Does Facebook user pray for Obama's death?

[jillio]

(CNN) -- What do President Barack Obama, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have in common?

They all have been the subject of a snide "prayer" circulating that seemingly calls for their deaths. A recently created Facebook page reads, "Dear Lord, this year you took my favorite actor, Patrick Swayzie (sic). You took my favorite actress, Farah (sic) Fawcett. You took my favorite singer, Michael Jackson. I just wanted to let you know, my favorite president is Barack Obama. Amen."

The page has received more than 600,000 "thumbs-up" messages of approval since it was posted April 10. But its owner, who does not disclose his or her identity on the popular social media site, wrote, "We are not really praying for the death of Obama. It is just some humor to show our disapproval of our current president."

Similar imprecations were circulating online last year. But Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that "while it may be considered distasteful and objectionable to some," the page doesn't violate the company's content policies.

"We're sensitive to content that includes pornography, bullying, hate speech, and actionable threats of violence, and we react quickly to remove content that violates our policies when it is reported to us," Noyes said in a written statement.

"Facebook is highly self-regulating and leverages its more than 400 million users to keep an eye out for offensive content," he added. "We encourage users to report such content, and we have a large team of professional reviewers who evaluate these reports and take action per our policies."

Variations on the jab have circulated in New Jersey, where teacher's union officials apologized for a nearly identical memo that substituted Gov. Chris Christie for Obama earlier this month. Christie is locked in a bitter struggle with the New Jersey Education Association over funding for state schools, but union President Barbara Keshishian said, "Language such as that has no place in civil discourse."

And in January, hackers posted a similar message on Ahmadinejad's Web site.

"Dear God, In 2009 you took my favorite singer -- Michael Jackson, my favorite actress -- Farrah Fawcett, my favorite actor -- Patrick Swayze, my favorite voice -- Neda," the hackers wrote, the last entry a reference to a young Iranian woman shot and killed during protests over last June's disputed presidential election. "Please, please, don't forget my favorite politician -- Ahmadinejad -- and my favorite dictator -- Khamenei -- in the year 2010."

Does Facebook user pray for Obama's death? - CNN.com

You know what I find a bit scary? No doubt a huge portion of those 600,000 thumbs up messages came from people who did not even recognize the tongue in cheek nature of the message.

There is also a protest in another thread regarding the tastelessness of calling the fringe movement we are all so entertained by "Tea Baggers" even though it was an acceptable term when the party was forming. Until, that is, someone clued them in to the other application of the term, at which time they suddenly became "Tea Partiers." Wonder how tasteless this Facebook posting would be considered? Or would different criteria be applied here?

 

[Reba]

I don't find the Facebook posting amusing or in good taste, and it's not anything I would participate in.

The Tea Party movement was always the "Tea Party", based on the historic "Boston Tea Party" (which was never called the "Boston Tea Bag").

"We are all so entertained by 'Tea Baggers'", NOT.

 

[Foxrac]

I don't find the Facebook posting amusing or in good taste, and it's not anything I would participate in.

The Tea Party movement was always the "Tea Party", based on the historic "Boston Tea Party" (which was never called the "Boston Tea Bag").

"We are all so entertained by 'Tea Baggers'", NOT.

I disagreed because historic Boston Tea Party isn't same as modern Tea Party today.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

I disagreed because historic Boston Tea Party isn't same as modern Tea Party today.

Open to interpretation and quite subjective as well.

Lots of people can identify with 1773 protesters. Plus "Boston Tea Party" wasn't a group, but rather an event. Yes, it's true that the colonists back then are not the same as the present-day protesters who are under the name of "Boston Tea Party," but they chose to name themselves that because they felt a connection with that event.

It's just a name; it doesn't means anything. So really, there's nothing to "disagree" on.

 

[kokonut]

I don't find the Facebook posting amusing or in good taste, and it's not anything I would participate in.

The Tea Party movement was always the "Tea Party", based on the historic "Boston Tea Party" (which was never called the "Boston Tea Bag").

