Here’s a topic tailor-made for talk radio (in fact, Rush and Drudge have already jumped on it): why is the Secret Service investigating a simple act of vandalism on a Lakeville golf course?
As local media outlets are reporting, Lakeville Country Club staffers discovered “Obama” carved into the green on the eighteenth hole, with a Swastika above it.
Since “I (swastika) Obama” really doesn’t make any sense, what are the odds this is anything other than the work of bored teenagers?
The Herald actually has the golf course owner on record saying he is an Obama supporter:
Mosca is an Obama admirer. He said he wrote the president a letter in January asking him to direct some of the billions of dollars distributed to shore up the nation’s banking system to middle-class business owners like himself who are struggling in the bad economy.
“I love the president,” said Mosca. “I think he’s a great guy.”
How is this relevant to the vandalism?
For the sake of the argument, let’s assume an adult with a political agenda carved this into the course. Does it mean Obama is a nazi? Maybe, maybe not.
Where is the threat to the president that warrants a Secret Service investigation? It’s quite a stretch.
Are we moving closer to an era where merely opposing Barack Obama is grounds for a federal probe? Obviously, yes.
Wake up, Brian. There is a simmering hatred of Obama which, unattended, will soon result in a rapid boil. Any use of swastika on anything signifies one thing= HATE. This is not vandalism….it is a hate crime.
And did you minimize this hateful act as nothing more than the actions of “bored teenagers”. Let me remind you of a recent crime…..four bored teenagers in NH. Need I say more?
Try, if you can, to put aside your dislike of Obama and see this for what it is. I’ll tell you what it isn’t- it’s not a case of “simple vandalism” and the Secret Service’s time and investigation is not “misuse”.
Your glib attitude on this matter is very upsetting, Brian.
pirateboy, get a grip. Swastika vandalism is the work of stupid teenagers 99% of the time. It’s not evidence of some extremist movement to oust the President. get real.
Jim: What difference does it make who did it? It’s hate, and it’s wrong and “stupid teenagers” are not exempt. Get real? He’s the President and this Hitler- Nazi- swastika stuff is evidence of an extremist movement targeting him.
Now, you get real.
This looks like the work of some leftwing nutjob trying to provide a distraction Obama’s failures.
There’s a long way to go before the anti-Obama “extremists” will ever match what happened in the previous 8 years. What happened to all the “chimp” comparisons?
Cap’n: spot on. We didn’t hear any gnashing of the teeth about the “symbol of hate” when it was employed against W.
I’d almost guarantee this was done by a couple of drunken teenagers who don’t even know what the swastika symbolizes. They didn’t even carve it correctly: it’s backwards.
Sorry, Cap’n, there’s a big difference between a chimp and Hitler.
AND, I neglected to reference this gem in Brian’s article…..” Does it mean Obama is a nazi? Maybe, maybe not.” WTF is that?
Comparing a Nazi to a chimpanzee? C’mon. No matter how you feel about Obama and/or Bush, use your brain. It’s impossible to have debates/discussions with brainless, factless bloggers. You’re not a dope, Cap’n.
Give me an effing break, swami. Not knowing what a swastika symbolozes? So why did they use it?
And why are teenagers, if they’re the culprits, getting a pass on this? IT’S A SIGN/SYMBOL OF HATE- THAT’S WHY NO MATTER WHERE IT’S USED-SCHOOL, HOMES, PUBLIC PARKS- IT MAKES NEWS.
If any of you had a kid, or if you do have kids, would you condone this behavior as just kids being kids? Having some drunken fun?
Let me tell you, I don’t remember any demonstration against Bush with posters of a chimpanzee. Now protesters against Obama are plastering images of Hitler on their signs?
Just innocent fun? Teenagers having a good time? Destroying a golf course with hate messages against Obama? We’re not talking about kids drinking a few too many beers and stealing and smashing pumpkins here.
seadog: where the hell did you come from? new here? no distraction in the lunacy of your post.
In all likelihood, we’re looking at a few kids who wanted to make a trouble for their own amusement, and not an official coded communique from a neo-Nazi hate group calling for heaven knows what.
Kids know that our society has a hysterical overreaction to every appearance of a swastika and as a result, that’s a sure-fire way to make trouble.
I’d bet a paycheck that they have no idea about what real Nazism is or what their desires are. All they know is that if they push this button, everybody goes nuts.
By giving them the attention they want, you just pour fuel on the fire. Ignore them and they’ll back to pulling the wings off houseflies.
Your call.
Pirate, since you were evidently in a coma or out of the country from 2000-2008, here are a few reminders of things you “missed”:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gf65NLuwWsU/SZ2r2UQF3AI/AAAAAAAAA74/UDeQ9Rj69m4/s400/9george-bush.jpg
http://www.qando.net/wp-content/uploads/bush_chimp.jpg
http://yellowcakewalk.net/2007-07-07/dennis_hasterts_payola_and_graft_remarked_that_bush_is_a_chimp_to_jackrabbit.jpg
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/files/2009/08/bush-chimp.jpg
Ring a bell, Pirate? And do you want me to supply links to shots of Bush as Hitler?
