From the Police Blotter
I think we can all agree this is very good news indeed:
Two men have been arrested in connection with an effigy of Sen. Barack Obama that was hung outside a building at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, police said Thursday.
Authorities found a life-size effigy of the Democratic presidential candidate hanging from a tree outside the school’s Mines and Minerals building on Wednesday morning, police said.
Police said they arrested Joe Fischer, 22, a senior at the university, and Hunter Bush, 21, a former student at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
…
Fischer and Bush were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, burglary and theft by unlawful taking, police said. The burglary and theft charges involve allegedly removing items from a room in the fraternity house.
Burglary and theft I get—but disorderly conduct? Doesn’t that sometimes go by another name: free speech?
If you think I’m wrong, that’s fine. I’m willing to entertain the belief that the act committed here approaches if not surpasses the threshold of shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater.
But then I hope you would join me condemning in the same terms and with the same consequences this “crime”:
A man who prompted protests by hanging an effigy of U.S. Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin by a noose from his home at Halloween has removed the display because it was causing too much trouble.
No arrest? No mugshot on the web?
What’s more, I couldn’t find a picture of the Obama effigy with the accompanying story. Or accompanying any other accounts of the incident.
It’s not that I want to see the offensive imagery, but Sarah Palin’s strung-up self was plastered all over the news. Why we are supposed to condemn this as the greatest hate crime since the Crucifixion sight unseen?
And why are these two punks in jail, while the West Hollywood puke walks free?
Vince said,
October 31, 2008 @ 7:17 am
Very good questions! The answers are burried somewhere between the New York Times thinking and the pinko Berkeley mentallity of our education brainwashing curriculem.
georgiagirl said,
October 31, 2008 @ 7:58 am
I agree. I knew if someone ended up hanging a black man there would be trouble for the person who did it. But it is ok to hang a white woman. Something just doesn’t add up, does it.
Kentucky Rose said,
October 31, 2008 @ 8:05 am
Both “hangings” were in poor taste, but there is a big difference between the two. The homeowner who had the Sarah Palin effigy was doing it because of Halloween, but did take it down when it became controversial. It still was in bad taste; some people have a sick sense of humor. As for the Kentucky rednecks, these young men are admitted racists and are proud of their ignorance. They would have let Obama hang forever if it were up to them. Trust me, I live here! It’s sad that people are so mean anymore.
Ur Durnk Uncle said,
October 31, 2008 @ 8:08 am
I believe the disorderly conduct would come from the fact that this happened on a public university campus in a city in KY known for racial tension in the past. Both incidents are horrible however the effigy with BO has racial ties becasue of lynchings and hate crimes in American history.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
October 31, 2008 @ 8:52 am
Actually, the youth in Kentucky carried out my thought experiment, posted when I saw Sarah Palin hanging in effigy. And so far, the results are what we all knew what happened. Open season on women. Clinton demonstrated it, Palin proved it.
- Aggie
Rick said,
October 31, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Let me just give a brief bio. I’m a 27 y.o., black, college grad.
The 2 guys were arrested for theft. Not for hanging the effigy. The school pressed charges because of the theft and because they did this on property that does not belong to them. The guy in Cali did this on his private property. I don’t like to make things into racial conversations but these two incidents were committed by white men just like the hangings of black men back in the day were committed by white men. Anyone see a pattern?? In every blog there are people who try to make it seem like black people are getting a break when in reality, we’ve had nothing to do with either of these incidents.
Mike said,
October 31, 2008 @ 9:47 am
There is *no* difference between the two. Both were wrong, but I guess only the ones who hung Senator Obama in effigy are in trouble. Nice…typical liberal BS double standard. Put whatever spin on it you wnat…double standard still applies in the end.
Trish said,
October 31, 2008 @ 10:13 am
Columnists & Commentary
Dear Governor Palin
By Jane Gilvary, For The Bulletin
10/30/2008
Phila PA
Dear Gov. Palin,
I am writing to you to apologize. I apologize for the way the mainstream media has treated you since Sen. John McCain chose you as his running mate. The scrutiny you have endured during this campaign is unimaginable, but you have handled it quite well. Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have been given free passes from the mainstream media while you have had to defend and explain everything from faith, to teen pregnancy, to foreign policy. I often wonder what it might be like for your children and your husband to watch the evening news and to hear how the leftists of mainstream news-making portray you as a “right wing nut job” whose only talent is shooting moose and riding snowmobiles. It must be frightening for your children to see news reports out of Philadelphia that protestors actually made T-shirts describing you in an abhorrently derogatory manner.
