* ENGLISH VERSION
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RUMORS, PARANOIA OR REAL THREAT?
Previously published in
NEWSPAN MEDIA
Issue: October 26 - November 1, 2008
By Don Juan Corzo
Houston-“Kill'im!”, “Terrorist!”, “¡Off with his head!”, “Traitor!”
In this year's presidential election these are some of the hateful words heard in the crowds against Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama at his rival's campaign rallies, Republican Senator John McCain.
Senator McCain, and (especially) his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, have stoked a hostile environment against the Illinois senator in the campaign trail in 2008.
"We've seen a malignant anger at McCain-Palin rallies that could turn into real violence," said recently David Gergen, a political expert who was an adviser for former presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
The volatile environment has raised fears about the security of Senator Obama, and "true" Americans (like Palin) consider him different from the typical mainstream American for his ethnic background, his populist ideology and his relations with controversial figures like black reverend Jeremiah Wright, an afro-extremist and university professor William Ayers, a former leftist radical.
Opiyo Oloya, an Ugandan activist and political pundit who resides in Canada, warned the public about the tense climate (created less by McCain and mostly by Palin) earlier this year. The rhetoric used in their rallies has tried to paint Obama as a real enemy of the people in their attempt to win the election at all costs.
"The McCain campaign has enforced the opinion that Obama is enemy number one of the country and has to be eliminated, and some extremists may literally consider that a patriotic duty," said Oloya in a radio interview.
Protection
Concerns that Senator Obama might be assassinated are not new. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff ordered additional security for the Democrat candidate in early May, 2007. It's the strictest and earliest protection the secret service has given to a presidential candidate since it was implemented as a law after Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968.
According to a spokesperson from DHS, the service was offered following a petition from Obama's office even though at the moment there was no indication of any threat against the Democratic senator. However, DHS confirmed shortly after they received threats from the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
"If that man [Obama] is elected President, he'll be shot for sure," said Ray Larson, one of KKK's leaders in a YouTube video posted in spring, 2008.
But surprisingly Larson has not the first one to suggest or imply the possibility of assassinating the Senator Obama.
More than rumors
Famous ex-wrestler and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura warned in a radio interview in April 2008 that Obama might be the target of an attempt on his life.
Ventura, known for his irreverent style, stated that an independent candidate different from the usual type would be a threat to the political "establishment," and his opponents would try to kill him, or at least destroy his image and credibility.
"I say this very seriously: Be careful, Barack Obama," said Ventura.
In the international arena, similarly grim comments have been made. Doris Lessing, British Nobel prize winner in literature (2007) said in an interview with a Swedish newspaper in February, 2008 that "he would probably not last long, a black man in the position of president. They would kill him."
Fidel Castro, Cuba's former leader said on October 11 that is a "pure miracle" that Obama has not been the victim of an attack yet.
Paranoia
Others have criticized these speculations by many as negative or dangerous.
"Suggesting that his life is in danger if he is to win the election in November is done just to divide us," said a Republican analyst.
However, black activists and former presidential candidates like reverends Jesse Jackson (1984 & 1988) and Al Sharpton (2004) received death threats during their campaigns. Also, former secretary of state General Colin Powell abandoned plans to announce his candidacy in the 90s because of fears for his life, according to family and friends.
In early August when Obama was campaigning in Florida, a 22-year-old man was arrested in Miami when authorities found firearms and military gear in his hotel room and his car. Several witnesses revealed they heard him say for several months he would assassinate Obama if elected.
Later during the Democratic National Convention in Denver in late August, three men were arrested after they were outed by two women who heard them say they had "plans to kill Obama."
During the questioning the authorities discovered they planned to shoot him with a telescopic rifle from a high spot in the stadium or with a gun hidden inside a TV camera.
However, charges were dismissed by federal prosecutor Troy Eid, a Republican, after concluding his office didn't have enough evidence and against the opinion of the FBI.
Real Fear
Lotta Danielsson, an Swiss entrepreneur and public affairs commentator living in Washington D.C. thinks the threat against Obama should be discussed openly.
"To cover your eyes has never been the answer to a controversial topic," said Danielsson.
According to Monica Guzman, another renowned columnist in Seattle, most people that bring up the controversial topic are more concerned about a possible attack than to promote it.
Other worrying comments have been by accident as happened, for example, with Senator Hillary Clinton during a presser in South Dakota during the primaries. In late May she made a statement in response to political pundits suggesting she should abandon her campaign efforts.
"My husband [Bill Clinton] did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California," said Clinton.
Public opinion and the media considered the comment improper and incendiary. Clinton apologized days later.
