Bear cub shot, draped with Obama signs, and dumped at Western Carolina University

The CUTEST little bear!, originally uploaded by ucumari.

A bear cub was found shot in the head, draped with two Obama/Biden signs and dumped on the campus of Western Carolina University, the Asheville Citizen Times reports.

Tim Johnson, chief of the university police, described the scene:

“It looked like it had been shot in the head as best we can tell. A couple of Obama campaign signs had been stapled together and stuck over
its head,” Johnson said.

University police called in N.C. Wildlife Resources officials to remove the body and help in the investigation. Bear season is currently under way in Western North Carolina.

“This is certainly unacceptable,” Johnson said.“Someone was wanting to draw attention to the election. If we find out who they are, we’ll make sure they’ll get some attention themselves.” [ACT]

Obama has been campaigning in the Carolinas recently. As has McCain...

Props to mediaprof at DailyKos for tracking down a source for this story.

Comments

[Norman Costa]

With apologies, I am repeating my comment from Lindsay's prior post on tire slashing.

"My prediction is that the hostility and aggressive behavior on the part of McCain supporters will get worse as the election nears. The greater the desperation of the McCain campaign, the greater will be the unfortunate consequences of desperate acts that aim to hurt or destroy. The gross mischief, begot of high emotions and lack of self-control, will give way to intentions of doing great harm and then realizing them.

Of course, it's deplorable when either side demonstrates ill behavior. But, I agree with the comment above that McCain and Palin have stoked the flames and incited in a way that I haven't seen in a long time.

There is nothing wrong, on its face, with being called a socialist. Eugene V. Debs would have reveled in it. The problem is that the term becomes a label of opprobrium and it is hurled with insult and incitement. It's one thing, simply, to say it about Obama. It's another thing to use it to denounce him with great accusation."

[Alon Levy]

Some wingnuts really are trying to help Obama win, it seems.

[swampcracker]

Taking it out on an innocent animal ... unforgivable ... and frankly very disturbed behavior ... worthy of a court-ordered psychiatric exam.

[ol cranky]

I'm sorry that's reprehensible

[Lesley]

I guess they're taking their cue from the gal who supports shooting wildlife from helicopters, though what this is symbolic of (besides their sociopathic rage) is anyone's guess.

America appears to have more village idiots though, and they're not as cute as they used to be.

[Norman Costa]

WITH APOLOGIES, AGAIN

Here's a comment of mine from 10/11/2008 re: Obama haters in Ohio.

".... The bad news is we're soon going to be treated to a mass political tantrum as previously unimaginable in modern-day America as another Great Depression. And I'm very afraid we're going to end up with people getting hurt, or killed." Posted by: Cass | October 11, 2008 at 11:22 AM

"Cass,

"David Gergen said the same thing. [Later this was echoed by other political reporters who covered McCain-Palin rallies.] What gives? Is this a coincidental prescience, or a collective overreaction? With sincerity I ask, Really?

"I was always afraid that the nomination of either Hillary or Barack would bring the crazies out from the woodwork. These would have been, I thought, people who were easily identified as dyed-in-the-wool extremists. Now I have to ask, are Joe and Josie six pack becoming deluded, unbalanced, and hysterical? Are there microcosmic bubbles of group hate that could burst here and there?

"I really do not like thinking more about this because I may come to the conclusion that more than a few incipient aggressors are identifying with John McCain's raging hostility, erratic and teetering opinions, rash actions, and an inability to maintain focus and balance.

"I've written before about my personal view that John McCain manifests symptoms of PTSD as a result of his years of torture and deprivation as a POW. This was added to a personality that was already oppositional and defiant.

"The two principal symptoms I see are his history of rage, and episodes of dissociation. The rage is well documented. More recently, I see dissociation in his personal pleas to respect Barack Obama as a reasonable and good person [which I believe is McCain's heartfelt view], while at the same time creating fear that Obama will bring explicit sex education to first graders, creating fear that terrorists might follow him into the White House, and creating fear that Obama is erratic and unbalanced.

"There is more here that smear politics as usual. Smear was usually left to operatives and leaks. McCain, himself, is slinging the mud, and alternating this dissociated form of McCain with a nicer, but equally dissociated, persona.

