Obama hanged in effigy

[Perd Hapley]

Obama effigy found on U. of Kentucky campus

By JEFFREY McMURRAY – 53 minutes ago

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — University of Kentucky authorities were investigating Wednesday who hanged an effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama from a tree on campus.

College spokesman Carl Nathe said the effigy was found Wednesday morning. Police immediately took it down. A faculty member said he saw the effigy with a noose around its neck, hanging from a high tree branch.

University President Lee Todd said he planned to apologize to the Obama family on behalf of the school and that he is "personally offended and deeply embarrassed by this disgusting episode."

Federal authorities have been notified, Todd said. He said the effigy violates the university's code of ethics and won't be tolerated.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hlnR7kQP7tXQKA0872BAweYKqPFQD944CKD01


Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.  Right? 

[charby]

but its okay to hang a Sarah Palin in effigy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/sarahPalin/idUSN2733220120081028

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

where can one get a good obama effigy? i already have a noose

[Manedwolf]

Just watch the hypocrisy.

That will be a "hate crime". The Palin one is an "art installation".

Either ban them all or ban none.

[Perd Hapley]

On the other hand, a black man in a noose has a certain historical significance that a white chick in a noose does not.  The races may be equal, but the history and situation of the races are not. 

[Manedwolf]

On the other hand, a black man in a noose has a certain historical significance that a white chick in a noose does not.  The races may be equal, but the history and situation of the races are not. 

That is the race card currently being played, yes.

How about the "witches" that were hanged? What about that? Isn't it misogynistic?



Hanged in 1692, Salem:

BRIDGET BISHOP of Salem
SARAH GOOD of Salem Village
ELIZABETH HOW of Topsfield
SUSANNAH MARTIN of Amesbury
REBECCA NURSE of Salem Village
SARAH WILDS of Topsfield
MARTHA CARRIER of Andover
MARTHA CORY of Salem Farmes
MARY ESTY of Topsfield
ALICE PARKER of Salem
MARY PARKER of Andover
ANN PUDEATOR of Salem
WILMOT REDD of Marblehead
MARGARET SCOTT of Rowley

They hanged a lot of innocent women in Salem and other communities.

[AZRedhawk44]

On the other hand, a black man in a noose has a certain historical significance that a white chick in a noose does not.  The races may be equal, but the history and situation of the races are not. 

They hanged a bunch of irish boys out west here, but you don't see them types getting all pissy over every noose in a tree.

All sorts of English nobility hanged commoners for not paying taxes during famines or depressions in England.  You don't see English-descended folks talking about wage-earners persecution every time they see a rope, do you?

Blacks are WAY too sensitive over hanging and lynching.  They act like they own the trademark on the practice, when it has vastly different cultural meanings and spans considerably more time than the couple of decades the KKK really went to town with the practice.  It was an institution of the justice system in the US, England and other countries for at least 800 years.

They milk it every time it comes up and I'm not going to play that game. 

If I decorated my house this year, a hangin' Obama would make a great addition.  Too bad it's too late to do it this year.  I'd join in.

[longeyes]

Which "white chick" is that?

Are we to the point where we defend black men AT THE EXPENSE of white women?  I really hope not.

Obama should have come out and denounced the Palin effigy.  So much for honor.

[Perd Hapley]

The white chick is Palin. 

Blacks are WAY too sensitive over hanging and lynching.

I won't dignify that with further response.  Nor any of the other silly excuses you lot are offering. 

[Tallpine]

The white chick is Palin. 
I won't dignify that with further response.  Nor any of the other silly excuses you lot are offering. 

No, you're just being silly   

The Wyoming cattle barons hanged (lynched!) a woman (and her husband) for cattle rustling.  Her real "crime" was homesteading a piece of land with good water.  :rolleyes:

[lupinus]

I won't dignify that with further response.  Nor any of the other silly excuses you lot are offering.

Why?

Lots of people were hanged over the years, lots of people were enslaved over the years.  Playing it as a card is annoying as hell.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Lots of people were hanged over the years, lots of people were enslaved over the years.  Playing it as a card is annoying as hell.

Not only is it annoying, but it indicates an ignorance of history.  Black people seem to act like blacks are the only people to ever have been lynched or hanged.  It's stupid.

[Perd Hapley]

Let's pretend that Black Americans are not a minority that has struggled to survive through centuries of slavery and oppression, of which nooses have emerged as a prominent symbol.  Oh, wait!  You people already are. 

But all this detracts from my great zinger about dissent being the highest form of patriotism.   

[Tallpine]

Let's pretend that Black Americans are not a minority that has struggled to survive through centuries of slavery and oppression, of which nooses have emerged as a prominent symbol.  Oh, wait!  You people already are. 

Whatever you say, Jesse  :rolleyes:

[lupinus]

Let's pretend that Black Americans are not a minority that has struggled to survive through centuries of slavery and oppression, of which nooses have emerged as a prominent symbol.  Oh, wait!  You people already are.

