It’s about time those in authority take these people and their comments seriously:

Internet radio host Hal Turner — accused of inciting Catholics to “take up arms” and singling out two Connecticut lawmakers and a state ethics official on a website — was taken into custody in New Jersey late Wednesday after state Capitol police in Connecticut obtained a warrant for his arrest.

Turner, who has been identified as a white supremacist and anti-Semite by several anti-racism groups, hosts an Internet radio program with an associated blog. On Tuesday, the blog included a post that promised to release the home addresses of state Rep. Michael Lawlor, state Sen. Andrew McDonald and Thomas Jones of the State Ethics Office.

“Mr. Turner’s comments are above and beyond the threshold of free speech,” Capitol Police Chief Michael J. Fallon said in an e-mail announcing the warrant. “He is inciting others through his website to commit acts of violence and has created fear and alarm. He should be held accountable for his conduct.”

Dave Neiwert has a great rundown of the craziness Turner has spewed out over the years, including calling for further assassinations of doctors who provide abortion.

Of course this will lead to the hallowed cries of “free speech” from the rabid right, and if they want to pursue that argument then I invite them to head on over to a crowded theater and yell “FIRE”.