‘It was my opinion’: Utah man jailed for threatening to cut black teenager’s throat

[DonViejo]

By Arturo Garcia
Friday, May 23, 2014 17:44 EDT

A 70-year-old Utah man was arrested for failing to appear in court in connection with federal hate crimes for threatening a Black teenager living in his neighborhood, KUTV-TV reported on Thursday.

Retired postal worker Robert Keller was charged with two federal misdemeanor counts of criminal interference with a right to fair housing for using both threats and a racial slur against the teen in a letter to both the teenager’s family and their local homeowner’s association.

“If it were my daughter, I think I wrote I’d slice his throat,” Keller said in the letter, according to KUTV. “Basically if you don’t remove him I will take care of it for you.”

Keller admitted to KUTV that he wrote the letter in an effort to “open their eyes,” having become upset that the teenager was living with white relatives and socializing with other white residents.

“I said, ‘What is going to happen down the road, when the black kid starts chasing these girls?’” Keller was quoted as saying. “What I seen set me off, when he was walking down the street with a white gal.”

The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that Keller was originally charged with state misdemeanor harassment charges after the teenager’s family used surveillance camera footage to identify Keller in late 2013. The family then took the matter to Tri-State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which alerted federal authorities.

Keller’s attorney, Terry Hutchinson, told KUTV that his client was not aware that he was scheduled to be in court to face the additional federal charges, and that prosecutors want to “make this a publicity case.” Keller was arrested on Tuesday on a federal warrant after missing his second appearance, and faces up to one year in prison on each federal count.

“To me, it’s not a threat,” Keller said of his choice of language. “It’s my opinion. Of course, I wrote it down, which was a mistake.”

Watch KUTV’s report on Keller’s letter, as aired on Wednesday, below.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/23/it-was-my-opinion-utah-man-jailed-for-threatening-to-cut-black-teenagers-throat/

###

Posted with permission

[stranger81]

1. I do not think "opinion" means what this assclown thinks it does.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

2. Dear 70 year old piece of garbage

You're free to die now. The world no longer requires your existence, as it benefits no one at all. In the meantime, arresting your worthless ass may help you to remember to show up in court. But if you can only keep one thought in your pointy little racist head, focus on the first part, the part about dying.

PS: have lots of fun with those federal charges, fuckface.

[TBF]

3. Rec for visibility -

I swear I'm hearing more of this now than I did in the 1970s when I was growing up (I was in a northern state). WTF is wrong with people?

[Mr. Evil]

8. Fox News?

[TBF]

9. I think it has done much more

damage than some realize. I was a kid in the 60s and remember the equal rights amendment (and my mom muttering that Phyllis Schlafly wanted all women to stay home except herself), the push to clean up the environment, and not nearly as blatant racism. Now it is all back front & center. I do think FOX news and other sources have been a big part in amplifying this bigotry and backlash against civil rights. It's very disturbing.

[tofuandbeer]

12. That, and unfortunately, probably the internet as well.

[joeybee12]

4. What a disgusting, stupid man...

He was waling down the street with a white gal...yeah, you're not scum, Keller, not at all...you're worse than that.

[tandot]

5. so, he regrets that he wrote it down ...

but he doesn't think there is anything wrong with having thoughts like that???

What a worthless piece of shit.

[kardonb]

10. wrte dpown

In no way do I excuse his hateful remarks at all , but don't forget : the man is 70 , he grew up in as time where this was the prevailing attitude , and it was accepted as normal . I am grateful that opinions have changed , and we are more accepting and tolerant ( hopefully ) than 50 years ago . Unfortunately , the there are still a lot of racists around , too ignorant and stubborn to be enlightened . Look at the hatefulness against our President . I think and hope that the generations after ours ( I am 81) will be more accepting of differences in the human race .

[Old Codger]

11. NOT at all NOT ever

I am older than that, I too grew up in that environment, I do not feel at all like he does I am ashamed to belong to the same race as that piece of trash shit for brains bigot... His age may be an excuse for him to not realize he was supposed to be in court but that is where it ends...

[Doctor_J]

6. Either this douche bag or Utah is stuck in a time warp

“What I seen set me off, when he was walking down the street with a white gal.”

Uhh...1958 just called...they want you back.

[MohRokTah]

7. At least the face of pure evil keeps getting older

[oneofthe99]

13. He should goto jail for threats but the hate crime law really needs to go

It is one the worst laws passed in recent memory

[GeorgeGist]

16. Do go on.

[AverageJoe90]

14. This guy has some *serious* prejudice issues to work out.....and that's being generous!

In more honest terms.....this guy actually seems like a raging racist asshole with a major attitude problem. Here's hoping the SLC *and* Federal courts give him the proverbial smackdown he so rightly deserves.

[demigoddess]

15. I wonder how much dementia

has to do with these cases of old men saying such garbage. I've heard of a lot of old people becoming hateful when dementia sets in, when they were nice before. Add to that he might have heard it growing up.