Edd’s MANtra: The price of freedom
We’re just a week away from Election Day. And no matter you political affiliation, this news had to disturb you.
According to the Associated Press…
Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.
In all, the two men whom officials describe as neo-Nazi skinheads planned to kill 88 people — 14 by beheading, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.
The spree, which initially targeted an unidentified predominantly African-American school, was to end with the two men driving toward Obama, “shooting at him from the windows,” the court documents show.
Months ago, even before Obama won the Democratic nomination, I know of many older African Americans who were against his bid for office solely because of assassination attempts. “You know if he gets in office, they’re gonna kill him,” they’d say.
At the time, I blew off their fears – why not run for office because something might happen? Now, I’m not naive enough to think that an assassination isn’t possible in this day and age, I just thought it was dumb to dwell on such things.
Think about it – our generation hasn’t witnessed many assassinations (Biggie and 2pac DO NOT count). But our parents and grandparents have – and many of them would hesitate to vote for a targeted candidate.
With plots like this coming to light, I wonder if assassination attempts are powerful enough to derail a campaign. Do you think that an attempt on a candidate’s life would sway the vote toward his or her opponent?
I think this country cannot afford an assasintaion of a sitting president. It will take us down and leave us vulnerable. I remember Kennedy and MLK. Such tradegy.
Nope I can’t see that swaying the vote.
I do know that the fact that Obama is black has some black people saying its no pint in voting cause he not going to win anyway. Its sad that people think that way.
I hate how everyone is chalking up the whole “he might get assassinated” excuse. My guess is that there is a much lower chance of that happening than there is of John McCain having a heart attack, both of which are even lower than the chances of either of them dying in a car accident or falling down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.