After the horrendous shooting in Tucson, we now see great hand wringing and tear shedding on Capitol Hill and in the media. All quarters are lamenting the “loss of political civility” and the “culture of violent rhetoric”, which may have a tendency to “incite violence”. No kidding!

Well, folks, here is a selection of quotes from the last month or so. To my knowledge, nobody got fired (or even in trouble) for making these comments:

“Headline: Assassinate Assange? Body: Julian Assange poses a clear and present danger to American national security … The administration must take care of the problem – effectively and permanently.”
JEFFREY KUHNER (Washington Times columnist) [Link]

“Julian Assange is not an American citizen and he has no constitutional rights. So, there’s no reason that the CIA can’t kill him. Moreover, ask yourself a simple question: If Julian Assange is shot in the head tomorrow or if his car is blown up when he turns the key, what message do you think that would send about releasing sensitive American data?” – JOHN HAWKINS (Blogger) [Link]

“Headline: The CIA Should Kill Julian Assange” – JOHN HAWKINS (Blogger) [Link]

“Julian Assange is a cyber terrorist in wartime, he’s guilty of sabotage, espionage, crimes against humanity — he should be killed, but we won’t do that.” – RALPH PETERS (U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and author) [Link]

“I do not believe in leaks. I would execute leakers. They’re betraying our country.” – RALPH PETERS (U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and author) [Link]

“Folks like Julian Assange should be targeted as terrorists. They should be captured and kept in Guantanamo Bay, or killed.” – STEVE GILL (radio host) [Link]

“Back in the old days when men were men and countries were countries, this guy would die of lead poisoning from a bullet in the brain.” – RUSH LIMBAUGH (radio talk show host) [Link]

“This guy Assange could have been stopped, come on, folks. People have been shot for far less than this.” – RUSH LIMBAUGH (radio talk show host) [Link]

“(laughing) Ah, folks, even Greg Palkot of Fox News interviewed Assange, which means that Roger Ailes knows where he is. Ailes knows where Assange is. Give Ailes the order and there is no Assange, I’ll guarantee you, and there will be no fingerprints on it.” – RUSH LIMBAUGH (talk show host) [Link]

“Why can’t we act forcefully against WikiLeaks? Why can’t we use our various assets to harass, snatch or neutralize Julian Assange and his collaborators, wherever they are?” – WILLIAM KRISTOL (Editor of the Weekly Standard) [Link]

“This fellow Anwar al-Awlaki – a joint U.S. citizen hiding out in Yemen – is on a ‘kill list’ [for inciting terrorism against the U.S.]. Mr. Assange should be put on the same list.” – G. GORDON LIDDY (Former White House Adviser, talk show host) [Link]

“If convicted, [Bradley Manning] should be placed against a wall and executed by firing squad. (If extradited here, Assange deserves the same sendoff.)” – DEROY MURDOCK (Columnist for National Review) [Link]

“I’d like to ask a simple question: Why isn’t Julian Assange dead? …Why wasn’t Assange garroted in his hotel room years ago? It’s a serious question.” – JOHAN GOLDBERG (Editor-at-large of National Review Online) [Link]

“I won’t think twice if Julian Assange meets the cold blade of an assassin, and apparently a significant number of others don’t care for the guy.” DONALD DOUGLAS (Blogger) [Link]

“Julian Assange should be targeted like the Taliban.” – SARAH PALIN (Former US Vice Presidential Candidate) [Link]

“A dead man can’t leak stuff…This guy’s a traitor, he’s treasonous, and he has broken every law of the United States. And I’m not for the death penalty, so…there’s only one way to do it: illegally shoot the son of a bitch.” – BOB BECKEL (FOX News commentator) [Link]

“[Assange] should be underground — six feet underground. … He should be put in jail or worse, hanged in a public forum.” – ERIC BOLLING (FOX News commentator) [Link]

“Assange is a terrorist, an enemy combatant, and needs to be traed as such.” TODD SCHNITT (Radio Host) [Link]

Reinhard Kargl

Journalist and media professional currently based in Los Angeles, California. Focusing on science and technology.