Other people have suggested assassinating Obama using tasteless humor as an excuse.
"And now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama, uh, Obama. Well, both, if we could," saidFox News contributor Liz Trotta, regarding Clinton's comment. She was heavily criticized and also apologized shortly after.
Potential
"When a public figure emerges who seems to really represent the people and wants real change, it also creates reservations and challenges to the way things have always been in society," said Rice University sociologist Stephen Klineberg in Houston.
The Rice professor knows United States has really progressed when compared to the events in the past two centuries, but recognizes there are a minority of people who don't want to accept U.S.A. has changed.
"Just like we have decent people in America, also there also are the extreme fanatical types. Just like most Muslims are good people, but we have a minority of them that is extremist and dangerous," explained Klineberg.
The professor added that every president everywhere faces the possibility of being assassinated because it's part of the risks of being a leader of a nation, but in the case of Obama more caution has to be taken because of the change he represents.
"Part of the motivation and expectation for Obama is that many people have the impression that perhaps he is like a mix between Martin Luther King Jr. and President John Kennedy; even for Europeans and people around the world," concluded Klineberg.
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Magnicide
◗ An art exhibition titled "The Assassination of Barack Obama" from Yazmany Arboleda, a Latino artist, was open in a New York Gallery in February, but was closed in June by authorities for its controversial subject matter.
◗ When Obama's popularity increased significantly during the primaries in 2008, Online searches for the phrase "Obama assassination" went from 20,000 to 250,000 results.
◗ So far nine U.S. presidents have faced attempts on their lives. Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and John Kennedy died as a result.
◗ Two white supremacists from Tennessee and Arkansas plotted to go on a killing spree of African-Americans before assassinating Obama, but were arrested in late October.
SEMANA NEWS - NEWSPAN MEDIA
Del 26 de octubre al 1 de noviembre del 2008
SEMANA de atentado
Por Don Juan Corzo
Houston- “¡Mátenlo!”, “¡terrorista!”, “¡córtenle la cabeza!”, “¡traidor!”, son algunos de los gritos que se han escuchado recientemente contra el candidato presidencial demócrata
Barack Obama en los eventos de campaña de su rival, el aspirante republicano John McCain.
El, junto con la gobernadora de Alaska Sarah Palin, su posible vicepresidenta, han desatado un ambiente hostil contra su contrincante.
“Hemos visto en los mítines de McCain y Palin una cólera malsana que puede derivar en violencia”, dijo recientemente David Gergen, un experto político quien fue asesor para lo expresidentes Ronald Reagan y Bill Clinton.
El ambiente volátil ha despertado temores sobre la seguridad y norteamericanos (como Palin) lo consideran diferente al típico estadounidense por su origen étnico, su ideología populista y sus relaciones con individuos controversiales como el reverendo afroamericano extremista Jeremiah Wright y el profesor universitario William Ayers, un exradical de izquierda.
Opiyo Oloya, un experto político y activista de Uganda que reside en Canadá, advirtió sobre el peligro del ambiente creado por McCain y Palin que, en su interés de ganar las elecciones a toda costa, han pintado a Obama como un enemigo del país.
“McCain ha reforzado la opinión de que Obama es el enemigo número uno del país y debe ser eliminado, y algunos pueden considerarlo un deber patriótico”, dijo Oloya en una entrevista radial.
La protección
La preocupación de que Obama sea asesinado no es nueva. Michael Chertoff, secretario de Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordenó protección para el candidato demócrata a principios de mayo del 2007.
a seguridad que le da el Servicio Secreto ha dado la más estricta y anticipada a un aspirante presidencial desde que se impuso como ley proteger a los candidatos
tras el asesinato del demócrata Bobby Kennedy en 1968.
De acuerdo a un vocero del DHS, el servicio se ofreció a petición del mismo senador Obama, aunque hasta ese momento no había sospecha de alguna amenaza en su contra. Días después, sin embargo, se confirmó que habían recibido amenazas del Ku Klux Klan (KKK), el grupo supremacista blanco.
“Si ese hombre (Obama) es electo presidente, será baleado seguramente”, dijo Ray Larson, uno de los líderes del KKK en la primavera este año en un video.
Pero el no ha sido el primero en hablar sobre la posibilidad de que sea asesinado el candidato demócrata.
¿Más que rumores?
El exgobernador de Minessota Jesse Ventura, un conocido exluchador y actor, advirtió en una entrevista radial en abril del 2008, que Obama podría ser el blanco de un atentado.
Ventura, conocido por estilo independiente, declaró que un candidato diferente de lo usual sería una amenaza para el “establishment” (régimen) político y sus oponentes tratarían de asesinarlo o de al menos destruir su imagen y credibilidad.
