Is Harassment of Public Figures Acceptable: Your Sincere Opinion

[The Industrial Atheist]

Being harassed as they do their public job is an occupational hazard. They should know that coming in. I find it distasteful to mess with people's personal lives.

[Aegon]

So if a protester attends a rally intent on heckling, creating a disturbance, attempting to physically assault the president by throwing things at him people should stand-by a watch? I'm not sure if they are truly comparable but certainly worthy of consideration. Thank you for your examples.

I mean, like I said, the protester that was assaulted because of Trump's words wasn't going to assault the President. No tomato in his hand. Sure, he went intent on heckling and creating a disturbance. Is that justification for violence?

[johan]

Public figures are by definition, well, public. You do give up a certain amount of anonymity and privacy in exchange for being someone who is known to John Q public. So you should expect people to approach you anytime you're in public. That's just part of the gig. That being said, actual harassment is always wrong and the harassee being a public figure you happen to not like or agree with does not make harassment acceptable. It just makes the person doing the harassing an asshole.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Sure, he went intent on heckling and creating a disturbance. Is that justification for violence?

No, it is not. I would compare Trump's statement to Obama's about "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun." and "argue with your neighbors and get in their faces". Examples and counter examples of hyperbolic rhetoric are not what I am trying to discuss. Each side thinks the other sides offense and provocations are the worse. I'm also not talking about politically charged people at rallies, or while protesting, or at demonstrations getting into altercations unless they have actually organized to do so. I'm talking about activists stalking and confronting notable public officials who are engaged in their private daily activities.

[Amarok]

Totally laughable wooter

[The Grand Nudger]

My sincere opinion, is that the rightwing grievance complex has become a parody of itself.

[Fireball]

My sincere opinion, is that the rightwing grievance complex has become a parody of itself.

It has its roots in the xtian persecution complex. You know, the persecuted majority of the population that is xtain and has a church of one stripe or another on just about every block? 

[Angrboda]

The left feels disenfranchised. Whether they have reason to feel that way is another matter. What is justifiable under such condition changes from the norm. I think the Tea Party calls to violence were equally as problematic. And they likely stemmed from the same source.

[vorlon13]

The left feels disenfranchised because they didn't bother to go out and vote.

[Amarok]

A great many did