Idaho billboard compares President Obama to Aurora shooting suspect

A controversial billboard received plenty of media attention over the weekend for its juxtaposition of President Obama and Aurora shooter James Holmes. We're taking a closer look at this story from the Current community. Check it out and share your thoughts.

Idaho Billboard Compares Obama To Aurora Shooting Suspect James Holmes

Submitted by dissillusion

The electronic billboard outside Boise, ID, featured side-by-side pictures of the president and the Colorado movie theater shooter with the words "kills 12 in movie theater with assault rifle, everyone freaks out" over Holmes' picture, and "kills thousands with his foreign policy, wins nobel peace prize" over Obama's picture. The Ralph Smeed Foundation sponsored the ad and stated the billboard is a response to Obama's 'broken promise' to bring home the troops:

"We’re all outraged over that killing in Aurora, Colo., but we’re not outraged over the boys killed in Afghanistan," foundation member and former state lawmaker Maurice Clements explained to the paper, and added that he's not trying to connect Obama to Holmes, he's just comparing the way society reacts. "We’re not saying that Obama is a lunatic," he said.

Today, accused movie theater shooter James Holmes was charged with 24 counts of first-degree during an alleged shooting spree at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

The offensive ad sparks the community:

mrpuma2u: "Every President, by nature of the job, will end up ordering the deaths of hundreds, or thousands of people, both our own servicemen and women, and people from other countries. That does not mean this billboard was a cheap shot, and was in extremely poor taste."

HarukoHaruhara: "OK, even if you don't like Obama, this is incredibly insensitive to the families of the people who got shot."

cztheday: "For those who are unfamiliar with geography in the Wild West, the Mormon Church has pushed very hard into southern Idaho (which, after all, is just north of Salt Lake City). That said: this is totally f'ed up."

Vic_Romano: "I'm reminded of the saying: Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."

We raise the question: What would have been a better way to respond to Obama's 'broken promise' to bring home the troops?

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(Photo: Huffington Post)