Just Short of Treason in Georgia and Kansas

"The Crazies" by SND

It's official. The crazies have arrived for the 2012 presidential race, florid in their deviant and repulsive rhetoric. Andrew B. Adler, editor of The Atlanta Jewish Times, called on Israel's President Benjamin Netanyahu to "Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel's existence." This reference to President Barack Obama appeared in the print edition of the paper on January 13 and was first published online by Gawker on the 20th (alternate links here and here).

Right wing Republican Mike O'Neal, speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, forwarded an email referring to the president that quoted (approximately) Psalm 109.8: "Let his days be few and brief; and let others step forward to replace him." The Lawrence Journal World noted that the very next verse, 109.9, indicates how the president should be replaced: "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."

The First Amendment is ignored when reactionary mayors want to stop the free speech and assemblies of Occupy Wall Street. However, free speech is expanded beyond the limits of the law when religious extremists in Atlanta and Kansas step well outside of the boundaries of U.S. Code.

The U.S. Code states:

- 2385. Advocating overthrow of Government

"Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States " by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; "

"Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both "" U.S. Code

Adler's argument seems to be exactly what the law describes:

""give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place, and forcefully dictate that the United States policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies." Andrew B Adler, January 13

The Reaction So Far

The American Jewish Congress (AJC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) were quick to respond to Adler's statements.

AJC put out a release condemning Adler's inflammatory remarks:

"While we acknowledge Mr. Adler's apology, we are flabbergasted that he could ever say such a thing in the first place. How could he even conceive of such a twisted idea?" said Wilker. [AJC Atlanta's director], "Mr. Adler surely owes immediate apologies to President Obama, as well as to the State of Israel and his readership, the Atlanta Jewish community." AJC Global Jewish Advocacy, January 20

Abraham Foxman, head of the ADL, referred to the statement as "dangerous" and stated, "Mr. Adler's lack of judgment as a publisher, editor and columnist raises serious questions as to whether he's fit to run a newspaper." ADL January 20

Why don't the organizations just say this? Adler is no different than anyone else and should be investigated immediately for these illegal threats.

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