Meet the Obama Death Tweeter Who Will Be Arrested Today
Maybe not today, but very soon! His name is Jay Martin and he has spent the evening making sure everyone on Twitter knows he is "dead fucking serious" about wishing death upon Barack Obama. Updated with comment from Martin
Earlier today you met Solly Forrell, the conservative blogger now under investigation by the Secret Service for threatening Obama on Twitter. Well, here's another Twitter user helping to keep the Secret Service busy with his own death threats. According to his Facebook page, Jay Martin graduated from Vatterott College last year with an IT degree and currently resides in Federal Way, WA. His About Me Page says: "Socially aware, Deep thinker, Artistic, Hip Hop Aficionado, free thinker, Funny Guy." Oh, and he really, seriously, honestly, wants to kill President Barack Obama. (Thanks for the add, Jay!)
It started with this dispatch from Martin's Twitter account, inspired by last night's health care vote:
After a bunch of users were like, WTF? Are you serious? Martin responded:
But, like, seriously, Jay Martin. Do you REALLY want to kill Barack Obama? Please erase all doubt from our mind:
Yikes, OK. Um. We'll give you one more chance... You say you're a "funny guy." So this is just a really, really tasteless joke. Right? RIGHT!?
Well! Hope you have a good lawyer. You will definitely need it.
Although, Jay Martin is actually pretty excited about his impending legal troubles!
You may say you "didn't do anything wrong," but the law—specifically 18 USC Sec. 871:
—does not agree with you. Jezebel already went over this!
Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
When asked for comment via Twitter, Martin responded.
Well, no. Honestly, we wanted to give you one last chance to say anything that might convince us and the authorities you are just some idiot kid pounding randomly on a keyboard rather than an idiot kid who is actually issuing serious death threats against the president via Twitter. We will remind you that Forrell is currently under investigation by the Secret Service for saying way less.
Update: We managed to reach a fiercely back-pedaling Jay Martin on Facebook and he had this to say:
GAWKER: Why were you tweeting death threats against Obama tonight?
MARTIN: Eh.. I have no excuse for that. I don't really wish death on him or anyone else
I was just being irrational and speaking on raw emotion But there's no EXCUSE..I did it.. and yea.
GAWKER: So when you said you were "dead serious" about wanting Obama dead what did you mean? Were you joking?
MARTIN: No.. I wasn't joking. Thats not something you joke about. Again.. I was highly upset and speaking out of anger. I did not mean what I said though.
GAWKER: What about the legal aspect?
MARTIN: As far as the FBI? I don't really care about them. I said what I said.. And if they take action then so be it.
GAWKER: Were you aware of how serious what you were doing could be? You're not worried at all about the fact that you could be facing jail time?
MARTIN: No I am Not. And I did not think about consequences. Again..I was speaking out of anger and acted irrationally. Had I been in a rational mind set.. I would not have said it
GAWKER: so do you regret saying it?
JAY: Yes. But not because he's the president.. and not because Of possible jail time. As I said . I don't wish death on anyone. So yes. I regret threatening another person to that extreme... If I could take it back. I would. But i can't. So I'm willing to face whatever comes next.
GAWKER: So you were speaking out of anger. What prompted your anger I'm guessing the health care vote?
JAY: Yes. And my beliefs on it from what I have researched.
GAWKER: Would you consider yourself a Conservative?
JAY: I'm not political. I don't believe our Government has its citizen's best interest in mind whether Democrat or Republican.
GAWKER: OK, so that's why you're against the health care bill.
JAY: Basically yes.
So, there you have it: Jay Martin, perhaps the world's first black Teabagger? Anyway, thanks for talking with us, Jay. We are fairly convinced that you do not want to kill Obama, but you're still in a shitload of trouble. Hopefully we have all learned a lesson about how far away we should be from our keyboards while being utter fucktards. (Far.)
Hey, FBI, here's your guy!