Update 6: Just so that we're clear:
- The man is an English black man,
- The gun was an air gun,
- The man lived,
- The victim specifically stated the attacker, a skinhead, was set off by his Obama t-shirt, told the victim "I’ll kill him", followed him to his car & shot him at close range 3 times.
Does that address any issues (hyperbole or otherwise)? Can we agree that this was a hate crime?
I’m not saying we should riot in the streets but can we not see what violence hateful speech can incite?
Question: do you think that hateful speech can incite violence?
There's a diary by NowandZen about the rightwing supporters of McPalin becoming a lynch mob due to the racially tinged and angry attacks on Obama by John McCain and (especially) Sarah Palin. This diary was in response to two specific and ugly incidents that occurred yesterday at a McCain speech and separately at a Palin speech.
At one rally, John McCain attacked . At Palin's rally, one man shouted "Kill Him!" when she raised the debunked Obama link to Bill Ayers. Neither McCain or Palin denounced the "terrorist" or "Kill him" comments.
This demonstrates a complete lack of leadership IMHO but it may also show just how little McPalin have considered as consequences of their hateful speeches. John McCain seemed genuinely surprised and shocked by the "Terrorist!" comment. He frowned and jerked back and as NowandZen stated seemed to realize if only for a moment the line he was crossing.
That he's continuing to cross that line is perhaps more disturbing to me. I know he's ambitious and believes he can lead the country better than anyone, but can he not see just how dangerous it is to incite people and to encourage the racially-tinged fear and anger of many of his followers?
Well, if he can't see the consequences of his (& his campaign's) angry and hateful words, then perhaps this will make it clear to him:
A man was shot three times for wearing a Barack Obama shirt.
A man told today how he was shot three times in a London street for wearing a Barack Obama T-shirt.
Dube Egwuatu was buying a mobile telephone top-up card in an off-licence when the gunman confronted him and glared at the top, which carries an image of the Democrat US presidential candidate underneath the legend 'Believe'.
The man then launched into a tirade of racist slurs, shouting 'I f***ing hate n*****s' and urging 36-year-old Mr Egwuatu to leave the shop with him.
The first comment in NowandZen's diary was a lament stating that the diary was a hyperbole. As this incident has proven, I think not.
Anyone who has every worked at an women's health clinic or Planned Parenthood can tell you exactly how dangerous angry speeches and words can be.
I'd like to pose this: Just think about what would happen to this country if something were to happen to Obama right now. I don't know if racial (& political) violence would occur but it wouldn't need to because there would be economic disaster. Given the precarious state of the American & world economy looking for leadership in the US to save it, what would happen globally if something were to happen to Obama?
I personally feel the danger to people downstream from Obama is more than to Obama himself. He's already got every KKK neo-Nazi thug out there after him. But, as many comments in that diary proved, there's as much danger and threat to people downstream as to Obama.
Tires will get slashed. Brake lines get cut. People are spit on. And citizens doing nothing more than wearing a t-shirt supporting their candidate can get shot.
This needs to stop -- before somebody gets killed. As it is, someone attempted to kill an Obama supporter today.
McCain & Palin need to stop their hateful speeches and get back to debating the issues NOW!
Update 1:
There's some debate about the weapon. That it was an air gun. I don't think that adequately states the issue. From the article:
To the untrained eye, ball-bearing guns like the one used in the attack look every bit like a real firearm.
The potentially lethal weapons are often converted by criminals to fire real bullets, and can be bought easily in high-street shops and on websites.
In other words, it's not really accurate to say this was just a bb gun IMHO or that the intent wasn't there to kill:
'He was telling me that he was going to kill me.
'I couldn't believe it was happening - and just because I was wearing an Obama T-shirt. He was trying to make me walk somewhere quieter, saying: 'I've got something for you,' and 'I'm going to kill you.'
Update 2: I'll admit I'm surprised at the # of people who blow this story off b/c the gun was a "bb gun." Please read the update below regarding how air guns are modified to fire real bullets & the statements of the skinhead (yes, skinhead) attacker.
Update 3: Btw, I live in Texas. I know & have fired guns (as many of you) so they don't stress me out. But if a skinhead points a gun at ya (even a bb gun) & says "I'm going to kill you", I don't think it's a small issue.
Update 4:
This occured right here in Texas when illegal immigration really dominated the agenda of the GOP. Texas Skinhead sodomizes Hispanic Teen.
Grand Moff Texan laid out a great diary linking hate speech to hate crime. Highly recommend you check it out.
Update 5:Ok, let's talk about air Guns & if they are lethal (b/c many here focused on that). According to two comments, it's YES, they can definitely be lethaL: I'll point out 2 comments (below) but again, I just feel like this is still an attack, a murder attempt even, regardless of the calibre/gun.
#
A source (5+ / 0-)
In the UK, there is currently a move to ban Brocock Air Cartridge System airguns, which use a precompressed, single shot air cartridge similar in size to a .38 Special cartridge. A number of these have been modified by criminals to convert them to make zip guns capable of firing rimfire Rimfire ammunition
A rimfire is a type of firearm [i] cartridge [i]. ...
ammunition or even .38 Special ammunition(*).
Source http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/...
The metal only has to hold up once or twice, and with a low powered round at close range (ideal for a criminal), it would be adequate for single use. A striker can easily be fashioned to trigger the round.
I leave it to you to draw the attention of Homeland Secuity by searching out details :).
by soaquarian on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 12:30:34 PM CDT
the 2nd is by antirove & here.
so there you have it. if this is actually happening & often enough that the police there want to ban it -- and often enough that skinheads are buying these specifically to modify them into lethal weapons -- does this not make the air gun vs. "real" gun issue to rest?
honest question.
thanks to soaquarian & antirove.