Georgia Newspaper Puts Obama In Crosshairs

Via Wonkette, a small paper serving the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Georgia called the Roswell Beacon is drawing fire for running a cover that depicts Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama in the crosshairs of a gun sight. The cover image promotes a story by freelance reporter Alan Sverdlik, who penned the article because "he was curious how law enforcement agencies were handling the increased number of threats lodged against Obama by white supremacist groups" in the Fulton County area. Sverdlik has told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had no input on the cover design that accompanied the article.

A diary on the popular liberal blog DailyKos is driving much of the outrage at the Roswell Beacon. As Kos Diarist "Spiral Stairs" puts it:

The accompanying article is about hate groups in the area who are upset about Senator Obama's candidacy and concerns the local authorities have about possible violent acts from these groups. The article itself is not offensive, but the cover is beyond the pale. As indicated by the article, there are some serious racists in the area, and Obama's candidacy has brought out the worst in a lot of people. The last thing we need is a newspaper to suggest assassination with an incendiary cover such as this.

The AJC reports that the outcry has had limited effect:

Readers -- Kos receives more than 1.3 million visits a day, according to sitemeter.com -- were encouraged to contact the newspaper and its advertisers. By day's end, Holiday Inn announced it would no longer do business with the Beacon, though the paper's publisher, John Fredericks, said editorial decisions would not be influenced by "liberal blogger thuggery."

"Good, bad or ugly, we tell the truth," he said.

Fredericks and senior editor Tim Altork said there was little internal debate over the appropriateness of the imagery, though they were aware it was likely to create a stir.

"We knew we were on the provocative edge," Altork said. "But it's a very fair piece, a smart piece."

Nevertheless, this "fair...smart piece" has been seemingly expunged from the newspaper's website.

Comments

[NotFooledByDistractions]

I guess this type of thing passes for "a very fair piece, a smart piece." in Georgia. Do they intentionally breed stupidity down there?

[FPElitist]

Considering this happened a couple of days before Hillary's enormous gaffe today, this has me worried about Obama. May Obama stay safe!

[Scarllatti]

A RACIST IS A JERK WHO IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY SICK, HAS A FALSE SENSE OF "SUPERIORITY" BECAUSE HE HAS "NO COLOR", FEELS THREATENED BY THE EXISTENCE OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LOOK LIKE HIM.
THEY ACTUALLY NEED PSYCHIATRIC HELP RATHER THAN CONDEMNATION. BY THE TIME MY KIDS GROW UP, THEIR POPULATION WOULD HAVE BEEN REDUCED DRASTICALLY. THEY ARE AN UGLY STAIN ON THE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. SHAME ON ALL WHO SPEND ALL THEIR WORTHLESS AND MISERABLE LIVES HATING.
I DO NOT CARE IF YOU ARE WHITE, BLACK, OR BROWN, THE DEFINITION ABOVE FITS YOU IF YOU ARE A RACIST!!!!

[solskin]

Right you are. Theses people are uneducated, narrowmined white trash. get a life apart from shooting coones and CLINGING to your bibles. These people are not fit to wipe Mr. Obamas shoes. Jerks

[Scarllatti]

The editor of this useless Nazi news paper needs to and SHALL pay dearly for this. He should get the same treatment he is suggesting for Obama. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

[joy316]

I agree with the "zero tolerance". It is very clear that there are extremely dangerous people who believe they have the right to commit violence against others for no reason other than their "whiteness".

[ElizabethRoss]

Interpreted as incendiary or not, the cover seems to be garnering quite a lot of righteous indignation. Although I am not from the south, I do have some clue about the mindset and inner-workings of white supremacist organizations - had been married to a man who was approached for membership in the KKK, and spent quite a bit of time over the years discouraging youths from involving themselves in white supremacist groups and activities. That said, the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this cover was "well, the truth hurts." I don't envy law enforcement or non-racist law-abiding citizens in that community. Sadly enough, no matter how much someone might wish it so, that cover isn't a suggestion to white supremacists - it just shows something they already considered (or worse, already planned.) All that the furor has done is leave the article out of circulation on the web, apparently, and humiliate a community that honestly needs help - not criticism. Hopefully the white supremacists aren't out there posting ideas for attacks.

[Scarllatti]

Down with all f***kn white supremacists. They all need to see a psychiatrist.

