According to the Austin American Statesman a 43 year old man named Brian Dean Miller posted ads on Craigslist for the purpose of threatening President Barack Obama and every member of the U.S. Government. He stated, "I am dedicating my life to the death of Obama and every employee of the federal government. This is war. Join me. Or don't. I don't care. I'm not laying down anymore." He also said, "Today I become a terrorist." Those are pretty serious words coming from a middle aged man still living with his mother. Is Miller a serious threat? Probably not. However this is a great example of law enforcement doing their job and doing it well. Miller says that the threats entitled, “Obama Must Die” were posted in response to the health care bill that recently passed. He promised himself and others that he would become a terrorist if the legislation passed.
An Arlington resident reported the threats to the Secret Service who then took action. Police arrested Miller and seized his computer. There were no weapons found in the house. In my opinion this man was having a mid-life crisis and needed some action in his life. After his initial post he later added, "Feel free to notify the Secret Service if it helps you sleep better tonight. You should tell them I threatened to kill the president and destroy the U.S. government. Maybe you would like to quote the post as your evidence." It’s obvious to me that Miller has some mental issues that may take a dose of reality to work though. What an idiot. It is highly likely that he was craving attention and this was his way of getting it.
Regardless of the seriousness of the threats, thank you Secret Service and Dallas Police for handling the situation swiftly and professionally. Miller’s arraignment is today and faces charges of up to 5 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 fine. Miller openly admitted to authorities when asked if the threats were serious "Yes, I would kill him, if I were a different person. I would kill them all." I hope Miller got the adrenaline rush he was looking for and expect the maximum punishment in light of his confession.
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Radical Americans
ReplyDeleteThe author of the blog Lone Star Lefty discusses in the blog Dallas man arrested over online threat against Obama a recent ad made by a Dallas resident to kill President Obama and the rest of the government after the recent passing of the Health Reform Bill. Although it may seem as just another random act of violence, the issue is very relevant today with several “political” groups around the country toeing the line between citizen action in politics and citizen hatred toward politics.
After the election of President Obama in 2008 and the passing of several reform bills (economic reform bill and health reform bill), groups of citizens around the United States have come together to express their concern with Obama’s administration. On the surface these groups appear to be a healthy part of a democratic government, but as more and more are being learned about them, these groups appear to have an underlying motive of racism and hatred. Most of these groups have come together under the heading of the Tea Party Movement which has grabbed considerable headlines because of their fanaticism.
The author’s intention of the article appears to hint at an overall distaste for these groups in general, although using this specific incident makes the blog more intimate to the reader – seeing the actual reality of what some of these fanatics are doing. I think the author touched on a subject that just about any reader would sympathize with because of the fanatic behavior of this individual, which I think leaves the reader questioning the legitimacy of these fanatic groups as a whole – possibly the intention of the author. Even though criticizing these “right-wing” groups would appear to be the mark of a “leftist” (which possibly the author is), the subject goes beyond the boundaries of left and right and touches a human aspect of what can and does happen in politics.
Some of these groups protesting the Obama administration are healthy for democracy and appear to display their feelings in a healthy and productive way, but the more radical groups are crossing the line. As seen in this video, some of these groups are “hurting” the integrity of the United States of America and the United States Constitution. Under the guise of being concerned about “unconstitutional” acts made by the Obama administration and concern with “big government” some of these groups clearly have other factors driving them. I’m glad the author was courageous enough to blog about this subject, and I hope that all the readers leave the article concerned about these “radical Americans.”