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North Carolinian Nathan Shafer arrested for threatening life of Gov. Nikki Haley (R, SC)…

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  November 25th, 2011 at 09:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

…but the white guy insists that it’s not a big deal that he publicly posted a promise to murder an Indian-American female governor if nobody else does.

“I hope someone murders you before I do,” Shafer said he commented on the post. “How’s that for freedom of speech?”

(H/T: Verum Serum) Well… not to editorialize here or anything, but since Nathan Shafer asked: it’s [a] pretty darn awful example of ‘freedom of speech.’

Shafer may avoid prosecution nonetheless: as the above article notes, back in July the Ninth Circus Circuit ruled that expressing a hope that Barack Obama be shot in the head with a .50 caliber weapon* did not actually qualify as a threat. Then again, he may not: Walter Bagdasarian (the one who wrote that ‘hope,’ along with a racial epithet) did not quite actually explicitly promise to kill his target if nobody else did – something that Shafer did himself.

More to the point: I suggest that Nathan Shafer (not to mention those people who are as messed-up inside as he is) starts taking this situation more seriously. I understand that from the hardcore progressive/Occupier point of view there’s nothing wrong with treating obvious race traitors like Governor Haley roughly, but out here in the civilized world we have this odd belief that minorities are actually allowed to not be Democrats. I can see how this would be frustrating to certain people, but frustration is only indulged in our political process up to a certain level. Note: ‘understand’ and ‘see,’ not ‘sympathize.’ I find the Shafers and Bagdasarians of the world equally reprehensible, and I have no issue with their lack of self-control being subject to vigorous a karmic backlash.

We will now pause while various apologists frantically look for more individuals for me to denounce, or other situations for me to comment on, or whatever else it is that they come up with to ignore the fact that they’re frantically trying to find a way to be apologists for a guy who indicated a desire to murder a wife and mother of two.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*The defendant happened to own .50 caliber weapons. That, coupled with the original threat, probably made an arrest inevitable, right there.

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COMMENTS

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  • throwback59

    Bulls-eye over the map of NC (which would be really bad). A subtle but important difference (at least in the liberal mind).

  • romansdaughter

    ‘i hope someone murders you before I do’ The before I do makes it really bad in my way of thinking.

  • Jack_Savage

    “When 26-year-old Nathan Shafer heard about the arrests of 19 Occupy Columbia members outside the State House last Wednesday, he did what lots of people do when they get angry — he vented about it on the Internet. He saw Gov. Haley’s Facebook post about the arrests and Haley’s comment that she “appreciate[s] freedom of speech,” and that’s when authorities say Shafer crossed the line.

    “I hope someone murders you before I do,” Shafer said he commented on the post. “How’s that for freedom of speech?”‘

    And we thought all the Occupiers and sympathizers were just cuddly little misguided, non-violent idealists.

    And by the way, you don’t own .50 caliber weapons – especially at age 26 – unless you are prepared to do some serious damage to life or limb if the time came. I would be interested to know if they were Desert Eagle pistols, or some sort of rifle, as in “sniper rifle”. In light of his comments, the former would be bad, but the latter would prove intent.

  • throwback59

    there won’t be a fraction of he coverage that remark gets as opposed to Palin’s Bulls-eye map got in the wake of the Gifford’s shooting, which still makes my point.

  • changeforrickperry

    This guy should be thrown under the jail, but it probably won’t get nearly the attention it would if he had threatened a Democrat. A crying shame, but that’s the world we live in. God bless Governor Haley–she seems like a very lovely person and I pray for her safety.

  • johnt

    perhaps a devotee of past heros like Rev Wright & Bomber Bill Ayers? Expect more of this, the OWS thing is a warm up, the vitriol a prelude, the left’s idea of inspiration to bigger & better things.
    2012 is going to be a real rocker.

  • kajun

    … was just making chit-chat when he gave us this bit of info:

    The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
    Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)

    But today no one wants to be the first to shed the blood so the liberty tree can be refreshed. Just words.

