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

[MaineMike]

Here is some more info on the publisher, John Fredericks:

http://www.beaconcast.com/categories/20070614_5

[MRb1000]

I hope this will not divide our country. Hillary and Bill Clinton are trying to divided the country. I thought the republicans would try this, but no it is Bill and Hillary Clinton. Now, we know who is the worst persons in the world!!

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Come on now. I live in Georgia...­.granted, inside the perimeter. (Look it up if curious). How the hell you can blame this on the Clintons is far, far beyond me. My god...do you truly think the racism was never present until the Clintons came on the scene? You are a very sick person. I used to live in the area this paper represents. I now live south of the city, in a completely diverse community. Down here, we call the Roswell/Alpharetta area "whiteyville". They are appalled now because we have a very afluent black population that can afford the very upscale homes that are up there. They do NOT like black folk and surely don't want them as neighbors. This has NOTHING to do with the Clintons.

[oommoore]

When Barack O. didn't go to W. Va, a close friend of mine pointed out to me that it probably wasn't the safest place for him to be. When he didn't go to Kentucky, she repeated her comment. After seeing this cover page, who would dare disagree with the argument that his safety may have been at risk. I am so disgusted with these morons I could barf. What year is it again? What the heck were they thinking?

[tiredofhillary]

I had the exact same thoughts about Sen. Obama going to WV and KY. The truth is, this country still has a long way to go. I would understand him not going to certain states. He isn't an idiot. Bush took that title.

[kesiac]

I never questioned why he didnt go. To me it was obvious, he wouldnt be safe.

[Sparklez]

+1 on that one

[9Leon]

Obama has gone to both VW and KY, he appears to have great (although small in number) supporters in each of these states. This cover image just makes my skin crawl.

[biglover]

I have been and still am worried about his safety and from what I hear about our wonderful secret service, I don't trust them either.

[Mayoyo]

I pray for him every day....
And Yes, the people who are protecting him are a bunch of racists...­God help him

[xmw]

TO YOUR POINT, MY SISTER AND I WERE TALKING AND INSTEAD OF JUDGING HIM FOR NOT GOING TO THOSE STATES WE DECIDED THAT HE IS A SMART STRATEGIST AND THAT THE RISKS PROBABLY OUTWEIGHED THE REWARDS.

[Grannysue]

We already know Obama won't get the REDNECK vote, who cares, these people are living back in the 30's anyway, they choose to stay ignorant and deviseve no matter the conquence to our Country, yet I'm just real sure they all wear FLAG PINS!

[2351]

Yes, they all wear flag pins and talk about what fine christians they are. Amazing, isn't it? It is really sad to watch a person call themselves christians and then spew out so much hatred. I wonder how it feels to really think that you, as a human being, are so much more superior to others because you are different from those you call inferior. This is why many people no longer go to church. Too many hypocrits sitting up in there praying and asking God to help them mistreat others.

[Tommygun264]

While visiting family in Florida back in 1996, I stopped a sporting goods and gun shop in the little town of Newberry, Florida. There was a poster taped up in the front window of President Clinton with similar image of the cross hairs of a gun sight trained on his face. I went into the shop and asked the man behind the counter if it was wise, let alone legal, to have a poster which clearly promoted the assassination of the President of the United States. He just smiled and told me that he was simply exercising his First Amendment rights and if anyone tried to take the poster down he would exercise his Second Amendment rights. Can you imaging the uproar there would be if someone put out a poster showing George W. Bush with cross hairs trained on him?

This kind of callous imagery is nothing new, especially in the deep South. The question is whether or not it is going to be tolerated.

[rh654]

Sometimes I THANK GOD I have no connections to the South at all...

[Hare]

I e- mailed John Fredericks Publisher of the Roswell Beacon, the Alpharetta Beacon, the Milton Beacon and Beaconcast.com. He went tp

[CaptainObvious]

Isn't this illegal? Free speech only goes so far - if I was to call them up and tell them that I intended to toss a few molotov cocktails through their windows, I would be arrested.

[Indoboy7]

This only proves that there ALWAYS will be people who think that changing once mind/attitude on any subject is a sign of weakness.A truly EDUCATED person will know that it is a sign of strength instead...­It's people like THAT Obama has in mind when he talks about education.­These are the kind of people who think that a High School diploma really gets a person ready to compete in this new world in 2008.Anyon­e who still has a problem getting beyond a person's race must feel in their gut (while they refuse to acknowledge it in their head) that they need to join America in this year 2008 by cleaning out the cobwebs that keep racism tucked away in some remote corner of their mind .A deeper study of their religious tenets could also help them get over their feelings of inadequacy about race..

[kcnativnla]

When I would tell some of my white and Asian friends about the rampant racism that I have to endure on a daily basis, many of them would say "no way!", or "that doesn't happen in America!"

It's sad, but if nothing else, Obama's candidacy is going to highlight the fact that in MUCH of the United States, A LOT of work is still left to finish.

[timeforachangenow]

so has anybody stopped to consider what might happen should this scenario occur...

what happens if things get a little out of hand...


and the party in power...th­e Repubs...

decide to declare martial law or suspend the election..­...

you dont think that could REALLY happen ...


do you????

[xmw]

I PUT NOTHING PAST THE REPUBLICANS.

[scorpioleidy]

And didn't Mike Huckabee get away with hinting at this kind of thing just last week?

[4Quarters]

Do you know that there was a black man that won the mayor seat in a small town in L.A. in Nov,2006 and was killed before he got to start in Dec 2006.

[moda31]

it's outrageous that they chose such an unnecessarily inflammatory cover, the article itself is actually addressing an important issue and sadly it's being overshadowed by the controversy over the cover.

[nene]

I am saddened by what this article depicts but I am not shocked. Being a black person born and raised in the south, all I have to say is now the rest of the country sees what we have to live with every day. Maybe we can now bring an end to this type of ignorance. Because where I live about once or twice a year we hear on the news of a black person getting lynched or dragged just cause they are black and no other reason. People here still throw rocks and black kids just because they are black. So this image doesn't surprise me, it just saddens me.

[4Quarters]

As a black man in America. I must say there are a lot of racist whites in the country but after reading Huffingtonpost, there are not as many as I thought. I would like to thank those whites, especially white males that see humans, that see individualism. We as a people "got your back" if you got ours and willing to have your back before looking to see if you have ours. We have bad apples as well.

Many say when we experience underhand racism, we are just complaining or it does not exist.

There are so many blacks that would love to vote for Obama but will not because they think he will be killed...t­here only reason. I figured he knew that going in why let that hold you back. That fear is 400 years old.
But hey..he is just as much white as black..ama­zing....so amazing that those haters do not see that.

[ChicagoDMT]

proud to have your back.