"Being angry and two-faced [insofar as they are manifestations of PTSD] do not disqualify a candidate for political office - not even for the Presidency. The question here is whether there are projection and identification going back and forth between McCain and enough of his [fringe] supporters that could result in personal decomposition and [then] violence against the other side? I do not have an answer, but I do worry."

[Valerie]

I would LOVE to shoot whoever did this in the head about 1000 times VERY slowly the rat b*st*rds

[pseudonymous in nc]

I was in line with a group of WCU students who'd driven up from Cullowhee in the small hours to see Obama in Asheville. They talked a little about the tension between the students and the locals. To put it in context, it's a fairly large campus (10,000 students) in the middle of what I'll politely describe as 'Deliverance Country'. It's not quite Eric Rudolph Country, but it's not that far away.

Let's just say that the fuckers who did this are likely going to blab about it to their buddies, and they'll get caught that way.

One other point: if things like this were happening in, say, a Latin American country, there'd be calls for international election monitors. American elections make the country look very backward.

[pseudonymous in nc]

Plus, if you want to get a sense of the local bear population in WNC, here are a couple of photos.

[LauraJMixon]

How awful. And yes, mentally disturbed.

[Zoidie]

Sick sons of bitches.....

Great demonstration of patriotism.

Makes me ill...

[Zoidie]

Sick sons of bitches.....

Great demonstration of patriotism.

Makes me ill...

[parse]

I would LOVE to shoot whoever did this in the head about 1000 times VERY slowly the rat b*st*rds

I never know quite how to take people who demonstrate their moral superiority over brutal thugs by promising that they could be more brutal still. I don't think I'm meant to believe that Valerie actually would kill these idiots as painfully as possible, but exactly what message is she trying to send? Is it that the truly evolved individual is one who can revert back to savagery in time of extreme provocation?

[Valerie]

You are right Zoidie, I do not have it in me to mistreat any living being, even people. I say these things in times of extreme anger and killing innocent animals for no good reason other then killing does make me very angry.
Point well taken

[Capt.. Fogg]

I'm surprised that none of the Fair and Unbalanced has arrived to inform us that some Clinton supporter once clubbed a baby seal and so we are just reprehensible for bringing this up.

Perhaps it's hard to blame Palin for this, or McCain, but it does tend to show what kind of people are most passionate about those candidates. Don't forget how Palin has participated in public disruptions at abortion clinics and how those people she pals around with have murdered people who work there and made terrorist attacks against innocent people. If I were as mentally disordered and dishonest as the Palinistas I might argue that she does indeed pal around with terrorists who attack and kill Americans.

[lin]

RIP BEAR CUB
MCCAIN PALIN '08

[Begonia Buzzkill]

Hmm, For the local rubes in an nterview on local TV....Mr. Johnson said he has "no idea" what the motive for the killing or putting the signs on the body would be.

www.wyff4.com/news/17764161/detail.html#-

Maybe if it was a white bear, he could figure it out?

[Begonia Buzzkill]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/17764161/detail.html#-

correcting TV link to Mr. "NO CLUE" Johnson

[pseudonymous in nc]

Mr. Johnson said he has "no idea" what the motive for the killing or putting the signs on the body would be.

Judging from his statements to local press today, Barney Fife Johnson would have trouble catching criminals who stole his pants while he was wearing them.

[Pyro]

If this is what the McPalin campaign sees as what "real Americans" do, I'll be glad to excuse myself from it.

Fear foster hate. Hate foster voilence.

[Willster9]

This comment is to Valerie's comment on "what I'll politely describe as 'Deliverance Country'."
I, not only live in this town you speak of, I also work at WCU and this is in no way a representation of my town.
It's people like your self who damage the public view on beautiful (developed) mountain towns like Sylva and Cullowhee.
You shouldn't speak of places you've never been.

On the bear incident, it's sad that stupid people have such drastic impacts.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Keep fighting the good fight, Willster9. Will you keep us posted on developments in this case? I really want to hear if there are leads. This kind of cruelty and intimidation won't be forgotten.

[Count Zero]

Hopefully they can trace the bullet to the owner.

[Iamspartacus]

An Obama volunteer, a woman of 58, was assaulted in Wisconsin two weeks ago, quickly forgotten in the furor over the fake Ashley Todd "attack." There has been vandalism everywhere. Now they're killing animals. I'm sickened but not surprised. Obama's Secret Service detail has my deep sympathy and admiration.