Let's pretend pretty much any and every ethnic group on the planet didn't do the same at one point or another.  Hell the Jews were going through it thousands of years before and for a hell of a lot longer.  The Greeks were conquored, persecuted, enslaved.  If you're from Europe or thereabouts odds are your ancestors or at least their people were enslaved at some point by somebody.  Same thing for religions; even Christians spent a few hundred years getting persecuted, enslaved, and murdered.

Their ancestors sold Romans the freakin lions that ate my enslaved ancestors m'kay?

When I meet someone who was actually a slave, they have a right to bitch and moan about having been enslaved.  If someone back in your families history was a slave, someone you probably never even met, shut up and get over it like the rest of us have had to.

[ronnyreagan]

Obama should have come out and denounced the Palin effigy.  So much for honor.

Why? Is it his responsibility to apologize for things that other people do? Did John McCain denounce it?

[BReilley]

It's about time somebody did this.  I wouldn't be the one, but if we're to be "equal" then both displays need to be considered "art"(which is a VERY flimsy, false defense) or both need to be prosecuted as hate crime.

[Bogie]

About 20 years ago, there was a big deal made over one of the frats having a lawn jockey...
 
Yawn.
 
IMHO, the jews are the best at the collective persecution complex... But they've got a LOT more experience at it...
 

[longeyes]

Obama should have denounced it because the brother from another planet is post-racial and on a mission to show us the path beyond such ugliness.

If he is sensitive to what's been visited on blacks he should be equally sensitive to prejudice and crudeness directed at other groups--or are you telling me his unction is, well, selective?  I find his silence telling.

[De Selby]

The proper comparison would be to find examples of blatant sexism towards Palin, such as that which was used to insult her professional capabilities.

Arguing that a hanging Palin is the same thing as a hanging Obama is simply willful denial.  Think about this for a second-say you build a model oven, and put an Obama doll in it....odd, and maybe people will think you are making a joke about how hot the action is getting for Obama.

Change the doll to a figure with a beard and orthodox clothing, and it's an entirely different symbol.  And rightly so, folks would be outraged about it in a way that they wouldn't be over the Obama in an oven.

Being against reverse racism, affirmative action, etc does not mean you have to deny the obvious.

[longeyes]

Maybe the "blatant sexism" aimed at Palin is the left's denial of her womanhood because she doesn't fit the feminist mold?

Interesting that you would mention Denying The Obvious when THAT is exactly what the entire Obama campaign has been built on.  I don't mean his race, I mean his political identity.  Who is kidding whom?

[Perd Hapley]

OK.  Fine.  Every race of people has been hanged, enslaved, mistreated, and so forth.  Duh.

But this is the U.S., in the twenty-first century.  Some bits of history are more relevant, and more recent, to our situation. 

[French G.]

The proper comparison would be to find examples of blatant sexism towards Palin, such as that which was used to insult her professional capabilities.

Arguing that a hanging Palin is the same thing as a hanging Obama is simply willful denial.  Think about this for a second-say you build a model oven, and put an Obama doll in it....odd, and maybe people will think you are making a joke about how hot the action is getting for Obama.

Change the doll to a figure with a beard and orthodox clothing, and it's an entirely different symbol.  And rightly so, folks would be outraged about it in a way that they wouldn't be over the Obama in an oven.

Being against reverse racism, affirmative action, etc does not mean you have to deny the obvious.

Utter crap that only makes sense if you buy into the "hate crime" line of thought. Hanged in effigy means the same thing no matter who is the subject. It's just a cutsey, deniable as free speech, way of saying if we were in charge and thought we could get away with it we'd hang her/him too. So the suggestion of a dead woman hanging is less offensive than that of a dead black man? As has been amply pointed out, everyone has had a go at both sides of persecution throughout history, it really isn't all whitey's fault. I'm sure those women short drop hanged in Iran for accusations of adultery would find the humor in a Palin effigy.

[Iain]

fistful and SS making the same point, arguing against the tide. End times.

'course they're both right, and Shootin's example should be as clear as day. Yes, the Nazis exterminated people other than Jews, and non-blacks were lynched - but both those events have rightly developed into powerful symbols of the oppression that was aimed at both groups, both also occurred in the 20th century.

If you wanted to draw a parallel with Palin and misogyny through witchcraft allegations then you'd need an effigy burned at the stake. I know they hung witches too, but symbolism and imagery are what they are in the public's imagination.

[MicroBalrog]

. I know they hung witches too, but symbolism and imagery are what they are in the public's imagination.

That may be true, but you know full well that using the fact someone used a noose to hang an Obama effigy to somehow prove OMG OBAMA HATERS ARE RAECIST is not very smart. It's not even smart to assume the particular person is racist.

Yes, blacks have suffered a lot. However, this does not provide cover for every black politician to smack down his opposition with claims of racism.

Equally, the Jews have suffered throughout history - including slavery, discrimination, and eventually the holocaust. Yet  the use of the holocaust and cries of 'Nazi' to shut down opposition to a politician would be vile and disgusting and I hope you agree.