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Somebody on Facebook created a disturbing poll with the question "Should Obama Be Killed?" The Secret Service is investigating, confirm news sources, and blogger GottaLaff at The Political Carnival says she's gotten a "thank you" call from the agency for supplying it with a screen shot of the poll. The agency caller told her "without it, they wouldn't have been able to address the matter." She writes:
Last night I posted about a scary Facebook entry, specifically a poll asking whether Obama should be killed. ... (The caller) thanked me over and over, emphatically, saying that there would be no way for the Secret Service to catch something like this without assistance. The Internets are too vast for that. (Read more by GottaLaff)
The assassination poll's questions had potential answers of "yes," "maybe," "if he cuts my health care," and "no," per HP. At one point the poll had more than 730 responses, about 10 percent advocating violence, reports Raw Story.
Raw Story also reports that the "Should Obama be killed?" poll appeared Sunday night, and while Facebook removed it, the social website did not issue a statement when first asked about the incident.
One Facebook user posted in the poll’s comments area: “What kind of sicko even puts up a poll like this? Where are the moderators of Facebook, don’t they even monitor some of this crap? I am stunned!”
“It’s scary that 10 percent agreed on some level,” another user commented.
As of press time, Facebook had not responded to RAW STORY’s inquiries, and there was no mention of the poll on Facebook’s own Facebook page, or on its press releases page. (Raw Story)
I don't think the social networking site has to issue a statement unless this story gets picked up by more of the press asking questions about Facebook moderation. (Since the first posting of this story, it has gotten more attention from MSM and Facebook has issued a statement of sorts.) Facebook is not responsible for some wackadoo posting a crazy poll and has done what it can by taking it down. All any website can do is warn users that if they violate guidelines, the site will remove their content and possibly block them, and then enforce the guidelines. I assume the person has been kicked off Facebook (maybe FB should say that), but getting kicked off FB is nothing compared to the heat the Secret Service will bring.
Asking people to vote on the potential assassination of any president is not a joke, not parody, not satire. The creator should be investigated and if there's a legal penalty, face it.
I'm glad GottaLaff, who first posted on the poll under "This is NOT okay," took action.
The hate speech, the threats have gotten completely out of hand. And those who have incited viewers and listeners-- and you know who you are Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, etc.-- are responsible for a good part of this horrific activity.
No, it is not "grassroots", not even close. It is a sick, terrifying, dangerous movement toward violence and the worst kind of civil unrest. (GottaLaff)
I'm also happy GottaLaff and other Facebook surfers notified the Secret Service and that Raw Story and HuffPo reported the poll to the larger public so quickly. In addition, I agree with GottaLaff that some of the hateful rhetoric spread lately contributes to the kind of climate where this kind of threat of violence, if not violence itself, may flourish. We live in a social climate where this kind of threat may be taken lightly or even secretly approved by those oppose President Barack Obama, and, as she said, it's not a grassroots movement.
What we are witnessing may be the result of irresponsible use of the airwaves and the Net where some conservative political pundits indulge their baser instincts and stir rage. Some of the pundits GottaLaff mentioned, for instance, have stoked the fires of unrest with crazy conspiracy theories and out and out lies on everything from health care reform, to socialist takeovers, to race baiting kookiness. I mention conservative pundits because they have of late been the most prominent offenders, dressing actual hate speech in the cloak of protest speech. However, divisive strategies employing fear-inspiring propaganda at the expense of public peace may be used by any political group at any time. And so, before I go further in this