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/K/1/bush_chimps2.jpg
Funny to see the Obamabots in full-on protect mode at even the most minor of slights. This means nothing. Some minor criminals defaced private property with hateful nonsense.
maybe it was done by Dimasi to take the heat off himself…he loves golf and can’t afford the public course now that we are on to him!
“According to a 33-page indictment, DiMasi and his three associates secured two deals with software company Cognos. The contracts allegedly netted DiMasi’s three friends $1.3 million in fees.
Software broker Joseph Lally, DiMasi’s former accountant Richard Vitale and lobbyist Richard McDonough also faced charges.
According to the indictment, in return for pushing through the two contracts worth $20 million, the company funneled $57,000 to DiMasi.
The government claims DiMasi arranged for the payments to go through a law associate. The attorney, who was a cooperating witness, would receive $5,000 a month from Cognos for so-called legal work for the company in Massachusetts. He would then pass on $4,000, it is claimed, to DiMasi as a referral fee”
oops…I meant can’t afford the Private courses…
For all you open-minded bloggers here, I enjoy a well written presentation of opinions which differ from my own. And I can (at times) ignore some of the “crap” people pass off as a thought or uninformed opinion.
But the defense of this hateful incident, minimizing and marginalizing it, is appauling. I’m embarassed to be blogging here. Good time for me to follow the path of Ms. Jay and take a little vaca myself.
Peace out- pirate
First, Pirateboy… hate is not a crime. At least it shouldn’t be. The emotional impulse behind a crime is irrelevant. Hate, love, jealousy, anxiety are all irrelevant. Adding the word hate to a crime just makes lefties feel morally superior. Crime is relevant. Vandalism is a crime. Hopefully suspects will be found and prosecuted for vandalism and perhaps trespassing. Having said that, it is reasonable for the Secret Service to take a quick look at this and decide that it isn’t a real threat. I don’t have a problem with that. It’s their job to check these things out.
See Cricket’s post: off topic, cut and paste without citing a source and an example of a serial blogger with nothing to contribute, but a NEED to post.
I rest my case.
A10: I never stated “hate” was a crime. However I strongly disagree with you stating the motivation behind committing a crime is irrelevant. There are hate crimes- there are crimes of passion. Emotions that dictate a crime ARE indeed relevant….I think the legal term is MOTIVE.
This appears to be a teachable moment.
Perhaps President Obama should invite Mr. Mosca and the perpetrators to the White House. There, Mr. Mosca could have his a_s kissed as much as Professor Gates.
For some inexplicable reason, the black Obamacare opponent in St. Louis, who was assaulted by pro-Obamacare thugs, and the Obamacare opponent in Thousand Oaks, whose finger was bitten off by a pro-Obamacare thug, do not warrant getting THEIR as_es kissed at the White House after experiencing THEIR teachable moments.
SOME people apparently spent the past 8 years with their heads in the sand, and never saw any instances of Bushitler , and now, if there happened to be any of this sort of thing used on the current regime, the you-know-what card would get whipped out.
My previous comment is apparently in limbo awaiting moderator approval because it has 2 URLs in it, but another point: Many of the widely-whined-about instances of swastikas at town hall and tea party protests were LaRouchies, AKA Democrats.
Here’s my thoughts on a teachable moment.
Were any of you teenagers? When you were a teenager, did any of you give more than a flying **** about anything political? And, for the rare exception of the one who did, I sincerely doubt you were “one of the guys”, out drinking and carrying on. Now for those of you former teens, drunk and stupid, what was your idea of vandalism? Smashing windows, breaking into a house, slashing a tire? Or was it taking the time to spell out a message about your current President?
I’m not saying this was NOT the act of teenagers. But what I am saying, it was not the act of random vandalism. The message, whoever it belongs to, is making a statement of hate towards Obama. Whether it reflects their beliefs or not, this has been planted in their brain from somewhere. And it’s scary.
I couldn’t say whether or not it was teenagers, but it’s no more “scary” than it was “scary” when Bush was President.
Cap’n, Didn’t open your links. What is your point? Is this a game where we’re keeping score, Dubya v Obama?
I’m not into games, or keeping score. Thanks all the same.
On a lighter off-topic, regarding Jay-bar’s alleged larger breasts seen on the TKK website: I’ve read that syndrome (gynecomastia) can be a side effect of Propecia use.
No, “we” are apparently not keeping score; “we” are just whining about “scary” things being used against the current regime over the past few months that “we” ignored when the same things happened between 1/01 and 1/09.
What the hell is
“I
卐 (swastika)
OBAMA”
supposed to mean, anyway?
Cap’n: I think a swastika has come to represent a universal symbol for “hate”- the same way a heart represents “love”.
