ATWATER, Calif. — Violent and racist e-mail jokes alluding to the assassination of President Barack Obama, the killing of Latinos and violence against black people were forwarded by Atwater City Councilman Gary Frago during the last six months, according to more than 200 new e-mails obtained by the Sun-Star from the city of Atwater. [...]

One of the most troubling of the new Frago e-mails, forwarded in January, joked that Nokia had designed a new cell phone for "nervous white people" who want to make calls in a series of cities known for their large black populations, such as Oakland and New Orleans. The phone was a gun. [...]

Another e-mail forwarded by Frago on Dec. 9, 2008, was in the form of a fictitious letter sent by Sen. John McCain to John Hinckley Jr., a man obsessed with actress Jodie Foster, who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981. The letter said that Hinckley would be released soon and he should know that Obama was sleeping with Foster now. [...]

A third e-mail joked about killing illegal immigrants and Obama delegates. The joke is about a man applying for a position with a police department. As a test, the chief tells the applicant: "Take this gun with 13 bullets and go out and shoot six illegal immigrants, six Obama delegates and a rabbit." The man asks: "why the rabbit?"

"Fantastic attitude," says the chief. "When can you start?"

What? You aren't laughing? I bet the Secret Service isn't either. I guess that's one thing we share with the people assigned to protect Obama's life: we don't have a sense of humor when it comes to jokes about killing people. Which begs the question why so many Republicans, conservatives and other assorted right wing types enjoy them so much? I have never emailed anyone with a joke about killing Bush or Cheney or anyone else for that matter. I'd consider it an immoral act in addition to not being funny in the least. I guess our political opponents are just wired differently than we are when it comes to the funny bone.