Mayor Apologizes For Kids “Assassinate Obama” Chant
The mayor Rexburg, Idaho, where second- and third-grade students on a school bus chanted “assassinate Obama!” after the election, has publicly apologized, saying there’s no excuse for such behavior.
The Associated Press article below explains that Idaho voters overwhelmingly favored Republican John McCain in the presidential election and in Madison County, where Rexburg is located, 85 percent of voters chose McCain over Barack Obama. It is also believed by many to be the “reddest county” in America.
Still…why are second and third graders chanting this in the first place???
From the Associated Press:
Rexburg Mayor Shawn Larsen wrote in a guest editorial sent Tuesday to local newspapers that he was saddened by the notoriety his community had received over the incident, both across the United States and abroad.
Larsen told The Associated Press that a formal response to the incident in his city was sorely needed.
“When people don’t stand up and say, ‘That’s not appropriate, that’s wrong, and those are hateful remarks,’ it’s almost like they are saying that it’s an OK thing to do. And it’s not,” he said. “The mayor doesn’t have any authority over the school system, but I do think it reflects upon the community.”
In his editorial, Larsen recounted seeing Barack Obama speak in Washington, D.C., in early 2006 about his faith and how his upbringing had influenced his policies and his priorities. Larsen said he left the event inspired.
“I am extremely sorry that this incident occurred, and I do not believe that it reflects the values which make our community a great place to live and raise a family,” Larsen wrote. “Parents must realize that things said in anger or even in jest can have lasting repercussions not only damaging young hearts and minds, but a city’s reputation.”
This entry was posted on November 19, 2008 at 11:10 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: Assassinate Obama, Barack Obama, Biden, Blue State, Democrat, Election, Joe Biden, John McCain, Madison County, Mayor Apology, McCain, Obama, Palin, Red State, Republican, Rexburg, Rexburg Mayor, Rexburg Obama, Sarah Palin, Shawn Larsen
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