And Dr. thanks for bringing Jay up. I’d almost forgotten that I, like Vaca Jay, am on vacation.
Time will tell if it’s a brief hiatus or (hat tip to Joe Perry) a more “Permanent Vacation” from cyber-land.
Pirate, you crack me up! You are the queen of off topic remarks.
As for “scary”, take that skirt off and grow a pair!
My father was in the Army and fought the Nazi’s in WWII. Anyone who uses a Swastika it in any manner on any side dishonors all veterans who served in that war.
I’m sure the Boston media is fawning all over this story and probably pushed to have the Secret Service step in so they could get some national coverage.
In Beverly not only I am seeing “War” sprayed under the “Stop” on stop signs but I just saw one that had “Fox” under the “Stop”. That’s right, we gotta stop Fox News because they’re eeeeeeeeeeeeevil. I assume that’s who they mean, or are they opposed to the reg. broadcast network that runs Family Guy, The Simpsons, and the World Series…?
Remember when dissent was an important part of a functioning democracy? I guess it isn’t needed anymore.
Time to sip my Victory Gin, have my Two Minutes Hate and be happy!
The President is coming to Boston next week, Otherwise, I doubt the Secret Service would bother.
Hisotrically, the (swasktika) symbol was introduced to Southeast Asia by Hindu kings and remains an integral part of Balinese Hinduism to this day, and it is a common sight in Indonesia.” Let me see, where was Obama brought up as a child?
“Are we moving closer to an era where merely opposing Barack Obama is grounds for a federal probe? Obviously, yes.”
How melodramatic can you actually be?
Carly – call me crazy, but I doubt the vandal who did this knew such history.
Carly, et all,
The swastika has a long and beautiful history – a symbol of good luck, used in many cultures as a religious and/or spiritual symbol.
Unfortunately Adolf Hitler’s use of it (albiet very briefly) was so powerful and hateful that it virtually wiped out centuries of it’s history and will forever be associated with hate and racial cleansing.
I find it upsetting to look at on anything- even old pictures and drawings pre-Nazi. I KNOW that the symbol was not associated with, or chosen by Hitler yet, but it still causes me pain to look at it.
Pirate, one more time. Hate is not a crime. It should not be included in a charge of crime as IT IS IRRELEVANT to the end result. When a victim is killed by someone who hates him/her, he/she is no more dead than the random victim of a mugging gone bad. Of course the police are interested in motive of any kind but motive and charge are two different aspects of a prosecution. But, if it makes you feel good to be more caring and thoughtful than the rest of us, then please continue to let emotion rather than reason guide your opinions. It’s so damned easy to be a liberal. How about this for a new criminal charge… gleeful kidnapping. If the kidnappers are so happy to be in the company of the cute little tike they just nabbed, let’s give them a few more years in jail than run of the mill kidnappers. Yeah, that makes me feel good. I’m such a caring, loving morally superior liberal dufous. Brain dead snivelling slobs. Grow the hell up.
A10: One more time to you. See my post # 18. Read it. Comprehend? I NEVER SAID HATE WAS A CRIME. Read on where I make the distinction between the CRIME and the MOTIVE.
I do not feel better than, or more caring/thoughful than anyone else here. Wait, in comparison to you, I am more thoughtful. Apparently your thought process is impared in regards to me. Which is fine. Considering the content of your post, you are clearly a moron.
And I am positively gleeful in calling you one.
My apologies Pirate. I must have been confused by your post #1 where you write “it is a hate crime” and imply that crime motivated by hate is more destructive than the nonchallant variety. And don’t brag about being gleeful. You’ll be suspected of kidnapping. Kidnapping good sense that is. I’m really tired of this string. I win.
I could address the usual ranting of the right wing nuts on this blog, but Pirate has done a much better job than I could.
Thanks, AB. The next one is on you. I’m totally drained and exhausted right now.
Just so that you know you’re not alone here, Pirate, ditto your posts. And by the way to the rest of you, hate crime is a legitimate law enforcement term referring to crimes brought about by one party against another based on a bias, e.g. hatred of blacks, jews, latinos, gays, etc. Spray painting swastikas on a Jewish synagogue is not only vandalism but demonstrates hatred towards Jews. This appears to be a hate crime to me given the message.
Let me get this straight: simian references to a local kid by Dennis & Callahan brought this city to a grinding halt but the same statements about the POTUS are AOK as long as he is a Republican? If this stuff has you all scared, Pirate, you may want to go easy on the ad hominems. Those can get REALLY scary. And a distinction between crime and motive matters? Tell that to the next guy convicted of murdering someone who “dissed” him. Motives are subjective, no?
P.S. If you are going to call someone else a “moron”, you might want to first check on the spelling of the word “impaired” in the insult.
AC: Your point on my usage of ad hominens might be more useful if you didn’t employ the same (albeit implict v my explicit0 argument/technique.
Too bad you are so cynical. That must be a difficult way to live one’s life. I say that in all honesty and sincerity.