Is there not a way to indict Pat Robertson for endangering...

[wake.up.america]

US citizens? Pat is calling for the assisination of Chavez.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pat the Hammer Robertson

[Catholic Sensation]

1. how is that endangering american citizens?

[wake.up.america]

6. I am sure there are people in that country who are not too happy with

Bush, now we have this.

[Catholic Sensation]

7. okay is this the point you're making:

By Pat Robertson saying "chavez should be assassinated" he'll enrage some crazy Venezuelan who will try to take the President's life as a response to Pat Robertson's statement?

[wake.up.america]

12. Maybe I am wrong, but I was thinking more of US citizens in that region.

[Catholic Sensation]

13. it doesn't make your premise any less absurd

if someone is going to go killing american citizens in venezuela because of pat robertson's call for the assassination of hugo chavez, chances are something like a bird shitting on his car would set him off too.

[Karenina]

19. This would be really funny

were it not so stunning in its hypocrisy. :rofl:

Oh to be Samantha! I'd twitch my nose and :POOF:!!! Anyone looking at good ol' Pat would see a crazy Mullah!

[Erika]

2. He's a Bushie evangelical Christian

powered by Rove. He's untouchable. These people do not live under the same laws we do.

[TWiley]

30. That is the problem ..... Their "moral" elitism.

Nobody else understands Gods "Word", nobody else has Gods "ear", nobody else is "Moral", nobody else is "deserving", nobody else is "saved", nobody else is "patriotic", and nobody else is "American". Meanwhile, they are among the most not-Christlike beasts on this planet.

[wli]

3. probably more for ordering murder than endangering US citizens n/t

[AussieDave]

4. Isn't it illegal to advocate the killing of sitting heads of state ??

Let alone the simple conspiracy to murder......

[Catholic Sensation]

5. uh... how many times have people advocated castro's killing?

[tocqueville]

8. Isn't it illegal to advocate the killing of ANYBODY ?

I don't know of a country in Europe where it isn't

[Catholic Sensation]

9. And what americans do in america clearly falls in the jurisdiction

of countries in europe?

[tocqueville]

10. no it doesn't, it was just a question

I bet it's illegal in the States too, but I might be mistaken


besides anybody from another country could ask a judge to pick up the question in the US, if this person felt threatened, Chavez or anybody else

[Tyranny_R_US]

14. I tried asking in another thread no one seems to know

Its a very good question I just wish we better details or even the exact federal law or international law he might have broken.

[Sgent]

11. I can't see anything

that would make this illegal. If he had plans, or had set a date, maybe, but threats alone rarely rise to the level of criminal -- and this one was pretty non-specific.

First ammendment protections would include him most likely -- although it wouldn't rule out a trial. Even if he said the same thing about GWB (maybe Clinton would be a better example), they most likely wouldn't do anything.

[tocqueville]

15. Incitement to crime is not protected

It is a crime to incite someone else to commit a crime, and such speech is not protected by the First Amendment.

incitement to crime or solicitation to crime is a crime


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inciting

[tocqueville]

16. it's even a capital offense

Note that solicitation can apply to just about any criminal act. There are also many statutes for specific solicitation crimes. For example, solicitation of murder is often considered a capital offense, and has its own statute

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inciting

[Sgent]

18. What crime?

Its legal (although not advisable) for the President to order an assination.

[tocqueville]

22. for the President yes (at war)

but not for Pat Robertson

as far as I know the USA is not at war with Venezuela

Pat Robertson is sollicting the murder of somebody. It can't be legal.

[Sgent]

23. Robertson

is soliciting the assination of Chavez by the President. I don't see how you can be booked for solicitation when the underlying act is legal.

War is a nicety -- there is no requirement that we be at war for the President to order a "hit" on a foriegn leader (although this might rightly cause a war). The President has unilateral and virtually unlimited control of the armed forces and of foriegn policy. Congress can check him later, but its still a real question -- See Teddy Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet.

[fujiyama]

27. It wasn't a direct threat

and either way, I doubt it would matter since Chavez doesn't reside in the US. After all, people frequently would say Saddam or Castro should be assassinated. Plus, he didn't say, he would kill Chavez. He said, he ought to be assassinated.

None of this excuses Pat Robertson's lunacy. The guy (if he is human) is a raving fanatic. He's perhaps one of the most psychotic hateful people allowed on TV today...but I don't see how he can be punished under law for what he said.

Remember, this is also the guy that was praying that several SC justices would retire prematurely alluding to Steven's age and Ginsberg's past battle against cancer.

Plus, in the end even if he did violate the law, nothing will happen. He's a bush ass kisser, and like Coulter (who advocated the bombing of the NYTimes building), his statements will be ignored by the rest of the media.

[tocqueville]

32. well I must read it wrong

Solicitation is a crime; it is an inchoate offense that consists of a person inciting, counseling, advising, urging, or commanding another to commit a crime with the specific intent that the person solicited commit the crime. It is not necessary that the person actually commit the crime, nor is it necessary that the person solicited be willing or able to commit the crime (such as if the "solicitee" were an undercover police officer).

For example, if A commands B to assault C and A intends for B to assault C, then A is guilty of solicitation. However, if A commands B to assault C without intending that an actual crime be committed (perhaps believing that C has given consent), then there is no solicitation.

An interesting twist on solicitation occurs when a third party that the solicitor did not intend to recieve the incitement overhears the request to the original solicitee and unbenownst to the solicitor, commits the target offense. In a minority of jurisdictions in the United States, this situation would still be considered solicitation even though the defendant never intended the person that committed the crime to have done so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solicitation

[TWiley]

17. Well, he is a Christian. He is already forgiven !

At Robertson's level, Christianity is not much different than the radical Islamists who call for assassinations.

[Disturbed]

20. Pat Roberstson is an Asshole.

Reagan's Executive Order 12333 states that "o person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination." That Executive Order was left standing by Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush and Clinton. Thus, it currently remains the law.

[TWiley]

28. Yes, Pat Robertson IS an ASS HOLE !

And, thank you for noticing.

I believe the executive order you refer to has been recinded. Shrub publicly announced America's intentions to murder Saddam Hussein, his family, and Osama Bin Laden to name a few.

[Bluerthanblue]

29. such flattery, an ass

hole has a real purpose. It regulates the flow of waste products from the body. mr. robertson doesn't regulate anything, least of all his tongue.

HE is advocating terrorism, and should be arrested and sent to Gitmo.

[mwb970]

21. I wonder if he laughed through his statement as usual.

It really creeps me out when he does that.

[Kolesar]

24. Why cannot the fundies see through this murderous insanity?

Apparently, they cannot question their televangelist, self-appointed leader.

[mopaul]

25. pray for pat

for he knows not what he does

[AussieDave]

26. As if he ever did.....

[TWiley]

31. A great photo of Robertson ...... Thanks Swamprat.