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The modern news consumer ignores Weblogs and online citizen journalism at his own peril. But not everyone has the time to keep track of what's going on the Web. With this blog we hope to track the highlights of what's being discussed online so when news breaks from the Web, we're ready.

Will Femia is a Weblog enthusiast who, through good fortune and dumb luck, was introduced to the form as his position as chat producer for MSNBC.com careered into obsolescence. On any given day, Will can be found having already spent an unhealthy amount of time squinting at a computer screen.

Send a message to Will at spotter@msnbc.com



That video of the kid threatening to kill the president

Posted: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 11:47 PM by Will Femia
Filed Under:

NOTE: Lot of cursing in the following links, even from the kid. Engage headphones.

In what appears to have begun as a YouTube video that was taken down and is now hosted on a hip hop site and a variety of other places, a kid rambles for nearly ten minutes about his intention to kill the president and maybe himself too. UPDATE: the video has been taken down. No one seems to want to host this hot potato. UPDATE: Found it in pieces on UK YouTube. I wonder if the UK site doesn't answer to the same laws or maybe they just haven't caught up to it yet.

It's hard to get too worked up about a kid being an idiot on a Web cam and I definitely don't look forward to the possibility of having to watch this played in loops on TV but it's hard to ignore the issues it raises, from matters of race (the kid is black) to the role of spree killers in American culture.

What else makes it noteworthy is the degree to which is has a certain political segment worked up. A quick look at Blogrunner shows the story has made the rounds of some very prominent right wing blogs and online commentary. And yet it doesn't appear to have cracked the mainstream media. If nothing else it's a classic example of how different political cultures arrive at such different perspectives. They're responding to different news.

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Comments

It's sad that this child is clearly being influenced by someone. At his age he doesn't understand the economy, recession, the Iraq war, etc. to have so much anger towards our president. Either that or like most kids today it's 'cool' to threaten people's lives.

Norma, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:01 AM)

This needs to be addressed by the media and the Government. If more of this goes on, then it is going to explode out of proportion. What country do we live in that this goes on? Insane.

Michael Lathwood Salisbury, MD (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:28 AM)

It's illegal to threaten the president, the people who produced this (and I include whoever gave the kid what to say most specifically) know that, and they used him because they figure they can get away with it if they use a minor.  Don't let em, I say.  Find who made it, find who posted it, and find who hosted it.  They put their stupid watermark on it- that should make it easy.

Todd H., Atlanta, GA (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:41 AM)

Your video link doesn't seem to be working right now.

Natasha, Port St. Joe, FL (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:51 AM)

you should also point out the slightly NSFW image that pops up in the bottom of the naked woman.

JD Washington D.C. (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 10:39 AM)



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