  • gekster

    Just what are you implying.
    Could you elaborate.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Comparing symbols that have often been used in maps to signify political objectives, to a murder threat are two very distinct and separate issues. But don’t let that stop you from propping up a strawman.

    You also do realize that symbology has been used in numerous campaigns (without incident- some Democrat, some Republican) and I believe originated with Bob Beckel? Now I don’t really care for Bob, but I don’t think he did that as signal to go forth and murder people identified by that symbol- do you?

    Linking the Giffords shooting by some crazy nutjob who has no link to Palin or her map has been so thoroughly debunked and dissembled, you should be embarrassed to even mention it.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Now.

  • Kyle-MI

    NT

  • http://boldcolor.blogspot.com/ Paula

    Oh wait, a href=http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/23/mark-kelly-on-the-sarah-palin-crosshairs-its-not-helpful/’> it was Sarah Palin he condemned in an interview with Piers Morgan:

    “In their new book “Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope,” Kelly writes about Sarah Palin and the crosshairs she placed on her website, targeting Democratic districts including Giffords. Kelly doesn’t agree with the actions Palin took. “Certainly the targets that she put over Gabby?s and other people?s districts, you know, in our opinion, was not the right thing to do.”

    Kelly notes that Giffords spoke about it before she was shot on January 8, 2011 and she made it clear that it could “ultimately incite people to do violent things.” He stresses, “Sarah Palin certainly is not responsible for what happened. But I think the angry rhetoric in an election year is not – it’s not helpful.”

  • http://boldcolor.blogspot.com/ Paula

    a href=’http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/23/mark-kelly-on-the-sarah-palin-crosshairs-its-not-helpful/’>Mark Kelly interview

  • http://boldcolor.blogspot.com/ Paula

    We need a “delete comment” feature. Please?

    Mark Kelly interview

  • RSSS

    I often read Governor Haley’s posts & the comments that people post on her page. I reported it to Facebook. Glad to see the authorities checked it out and took action.

  • publious

  • jonedanger

    3 quick questions:

    1. In your world at what age is is appropriate to own .50 caliber weapons?
    2. Are YOU prepared to do some damage “if the time came”?
    3. How does owning a rifle prove intent to do anything?

  • arthurjake

    all a moot point anyway. The Giffords shooter was further left then Marx. I doubt he was inspired by Sarah Palin.

  • rcastonjr

    indicate that you disagree with Jefferson or the guy quoting him? If so, what other things that Jefferson believed in and wrote about to you disagree with?
    Just curious. Or do you also prefer that I “leave now” as well.

  • reigningsense

    May I trump TJ and say in simplest terms. The conservative view of everything is actually the hard way of doing things. It happens to be the ONLY way life works. The liberal view is how you WANT it to work. No need to save–people will give you money. No need to work/earn a living–we will give you money. No need to be responsible for the result of sex outside marriage–we will let you kill the baby. No need to guard your innner being/protect children/ society–feed it with whatever you want, porn, marijuana, R violent movies. etc. etc. etc. The things that are destroying us all fit in a liberal lifestyle. WANT a picture up close and personal?? OWS provides that blatantly!

  • gaudium

    Nathan Shafer Will be protected as much as possible by the Socialist-Lame-Stream-Media because his agenda is Identical to theirs. That is, due away with Conservatives any possible way including slander and or murder it does not matter only the end results count.

  • gizmo

    JD,
    I think the issue being that 50 cals, unless tey’re black powder, are SERIOUS wepons, not usually owned by the casual hunter & WAY to big/masive for self-protection.
    The little bit I know of 50 cals is that they are designed for snipers & taking down very long distance targets.
    By the way, I’m NOT anti-gun, as I carry a Targus 9m, own a S&W 357 & a couple shotguns… But I’m not a serious enough gunner to own or try to pack a 50 cal…

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    …for all comments or questions regarding RedState’s comments moderation policy.

