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Yesterday, several hours after the Pennsylvania Police arrested a man for allegedly firing a gun at the White House, Lauren Pierce, president of the College Republicans at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote on Twitter that it might be tempting to shoot President Obama.
According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman:
Lauren Pierce, who is also the state chapter’s secretary, wrote on Twitter: “Y’all as tempting as it may be, don’t shoot Obama. We need him to go down in history as the WORST president we’ve EVER had! #2012.”
Her deputy, Vice President Cassie Wright, later explained that:
“Insofar as she’s a representative [of the College Republicans], maybe it shouldn’t be said, but she’s made a positive statement in a way, ” said Cassie Wright, the group’s vice president.
“I don’t really see anything wrong with it,” Wright added. “It’s just a personal comment, not representative of any group. Just freedom of speech, you know?”
What? No one was trying to censor Pierce, the point is to emphasize that Pierce said something really disturbing.
It is, in general, a very bad idea to talk about assassinating a president (especially if you’re in Texas). Saying that you think it might be tempting to murder a sitting president emphasizes nothing about the president and his policies; it says a lot about you.
The Texas College Republicans have apparently called on Pierce to resign her position, explaining that “TCR respects the sanctity of human life, and although we may disagree politically with President Obama, our organization respects President Obama and the position he holds as our chief executive and commander in chief.”
If Pierce resigns that will make Cassie, “Just freedom of speech, you know,” Wright acting president of the group.
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T-Rex on November 17, 2011 5:57 PM:
Sorry, Lauren, but much as you might wish otherwise, George Bush has the honor of "worst President ever" sewn up.
zamdri on November 17, 2011 6:30 PM:
Say what you will about "Lee Harvey Pierce", that the Texas College Republicans club wants to her to resign as their president is a classy act.
Austin, btw, is a liberal oasis in a Texas Perry-land.
zandru on November 17, 2011 6:32 PM:
Whoops! (an old Texas tradition...) - that "zamdri" should have come out as "zandru". Apparently my hand slipped on the little keyboard...
Texas Aggie on November 17, 2011 8:09 PM:
Funny how when the repubs suggest something criminal and immoral, it's freedom of speech. But when a progressive says something that hurts their feelings, it's fainting couch time. This comment and the justification is the kind of thing one would expect from a Tea Sipper (dog whistle).
Gov't Mule on November 18, 2011 10:21 AM:
Behold the false victimization of the poor, poor, persecuted Republicans! Don't you love how they try to twist their sick actions into an attack on free speech, which of course it isn't. I thought Republicans were the party of "personal responsibility" but they are proving that it's nothing more than an empty slogan unless they're talking about poor single pregnant women or people who are underwater on their mortgages.
I would also like to add that at UT, any assassination talk is particularly crass. Have they forgotten about Charles Whitman and the clock tower shootings where he killed 13 of his 16 victims in 1966?