Unwanted global attention over teen's Bush posting

By LAUREL ROSENHALL
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Once upon a time Julia Wilson dreamed of becoming the next Christina Aguilera, a pop star famous for glamour but not politics. Instead, she's become the next Cindy Sheehan, receiving global attention for displaying her anger at President Bush.

The story of the Sacramento teenager questioned last week by federal agents about her anti-Bush Web page has spread around the world, with newspapers in Egypt, China, Australia and Europe publishing articles about her and national television stations clamoring for interviews.

The 14-year-old McClatchy High School student who posted the words "Kill Bush" _ along with a photo collage showing a cartoon dagger stabbing the president's hand _ on her MySpace page last year was scheduled to be interviewed Tuesday by CNN. She and her father appeared on MSNBC over the weekend and turned down interview requests from Fox News.

Along with the excitement of so much attention, the family has felt the sting of public opinion. The Sacramento Bee story about Julia's experience has generated more than 120,000 online page views and 272 comments from readers. Most of the comments were critical: of the girl for threatening the president, of her parents for not keeping track of their daughter's online activity, of First Amendment watchdogs for questioning whether the agents' investigation was appropriate.

"The negativity has been a bit tough," said Julia's mother, Kirstie Wilson.

Her husband said the public reaction reflects the country's "venomous" political climate.

"It's very disappointing and it's a sign of the times," Jim Moose said. "The political discourse in the country is so vicious. There's no serious debate."

Over the weekend, the America Online Web site posted an Associated Press story about Julia along with a poll asking two questions: Whether the Secret Service was right to question the girl (71 percent said yes) and whether her parents should have been included in the questioning (78 percent said yes). More than 560,000 people responded to the poll.

"This is one of our largest polls since the 2004 election," said AOL spokeswoman Dori Salcido.

The story started Wednesday, when two Secret Service agents showed up at the family's house to question Julia about the anti-Bush page she had moderated on MySpace, the enormously popular social networking site. Kirstie Wilson asked the agents to come back an hour later, when Julia would be home from school.

The agents went to McClatchy High School, pulled Julia out of class and questioned her in the assistant principal's office without her parents present. Julia had already deleted the Web page over the summer. Still, she said, the agents' tough questioning made her cry.

"People have been asking me (if) I think my First Amendment rights are infringed upon. I don't think they are," she said Monday. "I think you can say what you want about people, but when it gets to the point of death threats, that's when it's serious. So yes, I made a mistake."

The spotlight she's been in the last few days is not the kind she'd ever hoped for.

"I kinda had a dream of being famous for being an actress or a singer," Julia said Monday.

"I'm not saying I don't want to be well-known for being involved in politics. I just don't want to be well-known for being the girl who said she wants to assassinate the president."

Upon the advice of a teacher, Julia is using the moment of fame to change her public message. She's moderating a new group on MySpace _ one that promotes world peace.

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Her parents word shed light on her actions.

When I was a kid, my parents would have wrung my neck for openly saying such a stupid thing about anyone, not to mention the President of the United States. They would have told me that, "to disrespect the office of President is a shameful act." But this girl and her vicious web-site get consoling words from her parents. I wonder how her parents would react if someone opened a "Kill Julia Wilson" web-site. Many parents today just don't teach their children to respect anything more than themselves. I realize that she understands the err of her ways but the whole "Poor Julia" bent of this article stinks. It's a sad trend and she, her parents and the media should be ashamed of themselves.

There is no shame in this

There is no shame in this sect of society. I'm sure her parents are some haggard looking sixties retreads who conveniently dropped their disdain for material things in order to get that nice house and car while hanging on to all the convenient and disgusting beliefs of that loathesome movement. Orwell said the next fascist movement won't be called fascist but the opposite. Now I ask you...who in our society "talks" of tolerance while threatening the lives, livelihood and freedoms of those who don't share their beliefs? Think Columbia, Ohio St.(the gay teachers trying to fire the librarian who recommended A BOOK), think conservative actors and actresses who have been basically black listed by the liberal/jewish power structure in our entertainment industry. Why was that editor of Playboy fired again? What is the ideology of the parents who tried to have a teacher fired in 2004 for having a picture of George Bush in the classroom?

Who posts death threats towards George Bush who is not only our president but a husband, father, son and brother? This is a 14 year old girl who's parents sympathize with her plight of suffering the consequences for stupidity, hatred and lacking a little thing called class...I'm sure she picked these traits up from mom and dad....and I bet they're proud of it. I can only hope this culture war comes to blows while I'm young enough to participate.....I clocked one of those "tolerant" types who tried to rip my eyes out for wanting to hear a conservative speaker on a campus and I miss the feeling of punching a "tolerant" liberal.

Huh?

The father complains about the "venomous" political climate. Excuse me, isn't his daughter adding to that with her "kill Bush" comment? But of course, the people criticizing his poor little girl are the bad ones. Libs are so often the ones advocating violence againsh those who disagree with them while admonishing the rest of us to be tolerant.

Needs Help

A 14 year old with such angst at the world. She hasn't even seen the real world yet. Bush does not affect her every day life, and I doubt she knows anyone killed or harmed in Iraq.

some one did something right

Julia evidently has a more developed moral/ethical center than the media or her parents. If she believes what she says, then she knows what she did was wrong and stupid, and has learned her lesson, and accepts the consequences. The media and her parents evidently have not done so. Someone has taught her that there IS right and wrong, but I doubt that it was her parents or the media. So,some one did something right.

