Do not be afraid. Do not be very afraid (of the Secret Service)

[ymarkov]

By ALBERT McKEON, Staff Writer
amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com

Was Obama comment a bit too freely spoken?

By ALBERT McKEON
Staff Writer

A Telegraph reader’s online criticism of President Barack Obama that invoked New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” motto had the Nashua man unexpectedly dealing with the Secret Service.

The man, who posted his comments Wednesday under the username NashuaDan, wrote that Obama’s events are often orchestrated and that the president’s upcoming Town Hall meeting in Portsmouth could be more of the same. “I hope NH is better than letting this guy off the hook. Let Obama know what ‘Live Free or Die’ means (hint: it isn’t reckless TAXING and SPENDING). Otherwise, Portsmouth will just be another glorified photo-op for the Socialist-in-Chief,” he wrote below a news brief announcing the president’s Seacoast visit Tuesday.

On Thursday morning, NashuaDan found himself on the phone with a Secret Service agent, explaining that his remarks were only philosophical and not intended to threaten Obama, he said. The Secret Service accepted his response, he said. And from now on, NashuaDan said he will use caution in future Internet postings.

“I do support the fact that we have freedom of speech,” he said in an interview. “This incident doesn’t change my thoughts on that, but the lesson is, I’ll have to choose my words carefully.”

Full article at http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090807/NEWS01/908079988/0/XML15

Comments

[dlevey.livejournal.com]

The secret service pursues all perceived threats to the president. It's seemed worse in recent years because comments like this are easier to broadcast, easier to find, and the news about them is easier to circulate.

[ymarkov.livejournal.com]

[nod] That's what Michael Graham said (http://www.michaelgraham.com/post/2009/08/07/Was-NH-Man-The-First-Victim-Of-Obamas-Snitch-Line.aspx), too:

"Having been contacted by the Secret Service over harmless non-threatening comments myself, I know the folks are professional and just doing their jobs. But it is inherently threatening to a typical, law-abiding citizen to get that visit or receive that call.

And over what? Quoting the New Hampshire state motto? Some have suggested that the White House Snitch Line is illegal. I'm not so sure.

But I do know that a phone call from the Secret Service is far more threatening than anything NashuaDan put in his harmless posting."

[dlevey.livejournal.com]

You're right; and they're obligated to follow these things up, just in case.

What's interesting is how the "inherently threatening" phone call sort of meshes with the Gates/Crowley incident a few weeks ago.

[ymarkov.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that arrest should not have been made.

[dlevey.livejournal.com]

I don't know about that. From what I can tell, Gates continued to harangue the police as they left his house, shouting in an abusive fashion. That in and of itself isn't necessarily the problem. However, Gates had a cane. Some might see a man who has difficulty walking, but a trained police officer sees a potential weapon in the hand of someone who is all but frothing.

I agree that the arrest shouldn't have been made, because it shouldn't *have* to have been made. Note the reaction of NashuaDan, who too wasn't doing anything wrong but got a visit from some even more scary police anyway. Handling such a thing in a calm and reasoned fashion gets you through it, even when you disagree. Repeatedly calling someone a racist, insulting their mother, failing to offer proper identification the first time, and pursuing the police in order to continue to abuse them are not a recipe for staying clear of trouble.