Orlando Jones says his call on Twitter for liberals to kill Sarah Palin was “farcical,” but critics are lambasting the comedian and denouncing the tweet as abhorrent. Despite the furor, Jones refuses to apologize for what he said was an exercise in free speech.
After the death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Jones tweeted: “Libyan Rebels kill Gaddafi, if American liberals want respect they better stop listening to Aretha & kill Sarah Palin (:”
Despite the smiley emoticon, a lot of folks weren’t laughing.
“Why does @TheOrlandoJones think it’s funny to call for Sarah Palin to be murdered? #palin #liberaltolerance” asked one Twitter follower.
Jones responded, “No I don’t. I think it’s funny you are so upset about my inane tweet.”
The MADtv star later posted: “My tweet was farcical not funny or a call to action. 100 bucks 2 the 1st person who can count the # of Palin jokes about killing Democrats.”
When the furor didn’t subside, Jones posted a statement on his Facebook account.
“My job as an artist is to hold up a mirror to society. I do not decide how people feel or react to that. My tweet hit a nerve. That’s good. The fact that is has taken precedent over the serious issues that face us is not good. That’s media outlets vying for attention and ad dollars,” he wrote.
“Was it my best line? No. It would be great if those individuals who are genuinely outraged redirected that energy toward the greater good. Any anger directed at me and my right to free speech is an absolute waste of time. I am not a statesman. My comments reflect no political affiliation. It’s just me being me, in a world that will never comfortably mix political correctness with artistic expression. For that, I offer no apologies, excuses or wisdom.”
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