Crusader War College

William Hagan at Insight Magazine is worried that Obama's not taking advantage of the protection he deserves as a Presidential candidate:

At a recent appearance in Atlanta, Sen. Barack Obama drew a crowd of 20,000 supporters to hear him speak at an open air venue. As the first African-American in history to have a real chance at winning our presidency, Obama is tempting fate as a high profile assassination target for numerous individuals.

Despite his high visibility, during his speech in Atlanta most of the cardinal rules of VIP security were violated. First, he spoke to a crowd of 20,000 people who had not been screened for weapons. Next, he spoke on a field which was surrounded by buildings that were a perfect vantage point for any sniper. It is likely that Obama has private security and it is also apparent that they don’t have a clue as to what they are doing. The nation received a clear lesson in the failure of private security protecting presidential candidates when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated after declining police protection in 1968. Like Kennedy, Obama could easily be targeted by an individual who, for whatever deranged reason, might want to see him off the ticket for good, and his current lack of security is almost courting this tragic, and historically predictable, result.

The question is: Who is to blame for this lack of security? There is no doubt who would be the first to be called to task if tragedy befell Obama. Every pundit in the nation would point their sharpened swords at the United States Secret Service. However, the Secret Service would not be to blame. Candidate Obama, despite being a clear potential target for assassination, has ignored his own personal security. Presidential front-runners like Obama can obtain Secret Service protection after meeting some minor requirements, but first they must ask for that protection; it cannot be forced upon them. As of Monday April 16th, Obama’s campaign had not requested Secret Service protection.

I personally think Obama is an artfully promoted airhead who has no business even thinking of being President of the United States. Nevertheless, he has a large enough following of my fellow American citizens to merit being voted upon. I agree with Mr. Hagan that that vote should be with ballots, not a bullet, and that he should ask for Secret Service protection.