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Sign says "Abort Obama, Not the Unborn". Illegal?
A man was pulled over by police in Enid, OK for having a sign on his car that says "Abort Obama, Not the Unborn". His sign was confiscated and he was notified that he was under investigation for making threats to the president. Later, he was visited by Secret Service agents at his home. His house was searched by the S.S. while his wife and 2-year-old child stood by. They were looking for evidence of his belonging to "hate groups". It was determined that he posed no threat to the president.
A. Is this a violation of free speech?
B. Does this mean the officer agrees that abortion is murder?
C. Where is the ACLU outrage at this?
D. What should the man do in light of the events?
The man said the use of "abort" in his sign meant to "remove" or to "stop".
If it's an urban legend, then the radio station news on which I first heard the story, the Enid local newspaper (the link to which I posted before the urban legend comment was posted), and the Oklahoma City police captain all fell for it. Don't fault {me}.
Wow, tindew50. You've really set us all straight on how to be tollerant. Just the mention of a town in Oklahoma set you off on a rant of predjudise and conjecture.
Destiny's Euphoria, not one of the definitions you list says "murder". Even the one referring to terminating a pregnancy merely refers to removing it prematurely or ending it prematurely. Your selective interpretation even of a dictionary amazes me.
11 Answers
- Jennifer JLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
Probably because this time they have serious worry that someone may try to do something. I think the sign is obviously just a statement against Obama's views but they just took it farther than that (the police/government). I am not sure I agree that he should be in any sort of trouble for that. But I like your view that the officer (and the government for that matter for sending secret service agents) must believe abortion is murder if it is grounds to think someone would want to do that to the president. if it meant remove or stop Obama---there would have been no investigation because people talk about wanting to impeach him all the time with no investigation.
- justaLv 71 decade ago
First lets make sure its not an urban legend.
And that your source is reliable.
One thing for sure, the man is lying through his teeth about the word abort being used here to mean terminate or remove.
He means kill as thats what all antiabortion people believe.
If they didn't they wouldn't call abortions murder.
Inciting to murder isn't a perogative of free speech.
It doesn't mean anything other that the officer saw a potentially dangerous situation, if not a direct threat to the president, then the possibility of oh, say driving through a black neighborhood with a sign that would inflame feelings.
I suppose the ACLU will get involved, they do on all sides, and this just happened.
What he should do is take down the sign. At best its distasteful. He can have other anti Obama signs if he wishes, like impeaching him, which only makes him sound stupid as Obama hasn't done anything impeachable.
We also don't know this mans history, or if he has been a problem for the cops in the past, or has a history of violence, owns guns, has written to Obama or made other threats to other politicos.
If he has been a serious case, wouldn't you have been angry that no one notified the cops?
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Main Entry: 1abort
Pronunciation: \ə-ˈbȯrt\
Function: verb
Etymology: Latin abortus, past participle of aboriri to miscarry, from ab- + oriri to rise, be born — more at orient
Date: 1580
intransitive verb
1: to bring forth stillborn, nonviable, or premature offspring
2: to become checked in development so as to degenerate or remain rudimentary
3: to terminate a procedure prematurely <the pilot decided to abort due to mechanical difficulties>
transitive verb
1 a: to induce the abortion of or give birth to prematurely b: to terminate the pregnancy of before term
2 a: to terminate prematurely : cancel <abort a project> <abort a spaceflight> b: to stop in the early stages <abort a disease>
A. Not in this context, but I can see how many would disagree
B. No. Abort is NOT defined as "stop" or "remove" (see above) because of the CONTEXT of his sticker. It suggested murder because Obama is not a fetus. Had it said "Abort Obama, Not the space shuttle mission" then the CONTEXT would have been different and therefore would change my opinion.
C. Perhaps they aren't outraged, just as I am not.
D. Tone down his political bumper stickers.
All potential threats to the president are investigated with the same vigor, even children playing pranks. Most of the time, the outcome is the same and there is no threat. Perhaps a bumper sticker stating "Remove Obama from Office, Not Unborn Babies From Wombs" could have spared him the trouble.
Go ahead and give me all the thumbs down you'd like, but ANY potential threat to the President's life IS investigated, no matter how trival it may seem. The Secret Service doesn't automatically know which threat will be real.
Source(s): merriam-webster and my humble opinion - 1 decade ago
Enid ,Oklahoma.says it all .. Home of gun toting , beer drinking, Nascar loving . prayer card holding ,hate filled, bitter Racists! A threat to our country and a threat to our President His wife and child stood by as they searched? So what .. I am sure they have heard his rants raves,& lunatic outbursts Many times . unblanced people listen to that hate filled ...
Fox news and turns out lunatics like this on the streets which is much more dangerous and offensive .What should he do? Pray for repentance! Isnt this the same state where these lunatics blew up a Federal Building , murdering and mutilating many inocent people? All threats need to be checked out thoroughly to protect the people of this nation If this was done years ago maybe , those people would be alive today God Bless America! ~EDIT~ I am by no means intorarnt you are the one making the comments and I answered . tolerance is good but Too much tolerance leads to indifference which causes danger and cost lives and then it is too late beause thee lunatics we not taken seriously and they did not "mean" it.. the man said had a really lame excuse,the word "abort" that he said had a different meaning .dfferent meaning..yeah right Duh~~I have been to Enid Oklahoma several times. my niece lives there she hates it but her job requires it at this time. I live in the soutth I stand 100% about what I have said I speak the truth which some do not want to hear .
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- Anonymous5 years ago
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- RELv 71 decade ago
The sign itself is not illegal, but since anti-abortionists consider abortion to be murder, the implication of the sign is an exhortation to assassinate the President. As such, it can be considered hate speech and a possible threat to the President, worthy of investigation. If they had arrested and charged him, he might have had a beef. But since they determined he posed no threat and let him go on his merry (!) way, there is nothing he could or should do except to be aware of the consequences of careless "speech." I am sure you can understand that his sign went way beyond simply opposing abortion. If it had just said "Abortion is murder" he would have been in no trouble at all.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
A. This is a violation of free speech though we have a Democrat Party in charge so the constitution and especially free speech will be trampled on. The Democrat Clinton administration used their power to attack everyone that spoke against them. The used the IRS and full power of the gov't and presidency to illegally stifle as much dissent as possible. This program continued even during Democrat Obama's campaign when Joe the Plumber dared ask a question the gov't investigated him.
B. This shows the officer is a Democrat and wants to use his power to shut people up that don't agree with him. I hope his superiors go after him. Please let us know where we can find more information as well as the name of the officer in this case.
C. The ACLU only supports the Democrat Party's Socialist and Communist ideals. They will not actually fight for the constitution, only against it.
D. The man should go after the police department and secret service.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I don't have a problem with it, but it could be construed as a written threat against the President. That is illegal. Threats are not protected free speech.
He'll be investigated and more than likely let off with a warning.
- 1 decade ago
It could be taken as a threat, but right off the bat I knew what abort meant in reference to Obama. People really need to stop freaking out over him. Damn, are we going to have to put up with 4 more years of this crap?
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Its probably not illegal...just stupid. You realize the president isn't just another citizen, right? The Secret Service take threats very seriously.