16, 2009, a Facebook user logs into their account in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
In this photo made Thursday, July 16, 2009, a Facebook user logs into their account in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)
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105 comments
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Unaffiliated
Oct 1, 09 11:02 AM CDT
I hope he learned a bit about the history of free speech litigation and Supreme Court cases from all of this. You can't make threats, even veiled threats, on the president's life. Reply
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+33
IN RESPONSE:
Aelius28
Oct 1, 09 11:10 AM CDT
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Yourself
Oct 1, 09 11:16 AM CDT
@aelius28 you must be in denial if you can't see how even this is an issue. You don't think that someone asking if he should be killed is a problem? It's called instigation, or in layman terms "stoking the fire" yeah he didn't say he'd do it himself, but he's just stoking others into a frenzy.
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+27
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Unaffiliated
Oct 1, 09 11:19 AM CDT
I'm not going to debate with you what this kid had in mind when he or she created this quiz. Instead imagine what the reaction would have been had a news network posted this poll? Does the news network have a responsibility to avoid even vaguely suggesting the president be killed? I say, yes. Now that the news media doesn't have a monopoly on mass media, and anyone can create something online that will be seen by millions, don't we all have the same responsibility?
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+12
IN RESPONSE:
UrUndertaker
Oct 1, 09 11:20 AM CDT
@ Aelius2, try not to pretend to be so naive that you purposely attempt to make less of this than it is. By placing that little poll that person (a child it seems) did in fact promote the assassination of the President and you know that. He or she did violate the law and a good DA especially from the Federal level would and could have put them away. At the very least used the arrest to destroy the family standing as well as drained them financially as we saw during the Bush years when people were accused of being associated with Terror groups who were innocent yet it cost them jobs, homes and even marriages to prove they indeed were innocent all the time.. Sure one or two might reclaim a little money one day in the far off future but that does them little good rebuilding their name which has been destroyed. And for the record? That "poll" was against federal statutes
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