Join the “When Will George W. Bush Get Assassinated” Pool
Personally I think this is a terrible idea for a pool. There are some things that just shouldn’t be joked about. It’s true that Bush is the Worst President Ever, but come on people. Certainly nobody wishes that for him.
Some psycho in Maine is actually running this pool from his store. He’s inviting everybody to guess President Bush’s assassination date. The owner of the Oak Hill General Store in Standish, Maine has a sign asking customers to place a $1 bet on the date that Bush will be assassinated. The sign also says “Let’s home someone wins.”
And this is legal. Who’da thunk?
We’re all familiar with that expression “I may not agree with what you’re saying but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” And sometimes when you least expect it, that really is the guiding principle.
Is this a great country or what? I would’ve sworn that Homeland Security, the FBI, BATF — and every other alphabet soup agency you’ve ever heard of — would be breaking this guy’s door down and dragging him off to Gitmo. And taking into custody every family member, friend and acquaintance for a little, uh, “questioning.”
But he really isn’t being arrested on any charges, or even harassed. Let’s hear it for the First Amendment! So much for all that liberal nonsense about protesters and dissidents being spied on and intimidated. We really do have free speech. You really can make jokes (or worse) about assassinating the President of the United States — with no fear of retribution from the government.
I’m just gonna proofread this linked article one last time before I — Oh. That explains it. Seems I was wrong about one certain detail.
cross-posted at Bring It On!
Labels: Oak Hill General Store, Standish Maine assassination pool
posted by Tom Harper @ 2:07 PM
20 Comments:
You got me there.
But really, I didn't think it was legal. Unless the laws only apply to sitting presidents? Not sure.
And as for Bush, you know a lot of people in Hell are waiting for him. They have all the time in the world.
PITS: I don't know if there's a distinction between a sitting president and a president-elect. Even if no laws are broken, this should attract lots of scrutiny from the feds. You never know when there's a serious intent among all the jokes and rhetoric.
Tom, I don't know who you hang out with, but I'm around a bunch of vets and guys who lost their small business under Bush. If it were up to them, it wouldn't be a pool, but a reality.
Okay, come get me Homeland Security, but I have never understood why someone didn't take that creep out a long time ago. It's not like Americans are opposed to killing Presidents.
Well, I guess the pool is the only way to make money under Bushenomics.
Skinheads were busted recently for an assassination plot (with other nasty little suprises thrown in for good measure). The problem is stuff like that starts with a single joke, or hushed conversation, or...
I wouldn't be suprised if we were to read tomorrow that there are 200 or more isolated groups plotting assasination as we speak. Even so, Tom, that was a good post - I was wondering why it took so long for an assasination pool on Bush, but even still my heart missed a beat when I clicked the link and found it was about Obama :).
Enemy: Yes, that's one way to make money no matter how bad the economy gets. LOL.
I've heard people make comments privately (jokingly or not) about a president being assassinated. But I figured that if it became public (i.e. a sign on a store window), it would be breaking the law. I don't really care what the laws are, as long as they're enforced impartially and consistently.
Bee: I remember reading about that skinhead plot against Obama. It's true, these things often start with little jokes, or an audience chanting. It's hard to know where the draw the line, but there were some real sickos at some of McCain's and Palin's speeches and rallies.
Yeah, the lowlifes at that store have a right to remove all doubt about how despicable they are. And they did.
They'll get to use their precious rights that way, unless maybe some prosecutor decides he can argue successfully that putting money on something like that goes beyond speech as an expression of opinion to become encouragement of an illegal act.
At that point, the ho, ho, ho turns to oh, oh, whoa. And that's even if the prosecutor fails to win his case.
Would I say the same thing if the betting was indeed about the worst president in U.S. history? I absolutely would. Not out of undue concern for his worthless hide, but because we need to be people who are better than that. We need to be people who don't do things that way.
If it were a Bush pool, every right wing mouthpiece in the corporate media would have railed about it endlessly. As it stands, I imagine one or two of them may have purchased a square or two.
SW: Yes, they have the right to hold this tasteless contest. But they're also subjecting themselves to the first amendment rights of other people who disagree with them -- if not retaliation.
