a question about the secret service from a know nothing foreigner

[TheBaldyMan]

Please excuse me for asking a dumb question.

Why is it such a big deal about a death threat against any prominent figure in the US administration?

In the UK wishing harm on Tony Blair and his puppet-master Dubya is a national pastime it's almost universal and indulged by the right and the left. IMHO the whole thing is a needless over-reaction and a waste of time. Any nut can threaten you but how often would that nut actually be in any position to carry out that threat.

[pooja]

1. Because it is illegal to threaten the President with death.. the

secret service are to protect the president at all costs risking their own lives to protect the man.

[rug]

3. Furthermore, to think about threatening harm to the POS is illegal.

[annabanana]

5. naw...

You can think all you like.

[TheBaldyMan]

8. That sounds more like Stalinist USSR than USA

Stalin said you could think what you liked, as long as you didn't try and put it into practice.

[Ian David]

4. Yes, they have to risk their lives to protect him...

but I hear they regularly pee in his coffee.

Some people say.

[Ian David]

2. Here in America we have lots of guns. Lots and lots of guns.

I think more people have guns than have cable TV.

But, fortunately, all those pro-gun politicians are protected by armed Secret Service, and all their offices are behind multiple layers of security deep in the bowels of buildings where guns are not allowed.

Unfortunately, for the rest of us...

[gaspee]

7. Good point

I've never even thought of the gun control arguments from that angle. Very, very true.

[Justice Is Comin]

6. You lovely people are so far more culturally and common sense advanced than us,

it's ridiculous.

[Gregorian]

9. We're not as free as the advertisements would have you believe.

It's about fear and control. Period.

I believe I will end up in the UK before I die. Although it sounds like the Chavs are growing in numbers over there. It just seems that in general, the British are better educated, have more common sense, are more humorous, and less intimidated by their government than we are. I know it's not all as nice as it seems. We still don't have cameras nabbing us when we speed. And perhaps both countries are in a free slide to the bottom, from here.


Yes, the SS have to protect his majesty from nasty statements. It's ridiculous. They didn't stop 9/11. And certainly anyone with malice toward the president is certainly not going to run around broadcasting it over the internet.

[TheBaldyMan]

10. I'd rather you managed to fix the US,

universal health care, clean enviroment etc. Seems like a beautiful country and it would be a real shame to abandon it to the thugs. The American people deserve better.

I feel that way about the UK sometimes, I get urges to live in France a lot nowadays. (Great food, cheap wine, cultured and an insanely strong Labour movement) but the UK is my home and I'd rather correct what's wrong here.

I miss feeling proud of my country. Thatcher, Major and Blair have corroded nearly everything good about it. I'd prefer reversing the rot.

[SeattleGirl]

12. I know exactly what you mean. I miss feeling proud of my

country, too. I hate what Bush and his cabal have done to us, to our reputation, to the good will so many countries have had toward us.

[Ian David]

14. Maybe they won't post it on the internets...

but they might tell Jodi Foster all about it.

Crazy people do crazy things-- like broadcast their criminal intent beforehand.

[mitchum]

11. Because this country was founded BY the powerful FOR the powerful

it really is that simple

[Bitwit1234]

13. Because George W. Bush is Chickenshit

and a coward. And he is afraid to fight for his country. But he ought to realize that people in this country might be a little dim, but they are not stupid enough to do anything to him, because waiting in the wings is Dick Cheney.

[dbt]

15. There is a loophole in this law.

It is not, nor will it ever be, illegal to threaten Bill Clinton. Even Member$ of Congre$$ could do it. There are any number of participants over at Fr** Re*****c who have done it with utter impunity and mega-dildoes.

:evilgrin:
dbt
Remember New Orleans

[Princess Turandot]

16. We've also had 4 US Presidents assassinated while in office..

Lincoln, Garfield, Mckinley, & JFK. Several have also had close calls, meaning someone got close enough to get off a shot at them: Jackson, TR (shot while running for another term after he had left the presidency),
FDR (missed him but got the then mayor of Chicago), Truman (2 gunmen stormed the residence he was in at the time), Ford (2 attempts, one by one of Charlie Manson's gals) and Reagan, of course, shot as a love offering to Jodie Foster. Some of the shooters had political motives of some sort and some were just nuts. So, with that track record it's not surprising that the Secret Service investigates even those threats which seem somewhat far-fetched.

[TheBaldyMan]

17. even though some of the threats seem far fetched it still seems an odd

application of Agent Mike's time.

btw I think your answer does make most sense out of all the answers here but I still think it's an overreaction, it must be because I'm British.