Where is the anger over this!?

[Dr. Cynic]

It wouldn't matter to me. I'm very laid back. Whether Dem or Repub, It wouldn't matter to me, because it doesn't openly effect me, and because I really don't give a damn about actors putting on a play. This country has more important things to worry about.

[ATFFL]

I will be performing a piece of performance art during this play called "I Have a Bomb And am Going To Blow Up This Performance Of 'I'm Gonna Kill the President'".  I am sure the producers, performers and audience will howl with laughter at my satiric presentation of a terrorist who stands up in the middle of the play and shouts "I have a bomb and am going to kill us all" before pressing a button on a hand held device.

I certainly expect no one to take me seriously as I practice my Constitutionally protected art.

[opebo]

I will be performing a piece of performance art during this play called "I Have a Bomb And am Going To Blow Up This Performance Of 'I'm Gonna Kill the President'".  I am sure the producers, performers and audience will howl with laughter at my satiric presentation of a terrorist who stands up in the middle of the play and shouts "I have a bomb and am going to kill us all" before pressing a button on a hand held device.

I certainly expect no one to take me seriously as I practice my Constitutionally protected art.

Hah!  Good one!

[PrisonerOfHope]

Satire is truly dead in this country if so few people can see this play for what it is.  Irony, however is given a new life.  People want to violently supress a play that feigns violence against those who supress freedom.

[Gabu]

Nobody has said that they're going to kill Bush.  

I can show that this statement is false.

They're saying:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Now the word "Gonna" is (according to dictionary.com) informal usage and is a contract of "going to."    The word "President" (again according to dictionary.com) can mean "The chief executive of the United States, serving as both chief of state and chief political executive. "  I know some people don't keep up with these things, but the current President's name is Bush.

So...as far as I can tell what is being said is that they're going to kill Bush.  

Now I do agree that Bush is the problem, but we should not defend these people by telling everyone that they're not saying what they're really saying.  

Nobody has said that they're going to kill Bush because "I'm Gonna Kill the President" is the title of the play, not a quote from any specific person.

I will be performing a piece of performance art during this play called "I Have a Bomb And am Going To Blow Up This Performance Of 'I'm Gonna Kill the President'".  I am sure the producers, performers and audience will howl with laughter at my satiric presentation of a terrorist who stands up in the middle of the play and shouts "I have a bomb and am going to kill us all" before pressing a button on a hand held device.

I certainly expect no one to take me seriously as I practice my Constitutionally protected art.

The play would cease to be satire if the people actually did kill the President.  However, nobody is going to do that.  Nobody is even going to point a model gun at Bush at a joke.  Nobody is even going to do anything to Bush whatsoever because the play is not about killing anybody in real life.  It's a title of a play, not a death threat.  If someone emailed Bush and said "I'm going to kill you", then I would have a problem with that.  However, nobody has done that.  I find it strange how little comprehension people have of the preceding facts.

The whole point of this play was probably to get conservatives jumping up and down yelling "Treason!"  To that end it has succeeded extremely well.

I would like the conservatives who are against this movie to answer the following question.  Suppose the year is currently 1997 and Clinton was in office.  Suppose further that a conservative playwright made this movie at that time.  Would you still be in such opposition to it?

[Gabu]

You liberals think it's no big deal? Call the Secret Service, say "I'm gonna kill the President", hang up, and see what happens...

It's an obvous threat. I don't know what's more disturbing, the threat itself, or the lack of concern.

It's the title of a play in which no real-life killing occurs whatsoever.  If its title was, "There is a Bomb in this Building", would that be a bomb threat?

[The Duke]

Nobody has said that they're going to kill Bush.  

I can show that this statement is false.

They're saying:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Now the word "Gonna" is (according to dictionary.com) informal usage and is a contract of "going to."    The word "President" (again according to dictionary.com) can mean "The chief executive of the United States, serving as both chief of state and chief political executive. "  I know some people don't keep up with these things, but the current President's name is Bush.

So...as far as I can tell what is being said is that they're going to kill Bush.  

Now I do agree that Bush is the problem, but we should not defend these people by telling everyone that they're not saying what they're really saying.  

