Racism rears its head in American elections
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Senator Barack Obama
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MIAMI, Florida-A man remains in the custody of Secret Service agents after classmates heard him make threats on the life of Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. Upon investigation it was discovered the suspect possessed several deadly weapons, which he claimed were for training and protection purposes.
Raymond Hunter Geisel, a 22-year-old white Maine resident who was attending a bail bondsman’s training course in Florida was arrested and held without bail after several classmates heard him use a racial epithet in reference to Obama and say, “If he gets elected, I'll assassinate him myself”.
Upon being informed of Geisel’s comments, Secret Service agents acted quickly to detain him in a Miami detention center without opportunity for release. Reports state that Obama had been campaigning through Florida a day before Geisel was arrested on August 2.
An affidavit filed by the Secret Service states that a search of Geisel’s vehicle and hotel room revealed a 9-mm pistol, several rounds of armor-piercing ammunition, red and yellow emergency lights wired in his vehicle, body armor, a machete and two canisters of tear gas.
Interviews with Geisel’s classmates also revealed that he said “he hated George W. Bush and that he wanted to put a bullet in the president's head,” but no charges were levied against the man for those comments.
According to the report, investigations had not revealed any steps taken by the perpetrator to act upon the assassination threats, but authorities were still taking the incident ‘very seriously’. ~~Adz:Right~~
Geisel told the Secret Service that he did not recall making the comments about Senator Obama and President Bush, but if he ‘wanted to kill Senator Obama he would simply shoot him with a sniper rifle’.
The suspect later retracted the statement and said it was “only a joke”.
Special Agent Charles R. Adie stated that Geisel “generally provided no excuse” for having the weapons in his possession.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen T. Brown ordered that Geisel be held in jail until his August 18 trial, citing that he was a high risk criminal that would likely flee the Florida area before his court date. A maximum sentence of five years in prison can be levied against a person for making threats against any major candidate for president or vice president.
During interrogation Geisel claimed that he suffered from several psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress syndrome, but was unable to provide the names of any facilities where he had sought treatment for these conditions.
The Obama campaign has not issued any official response to the incident.
