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float mocking Obama draws accusations of...


Michelle

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A Fourth of July parade float in Nebraska that showed a dummy standing outside an outhouse labeled "Obama Presidential Library" is drawing cries of racism from local residents and the Nebraska Democratic Party.

The float, in the annual Independence Day parade in Norfolk, Neb., was affixed to trailer being towed behind a blue pickup truck. The dummy was clad in overalls, standing by a walker next to the outhouse.

The pickup truck and the float did not identify a sponsor, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

In a statement, the Nebraska Democratic Party called the float one of the "worst shows of racism and disrespect for the presidency that Nebraska has ever seen," according to the World-Herald.

cont...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/july-4-parade-float-mocking-obama-draws-accusations-of-racism/

I remember effigies of Bush hanging from trees, him being depicted as a monkey and too many disparaging cartoons and hateful remarks to count. That aside...I've read the comments under the articles of various sources and not one has given an explaination as to how an outhouse is racist. I still don't get it.

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It's not the outhouse that's racist. The disparagement and attempts to degrade & humiliate another person is unacceptable no matter the race, skin color, political affiliation, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Edited by Beany
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Politicians are fair game and always have been. It has nothing to do with him being black, it's because he is the president. It seems like people have very short memories as to how much Bush was harassed and ridiculed. Not that he didn't deserve a lot of it, but I didn't hear a great deal of people standing up for the respect of the presidential office.

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It's not the outhouse that's racist. The disparagement and attempts to degrade & humiliate another person is unacceptable no matter the race, skin color, political affiliation, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Surely if anyone deserves it it's someone in his position. He wasn't coerced into running for President, he didn't draw the short straw in a lottery. He wanted to be President - the most powerful person on earth, or at least that's what he probably thought - out of sheer naked ambition. He wanted power, to rule people. Surely that invites disrespect, and disrespect is entirely healthy. The reaction of the Nebraska Democratic Party is rather like the reaction of the N. Korean government whenever someone in the West disrespects the Dear Leader. Anyway, I thought it was quite witty.
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How is the float at all relevant to Pres. Obama?

For the life of me I don't see what connection the float designers made between an outhouse, a person with a zimmer frame and President Obama?

Or is there no connection at all and the entire float simply meant to suggest scorn/be insulting?

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My take on it is that he is a weak president and full of **it.

Yes, it's meant to be insulting just like the monkey face Bush images.

Edited by Michelle
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My take on it is that he is a weak president and full of **it.

Okay, there's a tenuous link there - but why the "Presidential Library" part? Are they suggesting Obama only reads when taking a dump?

I don't think the accusation of racism has any merit - but I don't see any wit involved in the design. It's not funny-insulting, just insulting.

Edited by Leonardo
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I'm not sure either. I rarely find political cartoons and the like very funny.

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I was talking to a couple of Americans that are up here at camp for the summer and their comments where not very pretty,The penny has finally dropped I think.

Obama is fair game and his track record has left him wide open I am not afraid to say...

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As mentioned in the article, "it's obvious that the majority of the community liked it, so should we deny the 95% of those that liked it their rights, just for the 5% of people who were upset?"

That's the point to me. To often in our society the few dictate to the many. With PC and the stigma of being labeled a racist (whether it's true or not doesn't even play into it any more) we are subjected to a barrage of morally offensive opinions and actions by the minority fringe of our society.

No longer does the needs of the many out weight the needs of the few.

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As mentioned in the article, "it's obvious that the majority of the community liked it, so should we deny the 95% of those that liked it their rights, just for the 5% of people who were upset?"

That's the point to me. To often in our society the few dictate to the many. With PC and the stigma of being labeled a racist (whether it's true or not doesn't even play into it any more) we are subjected to a barrage of morally offensive opinions and actions by the minority fringe of our society.

No longer does the needs of the many out weight the needs of the few.

America has never been a nation committed to the "needs of the many", as it's founding documents indicate. The US is (or was) founded on a system of equality that protects minorities from the "many", rather than allowing the "many " to rule with impunity.