Nobody has said that they're going to kill Bush because "I'm Gonna Kill the President" is the title of the play, not a quote from any specific person.

I will be performing a piece of performance art during this play called "I Have a Bomb And am Going To Blow Up This Performance Of 'I'm Gonna Kill the President'".  I am sure the producers, performers and audience will howl with laughter at my satiric presentation of a terrorist who stands up in the middle of the play and shouts "I have a bomb and am going to kill us all" before pressing a button on a hand held device.

I certainly expect no one to take me seriously as I practice my Constitutionally protected art.

The play would cease to be satire if the people actually did kill the President.  However, nobody is going to do that.  Nobody is even going to point a model gun at Bush at a joke.  Nobody is even going to do anything to Bush whatsoever because the play is not about killing anybody in real life.  It's a title of a play, not a death threat.  If someone emailed Bush and said "I'm going to kill you", then I would have a problem with that.  However, nobody has done that.  I find it strange how little comprehension people have of the preceding facts.

The whole point of this play was probably to get conservatives jumping up and down yelling "Treason!"  To that end it has succeeded extremely well.

I would like the conservatives who are against this movie to answer the following question.  Suppose the year is currently 1997 and Clinton was in office.  Suppose further that a conservative playwright made this movie at that time.  Would you still be in such opposition to it?

I'd be opposed to someone who made a death threat play about Clinton.

My rules are simple, don't yell bomb in an airport, don't yell fire in a crowded theater, and don't say you're gonna kill the President.  None of this is protected speech.

[Gabu]

I think the main point of disagreement is whether this is actually a death threat.  Nobody has said that death threats are protected speech; the argument is whether or not this actually is a death threat.  One side thinks that, being the title of a play, it's not.  The other side thinks that, given its wording, it is.  Somehow I doubt that we're ever going to come to an agreement.

[The Duke]

"I'm gonna Kill The President"

-Play Title

Pretty straightforward, I think.

[12th Doctor]

Tell me where it says "I'm going to kill Bush" where it can be interpreted at all seriously.

Conservatives are so predictable, which makes arguing even more fruitless

The play is about two guys sitting around talking about what would be the best way to assassinate Bush.  And the they mention Bush by name several times.

[12th Doctor]

Yes, it's in poor taste, but it's obviously a satire looking for shock value, which is exactly what it got.  Nobody has said that they're going to kill Bush.  "I'm Gonna Kill the President" is the title of the play.

I find it amazing how conservatives always accuse liberals of being against free speech but then want this charged as an act of sedition.

Check comment above.

I'm certain that if the play were about two guys sitting around talking about how to assassinate Clinton or Chirac, we would never here the end of it from the Left.

[12th Doctor]

Then we also have this site:

http://www.nymetro.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/9552/

And this one:

http://jossip.com/dailyj/2003/10/29/seeing_the_play_mission_accomplished.php

Are there any sane people left on the Left?  Anyone want to comdem this behavior?  Funny how you will attack decorated Vietnam vets, but you can't bring yourselves to critizes this.

[12th Doctor]

Tell me where it says "I'm going to kill Bush" where it can be interpreted at all seriously.

Conservatives are so predictable, which makes arguing even more fruitless

The play is about two guys sitting around talking about what would be the best way to assassinate Bush.  And the they mention Bush by name several times.

I apologize, that is acctually the plot of a book coming out next month, not this play.  Sorry, I get my Left wing hate-rants confused.

[Gabu]

"I'm gonna Kill The President"

-Play Title

Pretty straightforward, I think.

Yes, it's a play title.  Not an actual threat from anybody.  From the New York Metro link given above:

"The point is that a dalliance with the fantasy of assassination has nothing to do with, and isn’t likely to lead to, committing the act itself."

I do, however, strongly object to the part where the audience is encouraged to phone the White House and say "I'm gonna kill the President".  I was unaware of that part.  I would be fine with this if it completely remained in a fantasy realm separated from reality; however, that particular act comes too close to an actual death threat aimed towards Bush.

