Threats against social security judges rise 18% - Is more militant right to blame?
WASHINGTON – Judges who hear Social Security disability cases are facing a growing number of violent threats from claimants angry over being denied benefits or frustrated at lengthy delays in processing claims.
There were at least 80 threats to kill or harm administrative law judges or staff over the past year — an 18 percent increase over the previous reporting period, according to data collected by the agency.
Now, you might think the complaints are being caused by a general group of angry seniors and disabled folk, but if you read further down, you’ll notice some of the threats have a certain tone to them:
One claimant in Albuquerque, N.M., called his congressman’s office to say he was going to “take his guns and shoot employees” in the Social Security hearing office. In Eugene, Ore., a man who was denied benefits said he is “ready to join the Taliban and hurt some people.” Another claimant denied benefits told a judge in Greenville, S.C., that he was a sniper in the military and “would go take care of the problem.”
And then there’s this:
Fifty of the incidents came between March and August, including that of a Pittsburgh claimant who threatened to kill herself outside the hearing office or fly a plane into the building like a disgruntled tax protester did earlier this year at the Internal Revenue Service building in Austin, Texas.
Clearly these sound like Fox News driven, anti-government right wing types. The article does not mention if anyone was criminally charged for these threats, but if they haven’t, they should be as they are in clear violation of several laws.