There’s a fascinating story in the news. One account, in the Post-tribune and written by Danielle Braff, illustrates just how bizarre our society has become.Â
Vikram Buddhi, a Purdue University graduate student wrote in an online message board that he wanted to kill George Bush, Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld. He also wrote calling on his readers to bomb the United States, kill ALL Republicans, and rape and mutilate white women.
Here’s the kicker:Â
Since this is a very busy time for college students, being immersed in studying for their upcoming finals, Buddhi’s attorney John Martin said he hopes his client will be released from jail Wednesday following his detention hearing so he can return to studying.
Buddhi told investigators he posted the message, along with other derogatory messages aimed at the president, but Martin said Buddhi’s actions should be covered by the First Amendment since Buddhi would have never actually carried out his threats.
“What was allegedly said certainly is derogatory and may be inflammatory,†Martin said. “But there’s no real serious threat more than it was chat on the Web.â€
Buddhi is a teaching assistant at Purdue University in the industrial engineering department.
Buddhi was arrested Friday and told investigators he is not suffering from any mental illnesses nor is he taking any illegal or prescription drugs.
How much you want to bet he not only gets off but keeps his job at the university?
Â
Others:Â Random Thoughts of Yet Another Military Member, The Dread Pundit Bluto,
Sphere: Related Content
April 22nd, 2006 at 12:58 pm
The first amendment covers free speech. But people always seem to forget that it is illegal to threaten harm to anyone. Even people they disagree with. You can say you don’t like them, you can disagree with their policies, you can even threaten some civil disobedience, you can even call them names. But when you threaten harm, you step over the line.
Yes, he will likely get off pretty easy- fines and possibly probation. But he will have to jump through a lot of hoops and have his life disrupted to get there.
April 22nd, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Home Sweet Home, I’m afraid you’re right, and it’s too bad. His threats weren’t generalized or vague. They were specific and scary.
April 22nd, 2006 at 4:00 pm
I don’t have any problem with his writing that he wanted to do harm to anyone else, Carol. That’s quite a different thing than saying he was going to harm someone else. However he crossed the line when he exhorted others into doing harm. A call to violence shouldn’t be condones though our legal system is somewhat divided on that issue. Particularly when espoused in the name of religion.
It’s certainly an area with no easy answers since free speach is one of the cornerstones upon which our Republic was founded.
April 22nd, 2006 at 4:39 pm
You’re right, David. He crossed the line when he called others to violence. Thanks for stopping by.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
I think that he was wrong in saying it with the amount of extremism he said it…He is not protected completely by the first amendment because of slander. AND interestingly enough, he is NOT going to get off easy, if fact, they aren’t even giving him the opportunity to get bail. Another potential problem for the dude is that many of the white extremist groups in West Lafayette, IN (where Purdue is located) have issued a threat that if he comes out of jail, then they will shoot him…
September 14th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
May 5th, 2007 at 8:43 am
June 25th, 2007 at 7:57 am
This guy is not a US Citizen so why does he have any Constitutional Rights? First Ammendment? Please It’s not the Indian Constitution he is hiding behind it’s the US Constitution he wants to protect him after threatning US Citizens (Prez or not…. This dude should have the book thrown at him and shipped straight back to where he came from.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Goddamn, who cares? It’s quite obvious that this guy was not a threat at all. Threats like this should only be presented as something besides free speech when there is already previous inclination and other evidence to indicate that someone is seriously planning something. He was just raving and pissed off, most likely. The ‘calling on other nationals’ seems a bit extremist, but unless they could actually link him to a terrorist group, it means nothing. It may be ideal to have nobody threatening anyone, but once you pass certain restrictions on free speech, you have just started a downward trend.
November 7th, 2008 at 3:17 pm