Shocking death threats against journalists in USA who write against President Trump; Good to see USA law enforcement arrest one person who threatened Boston Globe reporters
Warning: Those who prefer to not read posts about violence and violent threats may please skip reading rest of this post.
First I would like to say that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about USA politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in USA elections.
In other words, I do NOT publicly write either in support of or in opposition to US President Trump from a US politics point of view. At times, however, I do write about my concern about some reports about US govt. policies e.g. a recent resignation letter from a US govt. official which was critical about US govt. actions to resolve or mitigate the $1.5 trillion dollar student loan problem in the US.
I write this post out of concern for well being of the free press in the USA.
Calif. man charged with making threatening calls to Globe, https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/08/30/california-man-arrested-charges-threatening-shoot-boston-globe-employees/EejiWXLNscUR8AxDB3y7RL/story.html, 30th Aug. 2018
A small extract from the above article:
A California man was charged Thursday with threatening to shoot and kill Boston Globe journalists, calling them “the enemy of the people,” in response to the newspaper’s nationwide editorial campaign denouncing President Trump’s political attacks against the press.
--- end extract from bostonglobe.com ---
California man charged for threatening to kill Boston Globe journalists, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L1TMzS97Sw, 2 min. 34 secs published by CBS This Morning on 31st Aug. 2018.
CBS This morning says in the above video:
Between August 10th and August 22nd, Chain made around 14 threatening phone calls to the Globe. According to court documents in one call Chain said he was going to "shoot at every effing (f***ing) one of you". In another he allegedly said, "As long as you keep attacking the President, I will continue to threat(en), harass and annoy the Boston Globe."
FBI: Man threatened to shoot Boston Globe staff, calling them the ‘enemy of the people’, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/08/30/fbi-man-threatened-shoot-boston-globe-staff-calling-them-enemy-people/ , 30th Aug. 2018
The above article states that Andrew Lelling, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts said, "Anyone — regardless of political affiliation — who puts others in fear for their lives will be prosecuted by this office".
It also quotes the FBI's Boston division in-charge as saying, "making threats is not a prank, it's a federal crime."
Ravi: I am deeply shocked to know about such threats to hurt or kill journalists in the USA by US citizens/residents. I congratulate USA federal and Massachusetts state law enforcement authorities for tracking down the person who made these scary threats to the Boston Globe, and arresting him. Note that the person had around 20 guns and rifles in his possession!
I mean, given the crazy level of gun violence in the USA now, one cannot take such threats against journalists lightly. It cannot be viewed as just an empty threat.
The initial part of this video plays a voicemail threat to Ken Vogel of the New York Times.
April Ryan: 'The death threats have got to stop', https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df3FycW3hy4, 3 min 41 secs, published by CNN on 2nd Sep. 2018
The person threatens Vogel as follows in the voicemail, "You are the enemy of the people. And although the pen might be mightier than the sword, the pen is not mightier than the AK-47".
I think President Trump should tweet condemning the people who made these threats against the journalists. That is what the President of a democracy is expected to do. Note that President Trump has verbally attacked the USA media in general, with a few exceptions but including the New York Times by name, as fake news. He has also referred to USA media as the "enemy of the people". Therefore President Trump should now do his bit to uphold rule of law in the USA by condemning those who have made such threats against journalists.
Now there are cases of vicious threats including nasty sexual abuse threats against some journalists who write against political leaders of India. But, as far as I know, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not publicly said anything to encourage his supporters to make such threats against Indian journalists. So I don't think it is necessary for PM Modi to write on social media condemning such threats. But, of course, Indian law enforcement should, like USA law enforcement, track down those who have made such vicious threats against Indian journalists, and make them face legal consequences for their threats.
I mean, I want to make it absolutely clear that I, as a social media writer in India and an Indian citizen, condemn threats of violence and sexual abuse against Indian journalists. Those who feel that some Indian journalists are writing fake news and promoting some hidden agenda, should oppose these journalists by means which are within the laws of India. Serious threats of violence and sexual abuse against them, I am quite sure, will be against Indian law though the journalist threatened may be expected to initiate the police complaint.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY POLITICALLY NEUTRAL role related to Indian political leaders which may include leaders in government currently and those not in government. I should also say that I am a beneficiary, a lover and an open supporter of democracy in India.
