Talk Radio Host is Facing Charges For Inciting Violence Against Officials

[lunatica]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/04/hal-turner-talk-radio-hos_n_211377.html

Hal Turner, Talk Radio Host, Facing Charges For Inciting Violence Against Officials

Things don't appear to be going to well for New Jersey internet radio host and white supremacy-enthusiast Hal Turner. The onetime candidate for Congress and inveterate threatener of public officials has run afoul of the law, and will face charges in Connecticut. The Hartford Courant has the news:

Turner, who has been identified as a white supremacist and anti-Semite by several anti-racism groups, hosts an Internet radio program with an associated blog. On Tuesday, the blog included a post that promised to release the home addresses of state Rep. Michael Lawlor, state Sen. Andrew McDonald and Thomas Jones of the State Ethics Office.


"Mr. Turner's comments are above and beyond the threshold of free speech," Capitol Police Chief Michael J. Fallon said in an e-mail announcing the warrant. "He is inciting others through his website to commit acts of violence and has created fear and alarm. He should be held accountable for his conduct."

more...


Obviously the Police Chief hates free speech and the Constitution
:sarcasm:

[lunatica]

1. kick

[AllieB]

2. How is this different that Fox News inciting nutjobs to commit violence against ob-gyns

who perform abortions?

[ejpoeta]

3. ooh ooh!! i know i know!!!

it's because the obgyn's are private individuals while the officials are not. maybe if we reclassify the obgyns as 'officials' then someone will friggin do something!

[lunatica]

5. I don't see any difference but some DUers think

Free speech is so sacrosanct that it's a violation of their right if they aren't allowed to inciting violence. I've been told I hate free speech and the US Constitution because I think Bill O'Reilly incited violence against Dr. Tiller.

[AllieB]

7. With freedoms come responsibility. I agree with you completely.

Early on, Goebbels never called for extermination of the Jews or other enemies of the Reich. There was subtle, coded language, much like the RW here uses today, to dehumanize perceived enemies, making it easier to commit violence against or kill them. Hate radio in Rwanda was directly implicated in the genocide of 800,000 people.

Serb-controlled TV in Yugoslavia served to dehumanize the Muslim population and instigate violence. They never called for outright extermination either. Tell that to the Bosnian Muslims.

Human nature is the same regardless of country.

[lunatica]

14. Very good point

the culture of violence is created over time. Most people would be horrified to hear the worst of it if it were the first time. But over time by pushing the envelope of acceptable behavior and speech it becomes banal. Like Hannah Arendt wrote in her book The Banality of Evil.

[Triana]

4. GREAT! When are they going after Limbaugh? n/t

[lunatica]

6. Maybe the other talk show hosts will tone it down now

At least for a little while, until their egos can't stand it anymore.

[JonLP24]

8. Bad comparison

O'reilly called the doctor a 'killer'. I'm not a regular watcher of O'reilly but I wasn't made aware he ever suggested they should kill the doctor but meanwhile Turner says "they should obey the constitution or die." and mentions if that isn't enough to put them down we should make sure "we have enough bullets."

Big difference there then calling someone a killer.

[kestrel91316]

9. You go right ahead and defend O'Reilly. We'll take note.

[JonLP24]

10. I'm just commenting

I've seen a boatload of threads talking about legally O'reilly didn't incite the violence and I was commenting on the choice of words used by both commentators. Turner clearly suggests violence as an option but I have no idea O'reilly did. Please point it to me if it exists. Calling someone a killer is not the same as saying kill this guy which is what Turner was doing.

Besides I believe the guy who did the killing likely had his views before O'Reilly took the airwaves and Operation Rescue based on the comments posted from Rachel Maddow's show they are actually responsible for inciting violence.

[AllieB]

12. Julius Streicher incited violence against Jews in Nazi Germany through Der Sturmer.

He was hung as a war criminal.

[lunatica]

13. O'Reilly would get kicked out of any restaurant if he spewed like he does

on the radio and he could scream free speech till his eyes popped out and no one will say his free speech rights have been violated. As a matter of fact the restaurant could call the police and he'd have his ass arrested, free speech on not. Take that to the Supreme Court and see what happens.

[JonLP24]

15. I have no problem with him being kicked off the airwaves mainly because he says untrue stuff

As far as the restuarant thingy being disruptive is a reason to kick someone out and I believe there is a policy they have the right to refuse service to anyone(Not sure if this is the law but I've seen similar signs).

From a speech standpoint I've seen alot of things recieve flak but not banned for example, GTA games, Natural Born Killers(film), and rap music. Many have argued those forms of entertainment incited people to commit violence but in all actuality they as far as I know never asked or encouraged anyone to do it. Hal Thomas clearly did but there is a small chance he could win his case but I don't know!

I'm not a lawyer so I could be dead wrong about everything I am saying so forgive me if I'm wrong. I'm just giving you my best knowledge of the situation. But back to my original point, what Hal Thomas said compared to what O'reilly said (to the best of my knowlegde) was far more inflammatory and far more encouraging then what O'reilly said. :hi:

[lunatica]

16. As you say upthread, you haven't listened to O'Reilly much

Listen to him for a while if you can stomach it. Then think that he does that kind of hateful talking every day and has for years and years. Eventually his rhetoric will incite violence if it hasn't already.

If you haven't read her book, Hannah Arendt wrote a book titled The Banality of Evil about the culture that developed in Nazi Germany that would accept perpetrating the Holocaust. It's a good book about Eichman's trial after a group of Jews from Israel kidnapped him out of Argentina and put him on trial in Israel.

[ohheckyeah]

11. Good.

It's about time some of these assholes are held responsible for inciting violence. This guy is full of big talk. I wonder how big the hotshot feels now.

[Contrary1]

17. A sample of Turner's "free speech":

Another Abortion Target Volunteers!

"After the killing of abortionist George Tiller, another "doctor" has publicly announced he wishes to take Tiller's place to continue partial birth abortions!

Physician LeRoy Carhart of Omaha, NE wants to continue providing third-term abortions after the brazen slaying of his friend and colleague George Tiller.

Gee, this is becoming a "target-rich environment!"

I suspect someone has a bullet for this guy too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."


"Tonight at 9:00 PM, "The Hal Turner Show" will talk about the recent killing of an abortionist and what the shooter did wrong. No, not the shooting itself; but rather what he did wrong that got him caught!

We'll talk at length about how to carry out such an act and significantly reduce the chances of getting caught.

Lets face it; America is in big trouble and only force and violence are going to clean it up. Tonight, we'll talk about how to use force and violence and not get caught."

[AllieB]

18. That is some sick shit.