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Denver: The "racist ramblings" of a man in Colorado posed no threat to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama but reminded many Americans of past attempts on the lives of their leaders.
Colorado police seized two rifles with hunting scopes and ammunition from a man they arrested a day before the Democratic national convention opened in Denver to nominate Obama formally as its candidate for the November 4 election.
Many voters recall the 1963 assassination of Democratic President John Kennedy and those in 1968 of his brother, Democratic candidate Robert Kennedy, and black civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
Republicans too have been targeted in recent years. In the 1970s and 1980s there were failed attempts on the lives of presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.
Fears of an attack are compounded in the case of the 47-year-old Obama who, if he defeats Republican John McCain, 71, would be the first black president in US history. America is still racially divided despite Obama's success.
Concerns about Obama's safety led the US Secret Service to provide round-the-clock protection from early in his bid.
Altogether three men were arrested.
Court documents had one man quoting another as speaking of wanting to kill Obama on his inauguration day, using a sniper rifle to shoot the Illinois senator from high ground.
The comments amount to the "the racist ramblings of three meth heads," insisted US Attorney Troy Eid.
Drawing parallels
Few know as much of the trauma of the 1960s slayings as Christine King Farris, who is King's only surviving sibling.
Now 80, Farris was concerned for Obama and saw parallels between the threats he and King faced.
"Are white people ready to accept a black man as president of the United States? What we would hope is that we would look at him not as a black man but as a citizen of this country," she said in an interview.
"But I know this country ... They killed my brother. They killed Robert Kennedy. I know what this country can do. If they want to get rid of you they can do it," she said.
Fears of an attack are compounded in the case of the 47-year-old Obama who, if he defeats Republican John McCain, 71, would be the first black president in US history.
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