[Philly4Obama]

Sorry, but I don't share your consideration and sympathy. The issue is the paper. THey should not have put that picture on. They could have run a story just fine without it. They deliberately chose to run that picture, and did so with a purpose that is not motivated by their mandate as journalists. As far as i am concerned this is a racist subliminal message to Obama and his movement to not try to change how things work in their little world.

[researcher]

i fear for his safety. always have since he decided to run for pres.

i dont think he knows america that well.

no way racist fascist will not try to go after this guy.

and i am willing to bet if a guy trys will be from the south.

abe should have let them have the south.

[cmeans29]

Obama is aware of the threats. The secret service was assigned to protect Obama earlier than any candidate in history.

There's been very little media coverage on the vandalism that occured at several campaign offices, recently in IN, and threats to campaign workers. The lack of media coverage prevented proliferation.

The Obama campaign just continues to roll, conveying the campaign issues.

And Pat Buchanan wonders why Obama did not campaign agressively in KY and WVA; because Obama listens to his field campaign staff, and they advised him of the hostility.

[prittfumes]

"abe should have let them have the south."

Does this mean you approve of slavery, "researcher"?

[sparkandy]

Does this mean you approve of slavery, "researcher"?

Nah...It just means that researcher is ignorant about the South. Probably too ignorant to know that some of the worst white supremecist crazies are in Indiana and Michigan, not just in the South. All researcher knows about real Southerners is what he/she reads here and sees on TV.

[faust2001]

Thanks for giving Sean Hannity ratings, guys.

[papatag]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE !! ??

UNBELIEVABLE.

Heads should be rolling at the newspaper.
These people should not be in the business of journalism.

LOSERS

[nuglet304]

there's no justifiable reason for a cover like that. regardless of the accompanying story, that picture is appalling.

[mightylou1]

I wonder why the only media representative other than the Huffngton Post, is the African American radio host Michael Blaison firing mad.

I have NOT heard any mention of this on NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, FIX(FOX) ,CNN. This is deplorable, and this has been generated and created by the Clinton Campaign most especially with the latest kinds of statements from Hillary Clinton about the "hard working White People" in WVA & KY.

This is certainly newsworthy and deplorable,so why has the media NOT picked up on this. If this were about Rev. J Wright and the media trying to find dirt on Barack, believe you me the MEDIA would have been fanning this story.

[mamak]

it is in CNN..check it out...

[Scarllatti]

Don't worry. These jerks who wrote this piece are COWARDS. Put the same gun in this face and they will pee in their pants.

[MilesTone]

They might as well put a noose around his neck and put that on the cover of the magazine.

[pad759]

I have to believe that GOD will bring American to it's knees. I pray for Sen. Obama and his family.
The DEVIL is a liar. If GOD wants Sen. Obama to be the President, I know that no DEMON from hell can stop it. So all you so -called Christians you are embracing this hatred will have to answer to GOD for your roles in this.

[TrevorAlan]

Just want to say that Roswell Georgia is the home of the awesome podcast SKEPTICALITY, so not everyone in that town is an idiot.

Aparently just the newspaper editors.

[doug108]

"We knew we were on the provocative edge," Altork said. "But it's a very fair piece, a smart piece."


The fairness of the piece is not what's at issue. It's the damned front page design. Suppose someone put Bush in the crosshairs of a rifle.

And then to have the publisher talk about left wing blogger thuggery is just a dead give away that this is a right wing rag that knows exactly what it was doing.

[nativeeyes]

This is how SOME, I say SOME White fearmongers and haters treat African Americans that want to get into Politics..

They hate that someone else will be in power other than them..



I thank GOD for Progressive White Americans...

You are the True Spirit of World you know..... TREAT IT WITH CARE AND WE ALL WILL PROSPER...

[Fotios]

I live in Roswell, GA and am not pleased with this at all. This is almost as disgusting as the fake UK TV documentary "Death of a President". Luckily I've never seen or read the Roswell Beacon, and I never plan to.

For a little background, Roswell is part of suburban Atlanta and has a large african american and hispanic population. The major paper in the area is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and they are even reporting on the controversy, but as stated in this article, they claim the media attention has had limitied effect. Good thing the Roswell Beacon has had little effect in this area, with this exception.