[Gabu]

Are there any sane people left on the Left?  Anyone want to comdem this behavior?  Funny how you will attack decorated Vietnam vets, but you can't bring yourselves to critizes this.

I just criticized it, based on new information that came to light.  Happy?

[Dr. Cynic]

I just heard about the whole phone the White House bit. I must now say that it is totally inappropriate, and they should not be allowed to take it that far. I don't see anything wrong with a play that takes itself lightly, but, when the audience is encouraged to break the law, I draw the line.

[12th Doctor]

Well, the whole premise is that we are living in a place like East Germany in the 1960' and 70's.  Really!?  Does anyone who has any sense fell "oppressed" by this Administration?

These people don't know what oppression is if they think we are being oppressed by Bush.

[© tweed]

So, its Federal Crime to threaten the President's life, you dumb@$$.

I didn't know that.

[dbpman]

oh yippee for thought police ... its this same notient that gets second grade kids expelled for using his finger as a gun and going pow pow to a classmate...or a high school kid expelled for writing a poem about violence... after all we  know what they are thinking.. and by golly they are certainly gonna act upon those thoughts ... right?  so lets stop them before they do it

thoughts are never a crime ... the crime is if you act upon those thoughts... writing down thoughts are not crimes.. the act upon those thoughts is a crime... geez people if thoughts are crimes then Im sure ever single one of us should be locked up for one thing or another..

I know for a fact there isnt one man in this forum that hasnt thought about some hot young underaged teenage girl and wanting to get in the sack... hey if thoughts are a crime.. you just commited at least 2.

you know how many movies there are out that depict a character based off of a real life person and other characters doing something to that person... should that be a crime as well.. after all we all know who the character is supposed to be in real life.. shouldnt the writer be locked up?

yelling fire in a theatre, yelling bomb in an airplane, and yelling Im gonna kill the president..does in fact fit the description of "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press"   It was that crappy supreme court case (Schenck v. United States) that claimed it wasnt....and I dont care how many times you try to justify that case...  its only when property or people get hurt/damaged as to when a crime is commited... then and only then is the person who yelled fire guilty of an actual crime

I am utterly appauled by anyone who tries to justify the interworkings of one's mind as a crime... rather than the act of acting on it... Im especially appauled by anyone who claims they are a libertarian and agrees with any law that makes thoughts a crime

[johngalt1234]

Now why would anyone want to kill Bush?

He is doing such a fantastic  job running the Public debt up. OH Lord we wouldnt want to stop that would be....

Unless of course Kerry can get there and run it up faster than him.

[stry_cat]

Well, the whole premise is that we are living in a place like East Germany in the 1960' and 70's.  Really!?  Does anyone who has any sense fell "oppressed" by this Administration?

These people don't know what oppression is if they think we are being oppressed by Bush.

We want to make sure we don't end up like East Germany in the 60's and 70's.  No we're not there yet, but our government is bigger and more oppressive now than when Bush came  to power.  Every one of these steps must be fought and reversed.  Just because we're more free than any other country doesn't mean we have the amount of freedom we should have.

[johngalt1234]

Well, the whole premise is that we are living in a place like East Germany in the 1960' and 70's.  Really!?  Does anyone who has any sense fell "oppressed" by this Administration?

These people don't know what oppression is if they think we are being oppressed by Bush.

Oppression is relative... Oppression to a tiger that roamed free and is now chained  is greater than one who is born in captivity and who thinks being chained is a normal existence.

Only a person who has experiened freedom can be a true judge of oppression. To that extent most who live in America, would consider being oppressed if they had to live for a few days in Communist Russia in the Ghetto. To the Russian used to that way of life, oppression would be being sent away to the camps in Siberia.

[freedomburns]

I love it!

Posters all over New York City that say "I'm Gonna Kill the President"!

Is this the greatest country in the world or what?!

freedomburns on

[??????????]

I love it!

Posters all over New York City that say "I'm Gonna Kill the President"!

Is this the greatest country in the world or what?!

freedomburns on

I find it offensive that anyone would say they want to kill a sitting President. Democrat or Republican. Their are only two I can think of that should have been, and one was. The one that wasnt was LBJ, you know who the first one was.