It's hard to know where to draw the line between protecting free speech, and preventing criminal activity from being incited.
Lew: Yup, this would sure get a rise out of the wingtards. They're experts at being furious at something liberals do, while "not noticing" when they themselves are doing the same thing.
I was reading your article thinking, I thought it was an Obama sign I read about last week, then your link to the real story.
Fucking stunning. What kind of tasteless fuck does something like that? He's probably a fuckin' Christian Fundamentalist.
I think it's better to leave Bush to the hands of God and all those injuried uninsured serving men in Iraq. Why kill him, bring him to justice so he can be an example for all the coming presidents and staff members who misuse the power they have in DC. Assisinating him will be bad for all, and yes that encourage violence. Not good
Five, six or seven years ago the FBI, ATF, etc. probably would have been beating down this store owner's door. It seems like since around 2006 when the Republican party began it's swan dive, Fearless Leader has been a major lame duck, and maybe he hasn't felt so much like bringing the hammer down on people. Nonetheless, I personally can't approve of a lottery on when someone will get murdered.
Assassination? Nah. That would not be right. As much as I absolutely loathe Bush, he is a fellow human being. I would much rather see him tried in a court of law for whatever crimes he has committed, and assuming there would be some that are treasonous, he could then be life-sentenced to a situation like Devil's Island as depicted in the movie "Papillon". This would be satisfying for me.
Bush would be in a place he couldn't escape, and he would be left with some basic food, shelters and supplies. Forcing him to have to rely on himself for his own survival would be a perfect way for him to go out. No ranches, no Secret Service/bodyguards, money, power, etc.
I would rather set up a lottery for the date on which he gets convicted of war crimes, the day he finally has to testify for his impeachable offenses, etc. I am thinking none of those things are ever going to happen, though. I think the Dems will most likely chicken out on pursuing such things, and that instead this absolute jerk will be allowed to retreat to his ranch in Crawford, TX where he will basically stay in hiding.
If the 2006 elections signalled the beginning of the GOP's swan dive out of favor, does their current nonsensical bleating about how America is a "center-right" nation" signal the GOP's swan song? This is a season of hope, and I am surely hoping so.
Stepenwolf-
Carlos: Yup, it's stunning. Even if it's legal, this asshole must have a really thick skin, to not mind being seen by most of the townspeople as a total sickfuck.
Ali: Yes, being brought to justice would be the most painful punishment for Dumbya. From his jail cell he could be forced to watch videos of people being waterboarded, the mass suffering going on in Iraq, and other reminders of why he's behind bars.
Snave: Some sort of de facto "house arrest" at his Crawford ranch is probably the harshest penalty we can hope for for Dumbya. Or maybe house arrest at his other ranch in Paraguay.
But has reason to be looking over his shoulder the rest of his life. Pinochet and Milosevic are 2 ex-dictators I can think of who were arrested and tried in international court. They got too complacent and then -- Boom! Maybe something like that will happen to Bush too.
Anonymous: Assuming you mean the quote in the upper left corner, yup, "Move Over" by Steppenwolfe. That quote has been up there for eons; I keep meaning to change it.
I'd like to start a pool on when the inbreds will finally mutate themselves into extinction, and I'd LOVE to win it.
Tom, killing someone is an easy punishment, locking them for life in a prison cell is torture. And I sure don't mind seeing GW Bush in a court of law and then in his new green outfit!
JR: I'd love to join that pool. I wouldn't even care if I won; I'd want the winner to be somebody who picked an early date.
Ali: True, and that would be the perfect penalty for GWB.
Bush was one of the most well guarded president in history--part of it was 9/11, I am sure, but my guess is that he had death threats galore and no one wanted to take chances. I am not sure why the media is exposing the Obama threats and not the Bush ones--my guess is that no one in power is happy unless the American electorate is in fear.
I too, would rather see Bush and Cheney put on trial for crimes against humanity.
Enemy: Yup, fear, that's the operative word. Without a terrified population, our "leaders" have nothing.
Christ. What next?
If it were about W, you bet your sweet bippie the FBI, NSA, CIA, and all those other agencies would have that guy hung up by his tiny little nuts.
Miss Kitty: Right you are. It's only a security threat when Liberals do it.
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