    This is an instruction, by the way: not an invitation for further discussion of the topic.

  • http://www.ajharaldson.com lakeworthcane

    Should an American citizen face criminal charges for merely saying he or she will murder somebody?

    I think the law provides for some indication of actual intent and ability. If subsequent investigation shows that the sayer had both the intent and the abiity to murder the future victim, then it only makes sense for the law to step in. But if the investigation shows that the sayer was merely shooting of his or her mouth, then free-speech laws must be invoked to avoid setting the dangerous precedent of arresting people to prevent them from committing crimes in the future.

    Common sense has to prevail. We don’t want to be arresting people for crimes they MIGHT commit but have not; simultaneously, we don’t want to leave well enough alone when a person is obviously intent on, and has the ability to, commit a crime.

    But the other part of this story is that the “news media” might not give this serious or not-so-serious threat the coverage it would give if the threat was made against a democrat.

  • Stan

    In this instance, it seems to me that in this instance, the words, in and of themselves, demonstrate the intent. Just IMO, but this guy needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This isn’t “free speech”, this was a death threat. It doesn’t matter (or at least it shouldn’t) that the Governor is a woman, or of Indian heritage, or is a Republican – the guy issued a death threat on an elected official, and needs to spend some serious time in jail. Period.

  • http://barnettlaw.org Frozen_Man

    Not to be combative but I tire of people thinking what ever guns (either number of guns, caliber, capacity etc.) they own/carry/use is acceptable and “normal” but anything more/different may indicate some how improper or may tell us something about the owner of that weapon. I have several friends who own .50 caliber weapons either because they just enjoy shooting them or because they compete in long distance shooting tournaments. You said that you have a .357 while not near a big as a .50 a .357 would be considered a SERIOUS weapon and at that a 9mm could be considered a SERIOUS weapon. If you thought it wasn’t then I assume you wouldn’t carry one. I don’t think anything can be inferred from the fact that a person owns a .50 caliber weapon any more than can be inferred from the fact that they own a 9mm or a .357

  • tlhanger

    cross hairs comment meant we were targeting her for recall. If you read the entire comment you would understand it.

  • hitthedeck

    No matter what sort of firearm it is, it is the finger that pulls the trigger. It can be brainless controlled or controlled by intent. Follow that finger up the arm to the face of hate and it makes no difference what the caliber is or the type of weapon including a bomb or a knife. The word weapon is used for any object that can be used to kill or maim. The worst weapon on the face of the earth is man.

  • jonedanger

    “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”

  • harling

    it doesn’t sound like he is saying that merely owning a 50-cal proves intent; Rather, that owning a 50-cal escalates this particular exercise of Mr. Shafer’s First Amendment rights from idle talk to a very plausible threat.

  • funwithknives

    1) 2,000 hours of community service, in a morgue or similar,And
    2)suspension of his voting rights for 10 years,And
    3) 50 public lashes , simulcast on pay-per-view, profits to a charity Gov.Haley designates.
    Or :P ick a combo. {This is me, being Liberal}

  • jonedanger

    weapon in the world is a foam “We’re #1″ finger. Ever try to kill someone with that?

  • Jack_Savage

    And for the record, I was proud to handle a .50 caliber Smith and Wesson this weekend, owned by someone who I have no doubt is responsible and law-abiding.

  • Jack_Savage

    But to answer your questions:
    1) At the age, say, when you are able to make the decision to pay off your student loans instead of spending $1K on a weapon, unlike this clown.
    2) Yes.
    3) Owning a .50 cal doesn’t prove intent, but owning one at the same time you promise to murder a public official makes me concerned. For example, if someone made a threat against you, but didn’t have the means, would you be less concerned than if they made a threat against you and happened to own, say, some .50 caliber sniper rifles?

    I get what you are saying, I’m just not one of those guys.

  • Jack_Savage

    But the choice of weapon concerns me in light of the comments.