Not
only did Ted publicly say he’d be dead or in jail by this time next
year if Obama were re-elected, he also said, “We are patriots. We are
bravehearts. We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads
off in November!” Any sane individual knows that this is hyperbole, but
my concern is theless-than-sane people who interpret his words literally
instead of figuratively.

The presumption that those of
the opposing party need to feel threatened by merely performing a
democratic act is illustrative of an individual who doesn’t actually
believe in the democratic process. After all, isn’t voter oppression a
tactic used by those we consider morally bankrupt?

While
Ted thinks himself a patriot, one cannot wish ill will on his or her
countrymen and be considered a patriot. I personally do not wish him
dead, nor do I wish to infringe on his or anyone’s ability to vote by
inciting harm against them. I would
hope that if a liberal of equal notoriety said such provocative things,
the opposition would be just as ill-at-ease about such statements.

If
a person hates our president or an opposing party, that’s fine by me.
But at what point do we draw the line between freedom of speech and
encouraging violence? If Ted flat out tells his fans (without hyperbole)
to go murder, when is he held accountable for the actions of those
who’d carry out his request?

What
concerns me is how public figures make incendiary comments just for the
publicity. Ted was already at the NRA convention, so it’s a forgone
conclusion that such vitriol was completely unnecessary. He could have
said something much more benign like, “Come November we’re going to take
back our country one vote at a time.” Instead we heard about
beheadings.

Additionally
disconcerting is the fact that Nugent has previously been compensated
generously for speaking on behalf of the NRA. So it begs the question:
Which of those words are even Ted’s, and which were the words of the
NRA?

Lastly, I am
compelled to point out that convicted felons are barred from voting;
something to think about for those intent on perpetrating violence for
political gain.

—Brandon Wertz Oklahoma City

Opinions expressed on
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