I apologize for the way Hollywood has slandered your name and portrayed you as a provincial hockey mom with a funny accent. I apologize that they fail to see your good nature, your intelligence, your forthrightness, and your ability to wear many hats as you balance civil service with family service.
I apologize for celebrities like Matt Damon, Pam Anderson and Madonna who pontificate on their world stage and claim to know more about government than you do. I am sorry that they think their celebrity status and a few starring roles gives them political omniscience. Your upright life has shined a light in places of darkness for them. In you they see morality, class, and dignity - things they don’t have; therefore, they upbraid you any chance they get.
I apologize for the main stream media accusing you of banning books, asking you “gotcha” questions, and questioning who paid for your wardrobe. Instead, they should be asking you what you think of Barack Obama’s links to Fannie Mae and the current mortgage crisis, or how drilling in ANWAR might ease our dependence foreign oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Iran. They should ask you what you think of Palestinians setting up phone banks in Gaza to call Americans and urge them to vote for Barack Obama. They should ask you what you think of Hamas - a known terrorist, anti-American, anti-Israeli organization - supporting Sen. Obama.
I apologize that the mainstream media throws softball questions to Sen. Obama and then investigates who paid for your clothes or pries into your daughter’s personal life. I apologize that the issues aren’t at issue in this election, and it is largely because of news outlets like ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and The New York Times.
I apologize that the mainstream media considers you a cog in a political machine. I consider you an intelligent woman, a patriot, a Christian and a wonderful person who would be ready to lead America should she be called upon to do so.
You are everything that true conservatives have been waiting for since Ronald Reagan and I apologize that America seems to hate you for that. You support traditional marriage and understand the gender roles of men and women. You defend my right to own a firearm to protect my home. You choose life. You believe in a strong national defense and your son serves in the U.S. Army. You believe a limited government serves its people better than one that over-taxes and overspends. You believe in strong families.
I am confident that you would uphold the Constitution and serve well as vice president of my country. I apologize that America continues to condemn you for these things. I apologize that liberals and elitists are frightened by all of these wonderful things about you.
Thank you, Sarah Palin, for putting America first.
Very truly yours,
Jane Gilvary
Jane Gilvary is a student in the graduate writing studies program at St. Joseph’s University and is a public school teacher.
Donald said,
October 31, 2008 @ 10:17 am
How could you write this article and show the mugshots of these two stupid college boys and tell us that they have been arrested when not even one week ago, another one of your brilliant liberals did the exact same thing to Sarah Palin. The idiots who disrespected Sarah Palin weren’t even forced to take down their pathetic, tasteless display, let alone be subject to any prosecution. These two dumb bells in Kentucky were ARRESTED and had their pictures posted all over the CNN website? You have got to be kidding me. And then to not even mention the Sarah Palin incident in the article regarding this “hate crime” in Kentucky. Please. I don’t know how you people at CNN even sleep at night. Shame on you.
Ty said,
October 31, 2008 @ 11:11 am
YES, I totally agree that there is a double standard when it comes to race but that’s because it is the “BIG WHITE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM” that on one in this country really wants to talk address. Let’s also not forget that it was WHITE men (not BLACK) who hung up the Palin effigy. I’m sorry but when WHITE men decide to hang a BLACK man’s figure it reflects the past hatred/tension of an actual racist act that took place in this country.
People really need to empathize with the plight of AA’s in this country. It is the media, which is controlled by white people, that creates this racial divide. They created the notion that a person is black just because they have one ounce of black blood running through their veins. (think Tiger Woods). It is the media that chooses to depict BLACKS as just rappers, entertainers and criminals. Let’s wake up people. It’s the HUMAN RACE…color, religion and class are the only things that really divides people. BY the way, OBAMA is bi-racial and media just points out that his skin is black
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
October 31, 2008 @ 11:14 am
Rick,
You raise a good point: no black people were involved in either despicable incident. Except by proxy, of course, as one of the “victims” was a black man (who looked nothing like Obama from what I could see).
But the article states that the two college a-holes are being charged with more than theft—add disorderly conduct, as well. That was my point. How can it be disorderly in Lexington, but not in Hollywood—when the commotion there was, if anything, even greater?