"We are all so entertained by 'Tea Baggers'", NOT.

Correct, Reba. And I'm with you on that one.

 

[CJB]

You know what I find a bit scary? No doubt a huge portion of those 600,000 thumbs up messages came from people who did not even recognize the tongue in cheek nature of the message.

As in they thought it was pro-Obama?

 

[jillio]

As in they thought it was pro-Obama?

No, in that they thought it was a literal sentiment, rather than tongue in cheek. We all know of those that feel relief if the President were removed from office...by whatever means. I have never seen so much obsession over another President being removed from office. Even Richard Nixon did not get this severe and unreasonable a reaction, despite all of his wrong doing.

Just makes me wonder what is truly fueling the fire.

 

[jillio]

Open to interpretation and quite subjective as well.

Lots of people can identify with 1773 protesters. Plus "Boston Tea Party" wasn't a group, but rather an event. Yes, it's true that the colonists back then are not the same as the present-day protesters who are under the name of "Boston Tea Party," but they chose to name themselves that because they felt a connection with that event.

It's just a name; it doesn't means anything. So really, there's nothing to "disagree" on.

Agreed. The name means absolutely nothing at all.

 

[Bottesini]

No, in that they thought it was a literal sentiment, rather than tongue in cheek. We all know of those that feel relief if the President were removed from office...by whatever means. I have never seen so much obsession over another President being removed from office. Even Richard Nixon did not get this severe and unreasonable a reaction, despite all of his wrong doing.

Just makes me wonder what is truly fueling the fire.

JFK got shot in the head.

RFK roused the same sentiment and also got shot in the head while running for president.

That is a little more extreme than a tasteless joke.

 

[jillio]

JFK got shot in the head.

RFK roused the same sentiment and also got shot in the head while running for president.

That is a little more extreme than a tasteless joke.

To be perfectly honest with you, Bott, I never saw this as simply a tasteless joke. There are too many unbalanced individuals that would be willing to act on the suggestion.

Quite true regarding the Kennedys. However, you still did not see the same type of extremism that you have seen since Obama announced his intent to run.

 

[Bottesini]

To be perfectly honest with you, Bott, I never saw this as simply a tasteless joke. There are too many unbalanced individuals that would be willing to act on the suggestion.

Quite true regarding the Kennedys. However, you still did not see the same type of extremism that you have seen since Obama announced his intent to run.

I really only remember the Kennedys from reading.

And Clinton was pretty unpopular too, though for different reasons. He did get impeached.

Not saying what happens with Obama is ok, but it is often an unenviable position being our president.

 

[jillio]

I really only remember the Kennedys from reading.

And Clinton was pretty unpopular too, though for different reasons. He did get impeached.

Not saying what happens with Obama is ok, but it is often an unenviable position being our president.

Agreed. I am old enough to have some pretty solid memories of both the Kennedys, although it was some time before I was actually politically involved and aware.

Clinton had his detractors, and the impeachment was more of a political move. It seems these tirades against Obama go far beyond the political. And yes, the position is not one many would have the strength to endure. I think it says a lot for a man's character when he can perservere despite the disturbing things going on around him.

 

[shel90]

Yea, I saw those statuses being copied and pasted and it turned me off.

 

[Buffalo]

Saw that and I thought that whoever thought it up is really an immature person. I just hope that it is just talk and no more than that.

 

[Reba]

Prayer is not a joke to me.

At our church, we pray several times per week for the President and our other national, state, and local leaders. We never pray for any harm to come to them, nor do we pray for them to get kicked out of office before their terms are up.

 

[CJB]

No, in that they thought it was a literal sentiment, rather than tongue in cheek. We all know of those that feel relief if the President were removed from office...by whatever means. I have never seen so much obsession over another President being removed from office. Even Richard Nixon did not get this severe and unreasonable a reaction, despite all of his wrong doing.

Just makes me wonder what is truly fueling the fire.

Makes me wonder too.



You know, I can understand wanting a president out of office. But I can't understand wanting a president dead.