[I thank bostonglobe.com, CBS This Morning, Washington Post and New York Times and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above small extracts or small transcript snippet from their website or video on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
First I would like to say that I have a PUBLICLY (POLITICALLY) NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about USA politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in USA elections.
In other words, I do NOT publicly write either in support of or in opposition to US President Trump from a US politics point of view. At times, however, I do write about my concern about some reports about US govt. policies e.g. a recent resignation letter from a US govt. official which was critical about US govt. actions to resolve or mitigate the $1.5 trillion dollar student loan problem in the US.
I write this post out of concern for well being of the free press in the USA.
Calif. man charged with making threatening calls to Globe, https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/08/30/california-man-arrested-charges-threatening-shoot-boston-globe-employees/EejiWXLNscUR8AxDB3y7RL/story.html, 30th Aug. 2018
A small extract from the above article:
A California man was charged Thursday with threatening to shoot and kill Boston Globe journalists, calling them “the enemy of the people,” in response to the newspaper’s nationwide editorial campaign denouncing President Trump’s political attacks against the press.
--- end extract from bostonglobe.com ---
California man charged for threatening to kill Boston Globe journalists, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L1TMzS97Sw, 2 min. 34 secs published by CBS This Morning on 31st Aug. 2018.
CBS This morning says in the above video:
Between August 10th and August 22nd, Chain made around 14 threatening phone calls to the Globe. According to court documents in one call Chain said he was going to "shoot at every effing (f***ing) one of you". In another he allegedly said, "As long as you keep attacking the President, I will continue to threat(en), harass and annoy the Boston Globe."
FBI: Man threatened to shoot Boston Globe staff, calling them the ‘enemy of the people’, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/08/30/fbi-man-threatened-shoot-boston-globe-staff-calling-them-enemy-people/ , 30th Aug. 2018
The above article states that Andrew Lelling, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts said, "Anyone — regardless of political affiliation — who puts others in fear for their lives will be prosecuted by this office".
It also quotes the FBI's Boston division in-charge as saying, "making threats is not a prank, it's a federal crime."
Ravi: I am deeply shocked to know about such threats to hurt or kill journalists in the USA by US citizens/residents. I congratulate USA federal and Massachusetts state law enforcement authorities for tracking down the person who made these scary threats to the Boston Globe, and arresting him. Note that the person had around 20 guns and rifles in his possession!
I mean, given the crazy level of gun violence in the USA now, one cannot take such threats against journalists lightly. It cannot be viewed as just an empty threat.
The initial part of this video plays a voicemail threat to Ken Vogel of the New York Times.
April Ryan: 'The death threats have got to stop', https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df3FycW3hy4, 3 min 41 secs, published by CNN on 2nd Sep. 2018
The person threatens Vogel as follows in the voicemail, "You are the enemy of the people. And although the pen might be mightier than the sword, the pen is not mightier than the AK-47".
I think President Trump should tweet condemning the people who made these threats against the journalists. That is what the President of a democracy is expected to do. Note that President Trump has verbally attacked the USA media in general, with a few exceptions but including the New York Times by name, as fake news. He has also referred to USA media as the "enemy of the people". Therefore President Trump should now do his bit to uphold rule of law in the USA by condemning those who have made such threats against journalists.
Now there are cases of vicious threats including nasty sexual abuse threats against some journalists who write against political leaders of India. But, as far as I know, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not publicly said anything to encourage his supporters to make such threats against Indian journalists. So I don't think it is necessary for PM Modi to write on social media condemning such threats. But, of course, Indian law enforcement should, like USA law enforcement, track down those who have made such vicious threats against Indian journalists, and make them face legal consequences for their threats.
I mean, I want to make it absolutely clear that I, as a social media writer in India and an Indian citizen, condemn threats of violence and sexual abuse against Indian journalists. Those who feel that some Indian journalists are writing fake news and promoting some hidden agenda, should oppose these journalists by means which are within the laws of India. Serious threats of violence and sexual abuse against them, I am quite sure, will be against Indian law though the journalist threatened may be expected to initiate the police complaint.
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY POLITICALLY NEUTRAL role related to Indian political leaders which may include leaders in government currently and those not in government. I should also say that I am a beneficiary, a lover and an open supporter of democracy in India.
[I thank bostonglobe.com, CBS This Morning, Washington Post and New York Times and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above small extracts or small transcript snippet from their website or video on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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