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November 10th, 2012, 12:31 GMT · By Raluca Anghel

22-Year-Old Store Attendant Fired over Racist Obama Facebook Slur

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Denise Helms may face criminal charges over allegedly threatening the re-elected president on Facebook
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22-year-old store attendant Denise Helms, from California, was fired over a racist Facebook post. Employer Cold Stone Creamery, in Turlock, California, removed Helms from her position after being flooded by angry tweets about her disturbing political and social views, Sacramento Fox 40 reports.

Helms referred to the re-elected president using the dreaded N-word, and expressed how she wished he would just be assassinated already.

“Another 4 years of this (N-word). [...] Maybe he will get assassinated this term,” Helms wrote on her Facebook wall after the presidential elections.

Store owners wanted to make a statement that they did not condone racial slurs and hate messages from their employees.

“This employee is no longer w/the (sic) company & her disgraceful and completely unacceptable comments do not reflect our views,” one of their Twitter posts reads.

“We found her comments to be very disgusting. [...] We made the decision [to fire her] because of her comments, but also the community feedback. We are very into working with the community and doing community service. So when your community does not like you because of an employee, that's bad. We have a business to run,” Turlock Cold Stone Creamery store director Chris Kegle explained.

According to HuffPost, Helms defends her freedom of speech on Facebook, claiming her message is one person's opinion and should be respected as such.

“So apparently my post last night about Obama got onto Twitter and Fox 40 came and interviewed me cause apparently a lot of people in Sacramento think I'm crazy and racist. WOW is all I got to say!! I'm not racist and I'm not crazy. just simply stating my opinion.!!!,” she wrote on Facebook, before canceling her account.

Now the Secret Service is looking into the matter, as her actions could be perceived as a threat to Obama, and she could face criminal charges. Threats "to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm " on the president are punishable by law under U.S. Code Section 871.


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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: Munky on 10 Nov 2012, 13:18 UTC reply to this comment

She got what she deserved. She should have known better in a post 9-11 USA. Good riddance.

Comment #1.1 by: hagar2935 on 10 Nov 2012, 21:47 GMT

I will BOYCOTT all Coldstone Creamery Stores. To do this to this young woman is WRONG!!!!!!!! She is an AMERICAN and by the Constitution has a freedom of speech. It is time for you LIBERAL morons to realize that your actions will have consequences and they will be financial as well. I commend her for her truthfulness and courage.

Obama is a TRAITOR to the USA and so are every LIBERAL! We will fight back against you LIBERAL MORONS!!!!!

I have removed all "so-called friends and family" from my email and facebook that admit they voted for Obama. I also am boycotting all businesses that supported Obama. I am among many millions of TRUE Americans who are fighting back financially and morally against you TRAITORS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment #1.2 by: real on 12 Nov 2012, 01:13 GMT

How dare anyone speak of someone like she did but i see there still is hate around she needs to be punished!!

Comment #1.3 by: nowhere man on 13 Nov 2012, 15:25 GMT

@hagar2935 you are working for American’s traitors. The majority of Americans have agreed that Obama is better than a corporate raider trying to steal America from us, and you support those calling for violent revolution.


Comment #2 by: splatypus on 10 Nov 2012, 13:20 UTC reply to this comment

it is shameful that in this day and age someone would stoop to using disparaging disgraceful language about anyone who did not match their ideals. Let alone the President of the United States! Then to hide behind the first amendment. You have to love it! So if I posted that she should be taken out and publicly beaten, tarred and feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail, that would be acceptable? or maybe "legitimately raped "? or any of a dozen other unacceptable epithets.

Its time people realize that postings that have the potential to incite unlawful behaviour have to be treated as if they were physically damagiing and bear the consequences of their actions. I am glad the Secret Service is looking into this. haven’t we had enough with Neonazis, skin heads and the like?

Comment #2.1 by: Dicktracey on 11 Nov 2012, 06:47 GMT

Those people you've deleted are very fortunate, indeed!


Comment #3 by: jhas1968 on 10 Nov 2012, 13:23 UTC reply to this comment

The secret service is that bored that they need to investigate a 22 yr old white girl ice cream shop worker?? From what I just read, it would be pretty far fetched to consider that an actual threat! Maybe they secret service can use some of their resources to investigate who dropped the ball on the BENGHAZI EMBASSY instead of persecuting an american for exercizing her right to freedom of speach and stating an opinion that, no matter how politically incorrect it may be, I'm sure many many more people in this country agree with.

Comment #3.1 by: greengirl on 10 Nov 2012, 21:29 GMT

We are all americans. It does not matter what race. A man was re-elected as President, so be it. The better team won. Nothing taken away from Mr. Romney. If he had won. what then. A threat is a threat no matter how perceived to others. Some people know when to SHUT UP!

Comment #3.2 by: True American on 10 Nov 2012, 21:54 GMT

No REAL American would agree with that untactful and unpatriotic statement this girl made.

Comment #3.3 by: justaskin on 10 Nov 2012, 22:50 GMT

Why are there so many questions and desire for "truth" about Benghazi, but not many about the actual 911 bombing and threats preceding that event when Bush was in charge.....several thousand people killed right here in USA and then many more who died fighting in Iraq??? I don't get it.....four people killed in Benhazi, very sad but not exactly on the same scale......just asking the question; could someone explain that please?

Comment #3.4 by: nick on 10 Nov 2012, 23:05 GMT

wait, you want the secret service to investigate the deaths of americans overseas, but you support the right of someone to call for the murder of the american president? you are too partisan to even have a conversation with.

Comment #3.5 by: cornchip on 10 Nov 2012, 23:39 GMT

I don't!


Comment #4 by: Sue on 10 Nov 2012, 23:12 UTC reply to this comment

I agree with her employers.....don't know if she's crazy...don't know if she's a racist, but I wouldn't want her working for me either.


Comment #5 by: cornchip on 10 Nov 2012, 23:37 UTC reply to this comment

The comment sounds racist to me. I wouldn't have said she was crazy I would call her ignorant.


Comment #6 by: FLI Stones on 11 Nov 2012, 03:19 UTC reply to this comment

Racist piece of Trash!

Comment #6.1 by: G. on 13 Nov 2012, 06:19 GMT

YOU are the TRASH!!


Comment #7 by: G. on 13 Nov 2012, 06:18 UTC reply to this comment

What I would like to know is did she post this on company time? As a former manager, what an employee does when he or she is OFF of the clock and not on the job site, is NONE of my business. As long as they show up for work on time and do their job properly, I could care less if they call someone a * or excercise their freedom of speech.

I assume that she was on the clock, or her Facebook profile had where she works. I personally HATE Facebook! It's nothing but a modern day Tower of Babel!!


Comment #8 by: gman on 21 Nov 2012, 14:21 UTC reply to this comment

@hagar2935 - *

Yes there is such a thing as Freedom of Speech, it gets trampled on everyday. But the fact of the matter is; yes you are Free to say what you want but when you threaten the life of a sitting president (Even in jest) FEDERAL law enforcement take it very serious.
@Hagar2935 when are you gong to quite your job? I bet your employers voted Obama; but then again your already living at home with momma and daddy in the double wide.


Comment #9 by: kev b on 22 Nov 2012, 23:17 UTC reply to this comment

"I'm not racist,," ahh, did you SEE your post??

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