Hanging a black man in effigy is offensive for a great many reasons, not least because it recalls the very real hangings of black men that plague our past. But violence against women has no shorter history—and to hang a woman in effigy recalls everything from beating to rape to honor killing to burning witches at the stake.
I’m an absolutist on the issue of free speech, but I also deplore hypocrisy. Either both incidents are free speech or both are hate speech. We can’t pick and choose.
A Disgusted Democrat said,
October 31, 2008 @ 11:25 am
Got to love the double standard, one represents a white woman, a mother and governor, but that’s just in fun. The other represents a black communist nobody, but that’s a hate crime. I’m sick of walking on egg shells the blacks can either grow up or go to hell, there choice.
Steve said,
October 31, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
In America we love us some racism. Can’t get enough of it. Gets our blood to boiling. Racism will not ever go away until everyone lays down their guns. Black people gotta forgive white people, white people gotta forgive black people. There is no making slavery right. There’s no point bringing it up. Everybody on this planet has bad shit that happened to their ancestors, and until this country can say, “that period is over” then it never will be. It’s despicable to read posts that begin with “…and I’m black” or “…and I’m white” because I wonder what does that matter? Is one or the other supposed to give you authority when talking about racism? Forgiveness is the first step, and until that happens then everybody that talks about racism are hypocrites and it’s not worth my time listening to anybody.
Bill said,
October 31, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
Come on now, the Osama was just part of a Halloween decoration.
Count to 10 said,
October 31, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
Um, as much as I like harping on double standards, there is wide distinction between theft (and possibly vandalism) of someone else’s property, and an offensive display on your own property.
You can try to argue that the university would have laughed it off if it was Palin, but these two instances are not equivalent.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
October 31, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
Count to 10,
I agree, but that’s why I’ve focused on the “disorderly conduct” charge, which does seem unequally applied, and on the media coverage, which contributed to the celebrity of the Palin lyncher and to the notoriety of the Obama lynchers. Only the latter were arrested and had their mug shots on the home page of CNN—which they richly deserved. The former got fifteen minutes of fame and lots of free publicity for whatever chicken[bleep] cause he was espousing. A guy who strings up the effigy of a woman is a hero? Makes me puke.
Joe O'Neill said,
October 31, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
To me it is just typical that a noose hanging in a tree in Jenna is a sign that whites are racist and must be punished …put it in reverse and the PC brigade go into top gear in their efforts to say that it is nothing….I am disgusted by the blatant double standards
Neeneko said,
October 31, 2008 @ 5:07 pm
I think the difference (regardless of if it is sufficient or not) is that, within living memory, people WERE stringing black men up by the neck from trees not that far from there as a way to scare an entire group into ‘not being so uppity’
However, I don’t recall hanging of white woman (and burning of white men in a chimney) happening with any frequency in california as a way to push down feminists. Granted there was plenty of violence against women and the anti-feminist push is still pretty strong, but hanging has never been an image used to scare women into behaving.
Now, if the Palin effigy had pulled on classic anti-feminist imagery then they two would be much closer in impact. Even then it would be hard to compare since, while women were beaten and ignored, they were not killed in any organized way during the main push of the feminist movement, so it could be said that there is no equivalent imagery.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
October 31, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
Impeccable logic, Neeneko. Now, don’t you feel dirty?
I mean, come on! Sarah Palin is as “uppity” a woman as there is—talk about someone who doesn’t know her place—and she was hanging from this guy’s house by a rope around her neck.
And I have to explain this to people?
Neeneko said,
October 31, 2008 @ 8:02 pm
Why would I feel dirty?
Kent said,
October 31, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
What???? How can any of you even try to justify either one of there despicable acts? Both were a violation of human decency and neither can be justified by Halloween. The fact that the two in Kentucky were charged by something other than the actual crime, does not excuse the two in CA. And as one of the comments made was that one was done on Private Property and the other was on Public…. Come on…. Does that mean I can hang a Black Person on private property, but not on Public land. How sick can we be to justify this type of conduct. The concept of freedom of speech has been so bastardized that we cannot recognize reality.
Daffy said,
November 1, 2008 @ 10:30 pm
Disgusted Democrat- Calling Obama a “nobody” seems a bit stupid seeing as he is the democratic presidential canidate.
The difference between the two is that one took place on private property (the palin) while one took place in public property and involved theft. (the obama one)
Yes the guys who did the Palin thing are jerks as well and im happy they were pressured to take it down, but there is a difference in the two.