Two Arrested After Obama Effigy Display

I think it is sick that someone would do this. Hanging someone in effigy is really disrespectful and neither Barack Obama nor Sarah Palin deserve that sort of treatment. However, to the gentleman who wanted to know why it is a "crime" that this happened to an effigy of Mr. Obama? If you are not aware, our county has a history of rascism and slavery which has resulted in the loss of many african-americans, particularly prominently through lynchings (hangings) of african-americans, even in recent memory for many americans. That someone would do this hearkens back to those days in a disquieting and upsetting way. Clearly, it is wrong for this to happen to anyone's effigy, but this is what people are so upset about.

Gus of WA 5:57PM November 02, 2008

First of all, I want to say that hanging ANY REAL PERSON in effigy is disgusting. That being said, there are tremendous differences between the Sarah Palin effigy and the Barack Obama effigies.

First of all, the Sarah Palin effigy was on a person's private property and was part of a larger Halloween tableau. A tacky and tasteless tableau, but a larger themed tableau nonetheless. You can put almost any disgusting thing you want on your personal private property. The Obama effigies at the universities have been on university property and I can assure you that the universities did NOT give their permission for these horrendous displays to be erected.

Secondly, there is a long and shameful history in the United State (predominantly in the South but not only there) of lynching African Americans, especially ones who try to assert their rights or otherwise step out of "their place". And don't think that I am only talking about things that happened over 100 years ago. Lynchings were still commonplace as recently as the 1930s and the United Klans of America lynched a randomly chosen African American named Michael Donald in 1981. Check out http://www.hangmansknot.com/articles/african-american-lynching.htm

So to ignore the profound symbolism and hurtfulness of hanging (lynching) the effigy of an African American man who is aspiring to the presidency is to ignore reality to a frightening degree and is incredibly, deeply offensive.

So while both effigies were offensive and disgusting, please do not pretend to equate the two in their powerful symbolism. There is simply no comparison.

Rachel of KY 12:37PM November 01, 2008

The morons from Kentucky were arrested for THEFT, burglary and disorderly conduct. They STOLE THE STUFF to make the effigy. Then they had the idiotic notion to hang it from a public place (as opposed to being on private property they owned like in California's example), which brought the disorderly conduct charge.

They didn't get arrested for hanging Obama in effigy. They got arrested because unlike the guy in California, they didn't BUY THE STUFF used to make it, and didn't hang it on private property as a personal statement.

Jeez, do you just shoot from the hip or don't you bother reading the stories?

And I'm with Lauren in that two wrongs don't make a right, though if the depictions are clear enough, it could be presented as protected first amendment speech (not that I think either one is warranted as such). But if all you do, Jim, is read the headline then comment, you MIGHT try actually reading the story. While I'm against blogs presented as 'news', Alison does a credible job of presenting relatively unbiased facts in hers.

Fatesrider of CA 1:34AM November 01, 2008

I n the early history of our country effigy hangings of king George were popular.Sometimes this effigy was set afire.This has happened in other countries as well.Revisionist historians find this disagreeable if it does not meet up to their liberal agenda.

Ed collier of IL 11:35PM October 31, 2008