Before I begin discussing this, I just want to say that there is something fishy about this story. Maybe it is how such a thing could be done in the center of a small town without anyone seeing; perhaps it is the deliberate associations with Jimmy Carter or maybe it is sketchy details. I cannot put my finger on it, but I have a feeling we will be hearing more of this story.
That being said, hanging an effigy of a black person is a hyper act of racism. Hanging effigies of any political figure simply isn’t cool. It wasn’t cool when those ding-dongs hung an effigy of Palin last year and it won’t be cool when the next fool tries something like it.
I think we all, despite our political differences, should take a stand against this type of speech before it gets out of hand. This type of stuff only courses our discourse and stirs up some really ugly memories from our past. We should not allow feeble excuses like “this is art” or “this is free speech” to cloud the obvious fact that the message hung effigies send is just downright ugly.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: BBC
Via: Reuters
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7 comments:
Yep, there is something fishy about this story, no doubt about it. Reminds me of the initial reports about that suicide census worker with "feds" on his chest. If it does turn out to be a conservative who did this, though, SHAME ON YOU whoever you are! That is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are not racists, and we do not behave like that. We do not sink to dirty tricks, nasty acts, violence, and especially not racism.
That said, I'll be stunned if a conservative did this.
A "real" conservative knows better than this. I'll bet this get blamed on a "Tea-party type" well before all the facts are in. By the way, the Newsreal blog has a good story about an animated short by NPR made with taxpayer dollars that insults the Tea-party protests.
I'd prefer to convict the jackass perpetrators in the Court of Public Opinion.
They should be laughed at with much finger pointing.
The shame and ignorance at work are despicable.
I had not heard about this. You are right. This is not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination.
I grew up in a small town that has, to this day, no minorities. So I know that rumors and falsehoods can snowball in an area like this. I don't know the demographics of Plains, but it is a small town. It is very possible that it has been blown out of proportion.
If this is true, the person who did needs to be prosecuted. It cannot be acceptable.
Not just unacceptable.... also unimaginative, tiresome and repetitive. Memo to the uncreative fool; dress the doll in a tux and stick a pink slip in it's hands, leaning against the building, or swim trunks, surfboard and sign which reads "Globull Warming" or standing next to a toy plane with a "Blame it on Rio" sign.
Anyone else?
lol, Janelle, how about with a cigarette dangling out of its mouth?
Or with both hands over its crotch in front of the American flag?
Fuzzy Slippers, even better!
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