Reply #3: I think King's point resonates

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Last election, conservatives, led by Palin and emboldened by McCain's silence, attempted to label Barack Obama as outside the American mainstream -- even as a foreigner. The rhetoric from Palin actually accused Mr. Obama of being associated with terrorists. I can't read Palin's silly mind, but I do know that it doesn't take much for some folks out there who have already become convinced that the government is somehow the 'enemy' to draw a line between their paranoia and the threat she was claiming our Democratic candidate posed the country.

Knowing someone has threatened the President, whether you think they have the means or not, and neglecting to report it can constitute a serious crime. Worse than that, that silence (or, in the conservatives' case, their inflammatory rhetoric) could very well lead to a tragedy.