But this side-argument has little relevance to the float itself as, unless there is some cultural reference I am missing, it doesn't seem to exhibit any indicators of racism.

Edited by Leonardo
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. The US is (or was) founded on a system of equality that protects minorities from the "many", rather than allowing the "many " to rule with impunity.

than why do we vote? voting a desision of many over few, isn't it???

and yes if 95% like it, and 5% do not, things are gonna happen the way 95% want it to happen. assuming all 100% are of equal value and social position

Edited by aztek
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It's not the outhouse that's racist. The disparagement and attempts to degrade & humiliate another person is unacceptable no matter the race, skin color, political affiliation, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Except that it's called Free Speech.

In an interview I read saw with the float's creator this morning he said that the figure represents him and it's a political commentary on the state of the VA under this administration.

If folks can't handle their leaders being criticized, then perhaps they should move to someplace like North Korea.

Edited by Rafterman
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than why do we vote? voting a desision of many over few, isn't it???

Why do you vote?

You vote to elect a govt who will uphold the laws of the Constitution, which state most unequivocally that the many shall not impugn the rights of the minority.

Not to effect a "rule of the majority".

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Why do you vote?

You vote to elect a govt who will uphold the laws of the Constitution, which state most unequivocally that the many shall not impugn the rights of the minority.

Not to effect a "rule of the majority".

that is absolutely NOT what i was talking about.

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that is absolutely NOT what i was talking about.

Then why did you initially quote my post as if in reply?

Because that is most definitely what I was talking about.

Edited by Leonardo
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But this side-argument has little relevance to the float itself as, unless there is some cultural reference I am missing, it doesn't seem to exhibit any indicators of racism.

The only social relevance I can come up with leads to the South, backwoods and/or rednecks, no relation to blacks at all. People in the South still think it's kind of cute to have a traditional looking outhouse, with all the modern amenities, out near their swimming pool to keep water from being tracked into the house.

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As for the actual float outhouse, I take it that, like his presidency, they are both full of ****.

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Then why did you initially quote my post as if in reply?

Because that is most definitely what I was talking about.

because you are wrong, in this country things wil happen the way 95% want it to happen. that is just how it is. and 5% will have to get over it. it has nothing to do with impugn the rights of the minority

Edited by aztek
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I suppose the person with the zimmer frame is a not-very-clear reference to ACA - perhaps a nod to Palin's "death panels" myth?

aztek,

Considering your latest reply suggests you have little grasp of irony, I'll leave our disagreement there.

Edited by Leonardo
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Okay, there's a tenuous link there - but why the "Presidential Library" part? Are they suggesting Obama only reads when taking a dump?

I don't think the accusation of racism has any merit - but I don't see any wit involved in the design. It's not funny-insulting, just insulting.

Because that's what the entire legacy of Pres. O can be fitted into. Like how other Presidents have the Ronald Reagan Memorial Library or The Richard Nixon Memorial Library. It's a kind of dig at his achievements during his reign.
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Because that's what the entire legacy of Pres. O can be fitted into. Like how other Presidents have the Ronald Reagan Memorial Library or The Richard Nixon Memorial Library. It's a kind of dig at his achievements during his reign.

Okay, I could see the sarcasm the float designer intended if they meant to write "Memorial Library" on the side of the float, but as it is it bears no relationship to those other buildings you mention as they are not "Presidential Libraries" - they are simply buildings named, or renamed, in honour of an ex-President. "Ex-" being the operative term.

Dunno, maybe it's simply regional humour that I - being not of the area - don't get.

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I think making a political statement like the float is just inappropriate for a 4th of July parade. It should be about celebrating good things about the country, not making snarky jokes about it.

But then, I have no idea what kind of parade would be a suitable setting for making snarky political jokes either.

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It seems Obama is exempt of any criticism because of his race..

Wait a tick..

racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior

Oh, progressives...

Edited by Drayno
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You vote to elect a govt who will uphold the laws of the Constitution

Funniest thing I have read in a while. Thanks for the laugh.

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