Not for Liberals

[bayern]

This guy is a NUT, but he has a point.

Feds called in to review landowner's sign

By KEITH KINNAIRD
News editor
VAY — The U.S. Secret Service is being asked to review a sign a Bonner County landowner put up which suggests a "free public hanging" of President-elect Barack Obama and several other political figures.
The handmade cardboard sign also features a noose fashioned from a length of nylon rope.
"That's a political statement. They can call it whatever they want, a threat or whatever," said Ken Germana, who installed the sign on his property off Golden Gate Road in southwestern Bonner County.
Obama's name is the most prominent on the sign, although it also bears the names of former Democrat presidential nominee John Kerry, current U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and civil rights activist and former presidential candidate Al Sharpton.
Sheriff Elaine Savage said she is referring the matter to the Secret
Service, which is tasked with protecting the lives of presidents, presidential contenders and those who are in a presidential line of succession.
"I'm sure they will be looking into it," Savage said on Wednesday.
The Secret Service agent in Spokane, Wash., who was asked to review the situation was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force said it is outraged by the display.
"Everyone has the right of free speech, unless it advocates the killing or hurting of someone or incites violence, which violates the doctrine of human rights," Christine Holbert, president of the task force, said in a statement.
Holbert called the sign "hateful" and said its content is not protected under the First Amendment.
"I would not want to be in this man's shoes when the Secret Service interviews him," she added.
Germana said he poses absolutely no threat to Obama, but admits he would not lose any sleep if harm did come the president-elect's way. He said he made the sign to protest hypocrisy in two high-profile incidents involving effigies of Republican vice president nominee Sarah Palin and Obama.
The Palin effigy was erected in Los Angeles and the Obama effigy was put up at the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington. Both incidents made headlines in the run-up to the general election, but Germana maintains they were treated differently by authorities and the press.
In Germana's view, nothing was done to the creators of the Palin effigy, while those who were involved with the Obama effigy were arrested.
"If other people can make political statements, so can I. Just because I don't live in California doesn't mean I don't have my rights, too," he said.
Germana calls any insinuation that there is a racial tone to his sign malarkey, emphasizing that its message is clearly equal opportunity.
"If these Katzenjammer cops want to pursue it, God bless 'em. But I've got my rights just like everybody else does," he said.

[Xiphos]

I don't think this is the type of activity that should be taking place in a civilized society.

However if it's good enough for the Palin effigy folks it's good enough for this guy.

[Pinki]

I honestly dont know what I feel about this sort of thing. I think that it is inappropriate and 'wrong' of course, but I'm not so sure I support the idea of arresting these folks either.

[Five-0]

The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force said it is outraged by the display.
"Everyone has the right of free speech, unless it advocates the killing or hurting of someone or incites violence, which violates the doctrine of human rights," Christine Holbert, president of the task force, said in a statement.
Holbert called the sign "hateful" and said its content is not protected under the First Amendment.
"I would not want to be in this man's shoes when the Secret Service interviews him," she added.

Where was the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force(you have to be kidding me, a task force....really) during the protests against our current president or as it has already been mentioned Republican VP nominee? You wouldn't want to be in the man's shoes during an interview? We don't even harm terrorists to interview them. It is the Secret Service. Now if it was the IRS I would worry for him. Do I agree with this type of childish display? NO. Just seems like it started making the news now that the shoe is on the other foot. Has this guy been called a racist YET?

[Aegis]

While I tend to agree that there is a double standard in dealing with "hate" speech and actions, the University of Kentucky incident is more than just an effigy. The braniacs in Lexington burglarized a fraternity house, and stole the materials to make the effigy, and the ladder they used to hang it on campus. Most of the charges against the kids were in relation to the theft and burglary.

The Palin effigy was hung on private property by the owners.

Am I saying that the kids in KY would have been treated the same as the people in Cali if the kids had not committed other crimes? Absolutely not. My OPINION is that the "target" of the effigy in KY made ALL of the difference in the court of public opinion, and if the effigy at UK had been Palin the story wouldn't have made the news.

I'd say LEOs be hearing about, and dealing with, many more of these types of incidents in the near future.

[IndianaFuzz]

My stance is this. Both effigies were wrong, point blank. Though in looking at each incident, the Obama effigy is just a step more for one simple concept. There is no history of white conservative females being hung in this country while there is a history of black people being hung. That's the one difference. But again, both effigies were deserving of outrage.

[deputysykes]

These are the down sides of the civil liberties we are given in this country. The ability to voice HATE to the public without sanction. Sad, but true. Frustrating, but protected.

[MacLean]

The effigy creators on both sides are stupid, but they aren't criminal.

[snuffy2202]

My stance is this. Both effigies were wrong, point blank. Though in looking at each incident, the Obama effigy is just a step more for one simple concept. There is no history of white conservative females being hung in this country while there is a history of black people being hung. That's the one difference. But again, both effigies were deserving of outrage.

Actually, there is history of white conservative females being hung in this country. Have you forgotten the Salem withch trials? I do agree, however, that they weren't nearly as many as blacks.

[IndianaFuzz]

Actually, there is history of white conservative females being hung in this country. Have you forgotten the Salem withch trials? I do agree, however, that they weren't nearly as many as blacks.

Well and those women were burned, not hung. The reason an effigy can strike more deeply is because of the direct symbolism of the gesture, not simply on the death aspect. So if an effigy was of someone being burned, then I guess white women should be more offended than black people would be by that kind of effigy.

But regardless of the level of offensiveness or how deeply the symbolism strikes, it's like maclean said, that it's (on both sides) "stupid, but they aren't criminal." Deputysykes' last two sentences are right on the money as well.

[Jenna]

Actually, there is history of white conservative females being hung in this country. Have you forgotten the Salem withch trials? I do agree, however, that they weren't nearly as many as blacks.

Were they really conservative? I thought accused witches tended to be progressive!

[MacLean]

Well and those women were burned, not hung.

Burned, hung, drowned - a lot of different ways.

A very interesting time to read about, but I don't think they were considered conservative.

[CTR man]

Actually, there is history of white conservative females being hung in this country. Have you forgotten the Salem witch trials? I do agree, however, that they weren't nearly as many as blacks.

Well and those women were burned, not hung. The reason an effigy can strike more deeply is because of the direct symbolism of the gesture, not simply on the death aspect. So if an effigy was of someone being burned, then I guess white women should be more offended than black people would be by that kind of effigy.

I beg to differ, I have ancestry that was persecuted in the Salem Witch Trials. But anyways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before local magistrates followed by county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex Counties of colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned, with even more accused who were not formally pursued by the authorities. The two courts convicted twenty-nine people of the capital felony of witchcraft. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged. One man (Giles Cory) who refused to enter a plea was crushed to death under heavy stones in an attempt to force him to do so. At least five more of the accused died in prison.

Burned, hung, drowned - a lot of different ways.

A very interesting time to read about, but I don't think they were considered conservative.

I honestly believe that they were persecuted because they were church going women, different and kept to themselves instead of getting involved with town affairs.

[IndianaFuzz]

Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged.

I stand corrected. I never knew that any were hung. But perhaps that is part of the issue, if its not as well known that hanging was one of the means of death there.