Hal Turner, Talk Radio Host, Facing Charges For Inciting Violence Against Officials
Things don't appear to be going to well for New Jersey internet radio host and white supremacy-enthusiast Hal Turner. The onetime candidate for Congress and inveterate threatener of public officials has run afoul of the law, and will face charges in Connecticut. The Hartford Courant has the news:
Turner, who has been identified as a white supremacist and anti-Semite by several anti-racism groups, hosts an Internet radio program with an associated blog. On Tuesday, the blog included a post that promised to release the home addresses of state Rep. Michael Lawlor, state Sen. Andrew McDonald and Thomas Jones of the State Ethics Office.
"Mr. Turner's comments are above and beyond the threshold of free speech," Capitol Police Chief Michael J. Fallon said in an e-mail announcing the warrant. "He is inciting others through his website to commit acts of violence and has created fear and alarm. He should be held accountable for his conduct."The remarks on the blog were a reaction to the recent controversy over a bill that would have changed the way the Roman Catholic Church is governed, taking power away from church officials and turning it over to lay members. It was pulled in mid-March following an outcry from Catholics across the state and questions about its constitutionality.
The comments in question included, "It is our intent to foment direct action against these individuals personally. These beastly government officials should be made an example of as a warning to others in government: Obey the Constitution or die," and "If any state attorney, police department or court thinks they're going to get uppity with us about this, I suspect we have enough bullets to put them down, too."
These sorts of threats of impending violence are nothing new to Turner.
In December of 2006, Turner called for political assassinations:
"We may have to ASSASSINATE some of the people you elect on Nov. 7! This could be your LAST ELECTION CHANCE, to save this Republic... Sorry to have to be so blunt, but the country is in mortal danger from our present government and our liberty is already near dead because of this government. If you are too stupid to turn things around with your vote, there are people out here like me who are willing to turn things around with guns, force and violence. We hope our method does not become necessary."
In March of 2008, when Sean Hannity was confronted with having been previously associated with Turner, Hannity's forceful denials seemed to anger a betrayed Turner:
I was quite disappointed when Sean Hannity at first tried to say he didn't know me and then went on to say that I ran some senate campaign in New Jersey. In fact, Sean Hannity does know me and we were quite friendly a number of years ago.
Turner went on to threaten: "Another big difference is that I am perfectly willing to use force and violence against my enemies while Sean Hannity and others are not. Those using me as a prop to attack Sean Hannity would do well to remember this fact."
A month later, Turner was inciting violence against Paul B. Ash, the Lexington, Massachusetts superintendent of schools:
"I advocate parents using FORCE AND VIOLENCE against Superintendent Paul B. Ash as a method of defending the health and safety of school children presently being endangered through his politically-correct indoctrination into deadly, disease-ridden sodomite lifestyles."
The Courant reports that Turner will be in a New Jersey court today for extradition proceedings.
MORE:
Internet Radio Host Hal Turner Faces Connecticut Charges [Hartford Courant]
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First Posted: 06- 4-09 11:44 AM | Updated: 07- 5-09 05:12 AM