(Gramatic and spellling errors are the fault of the auther and public education after moving to the States)

I advocate killing HER

I advocate killing that girl. Hey, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Really, I wonder how she would feel if I started a web site that advocated murdering her.

None of her friends could do it, or they would get kicked out of school. you just can't do that sort of thing. But she seems to think it's ok.

Telling that she won't go on Fox too.

Kill the bitch!

I hope she really does see the err of her ways....

But somehow I doubt it. Fourteen and stating things like that seems like the problem is a lot deeper than I did it - I'm sorry and I really didn't want this kind of attention...ummmm creating a website that can be accessed all around the world...excuse me? She'll be back in the limelight. The dems will go after her like flies on honey and pay her to do it again. Besides investigating her they should take a look at her parents and her teacher. I only wish the Feds would move that fast on other people and issues.

"It's very disappointing and

"It's very disappointing and it's a sign of the times," Jim Moose said. "The political discourse in the country is so vicious. There's no serious debate."

meanwhile his daughter is advocating murder because she disagrees with the current POTUS

No Serious Debate

There's "no serious debate". I'm not sure what this has to do with his daughter's situation unless he is whining that there is no serious debate about whether or not to kill the President, in which case that would explain what appears to be a strong willingness to debate associated with a total lack of understanding and wisdom in the entire family. Perhaps they would be better served to...hold off on serious debating for awhile.

mouthy teen and dunce dad

The dad needs to re-arrange his mind and correct/discipline his daughter. You don't write on a website your desire to eliminate a person, epecially a sitting President. No parent in their right mind would condone this action, if there is rational thinking going on in that space between the ears. For a parent to show no concern about what their child writes in a web blog is moronic.

Just like the double-standard left

Her father complains about the "venomous" political climate because of the responses to his daughter's activities, but there's no thought of the fact that she started it all by posting the "Kill Bush" cartoon.

Who's fault?

Obviously, the fault lies with George Bush! He has only shot the economy through the roof. What with record highs in the stock market...the same stock market that was essentially obliterated 5 years ago. Massive out of control employment, gas and oil prices dropping, no attacks by terrorists on US soil since 9/11, deficit cut in half. Heck, I even paid $800 less in taxes too. Dammit! What are we to do about this rampant good fortune?

Who does GW he think he is, making life better for us all?

(just in case you are liberal..the above is known as "ironic biting humor".

Typical liberal mom & dad...stupid, yet harmful

This is a perfect example of the parents' lack of concern for all except them selves. The perfect example of the "me first" liberals that care not for this country, or you and I. If the daughter was raised in an atmosphere or love and compassion, she would never have posted the web page. But, alas, I know of very few (almost no) liberals that give a crap about anyone but themselves. Hey, mom and dad, politics are not to blame, Bush is not to blame, the war in Iraq is not to blame...you're parenting is...

response to ...

"Typical liberal mom & dad...stupid, yet harmful"

The usual conservative rhetoric.Last time I checked freedom of speech was something that was guaranteed by our constitution.While it may have been unwise to post said page to the internet,since when have pre-teens and teens been known for their wise and sage decisions.you,sir,who posted the article above need to go back to your martini lunches and re-insert your head back where it belongs.It must be missed.
An atmosphere of love and affection inspires honest feeling and thoughts...just like the one that this little girl posted.

of course, the fact that

of course, the fact that there was no terrorist attacks on American soil BEFORE 9/11, and the ONE attack that did occur was--could it be?--in response to his majesty's high-handed ways? Hmm.

"venomous" social climate

I'd say that the youth of the girl attributed to a stupid act--which she now acknowledges as stupid. Lesson Learned.

BUT how does that give the ADULTS responding the right to STOOP to a lower level than she did by turning this comment column into a vicious-comments-against-Julia? Aren't you the ones who are supposed to be setting the example to the youth by responding to their stupidities with gentle but firm corrections? How does her learning curve give YOU the right to avoid doing the right thing?

Shame on you--she didn't know better, but you do.

no the fact is there was a

no the fact is there was a terrorist attack on the WTC in 1993. Obviously you dont know your history.

Wow.....It truly is the sign of the times

Like the girls sandal wearing, tree hugging, granola crunching, flag burning, hippie of a father said...it's the sign of the times.

I could not agree more. Threatening to kill President Bush is certainly fashionable. I am just wondering when it stopped being illegal? Oh that's right. It never did. So why isn't this girl in prison? Well, that's easy. She is a liberal. So are her nutty parents. AND she lives in Sacremento. Of course. It is all so simple when you look at it like that.

I have not heard of this little twit before. And I won't waist another moment on her. I prefer to spend my time thinking about people I admire.

Typical liberal rhetoric

Typical liberal rhetoric about free speech. Of course, as long as it is your speech and it is hate Bush or any conservative. These parents should be ashamed of what has happened and their behavior. It seems that the girl is more mature than the parents, at least she learned something. Atmosphere of love and affection? Sounds more like hate speech. Oh, that's right, hate speech is what liberals live for.

Ditto

Like guy said, in 1993 the WTC was hit. Since apparently Clinton decided this did not warrant a war on terror, the rest of the terrorist world decided to finish the job on 9/11

Way to go Bill.

And while we are at it, let's not stop at the 93 WTC bombing. How about the US Embassies? How about the USS Cole. How about Aquili Lauro. How about...how about and how about....we could go on and on. I got a million of 'em.

Gee, it's so easy beating up on a liberal. Like taking candy from a baby.

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