“Digo esto muy en serio: Ten cuidado Barack Obama”, advirtió Ventura.
En otros países se han hecho comentarios similares. Por ejemplo, Doris Lessing, británica ganadora del Premio Nóbel de Literatura, dijo en una entrevista con un periódico suizo en febrero de este año que “probablemente un hombre negro en la posición de presidente no duraría mucho tiempo. Lo matarían”.
El expresidente de Cuba Fidel Castro expresó el pasado 11 de octubre que es “puro milagro” que Obama no haya sido víctima de un atentado todavía.
La paranoia
Otros han criticado estas especulaciones como declaraciones negativas o peligrosas.
“La sugerencia de que está en peligro si gana las elecciones en noviembre es para dividir”, dijo un analista republicano.
Sin embargo los reverendos activistas y excandidatos presidenciales afroamericanos Jesse Jackson (en los 80’s) Al Sharpston (2004) recibieron amenazas de muerte durante sus campañas. También el general y exsecretario del estado Colin Powell
desistió lanzarse como candidato en los 90’s en parte porque su familia temió por su vida.
A principios de agosto, cuando Obama visitaba Florida, un hombre de 22 años fue arrestado en Miami, al encontrársele armas y equipo militar en su hotel y carro. Varios testigos declararon oírle decir meses antes que asesinaría a Obama si fuera electo.
Luego, durante la convención demócrata en Denver a finales de agosto, tres hombres fueron arrestados al ser delatados por dos mujeres que los escucharon decir tener planes de matar a Obama.
Durante los interrogatorios las autoridades descubrieron que planeaban dispararle con un rifle telescópico desde un lugar alto en el estadio o una pistola escondida dentro de una cámara de televisión.
Sin embargo, los cargos fueron desechados por Troy Eid, un fiscal federal republicano de Colorado por considerar que no tenía suficiente evidencia y en contra de la opinión del FBI.
Temor real
Según Lotta Danielsson, empresaria y comentarista suiza que vive en Washington, debe hablarse abiertamente de la amenaza contra Obama.
“Taparse los ojos nunca ha sido la respuesta a un tema controversial”, dijo Danielsson.
Para Mónica Guzmán, otra columnista de Seattle, la mayoría que trata el controversial tema están más preocupados por el atentado que en promoverlo.
Otros comentarios han sido por accidente como pasó por ejemplo la senadora de Nueva York Hillary Clinton durante su campaña. A finales de mayo hizo una declaración
polémica luego que expertos políticos insinuaron que debía abandonar sus esfuerzos.
“Mi esposo [Bill Clinton] no obtuvo la nominación en el 1992 hasta mediados de junio, ¿cierto? Todos nos acordamos que Bobby Kennedy fue asesinado en junio en California”, dijo la senadora.
El público en general consideró el comentario inadecuado y Clinton pidió disculpas días después.
“Cuando llega una figura pública que representa a la comunidad y quiere verdadero cambio, despierta reservas y retos sobre la manera como las cosas han sido en una
sociedad”, dijo Stephen Klineberg, sociólogo y profesor de la Universidad
de Rice en Houston.
Klineberg piensa que Estados Unidos ha progresado cuando se le compara a los eventos de siglos pasados y pero indicó que hoy un mínimo grupo de personas que
no acepta que Estados Unidos ha cambiado. “Así como tenemos compatriotas decentes, también puede haber fanáticos de manera similar como la mayoría de los
islámicos son gente buena, pero una minoría es extremista y peligrosa”, señaló Klineberg.
Todo presidente enfrenta la posibilidad de ser asesinado porque –dijo el profesor- es parte de los riesgos de un líder, pero con Obama toca tener más cuidado por el cambio que representa.
“Parte de la fiebre e inquietud por Obama es que la gente tiene una impresión de que es una mezcla de Martín Luther King Jr. y John F. Kennedy, incluso para los europeos y en otras partes del mundo”, agregó.
Magnicidio
◗ Una exhibición de arte titulada “El asesinato de Barack Obama”, del artista latino Yazmany Arboleda fue abierta en Nueva York en febrero, pero posteriormente clausurada por las autoridades en junio por ser controversial.
◗ Cuando la popularidad de Obama empezó a subir en las primarias en el 2008, las búsquedas de Internet con la frase “Asesinato Obama” subieron de 20 mil resultados a más de 200 mil.
◗ Hasta ahora nueve presidentes estadounidenses han enfrentado atentados contra sus vidas. Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley y John Kennedy murieron como resultado.
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