Ever since President Obama made his debut on the national stage, we've seen some dirty, racially-charged attacks from the right. But what we might be seeing now could be the lowest of the low ... In the wake of the Clint Eastwood's RNC empty chair "performance," one Austin, Texas homeowner hung an empty chair from a tree branch in front of his house and later attached an American flag to it. (Talk about a creepy, "offensive," "insulting" use of the flag!) The man reportedly told a blogger who said she had concerns about it, "I don't really give a damn whether it disturbs you or not. You can take [your concerns] and go straight to hell and take Obama with you. I don't give a [expletive]. If you don't like it, don't come down my street." Then, in Centreville, Virginia, an empty chair with a sign reading "Nobama" was strung from a tree near a park.
Meanwhile, news outlets report critics are upset that these incidents are meant to symbolize "lynching of President Obama." Um, you think?!?
How is this even a question? A matter of debate? Both displays are so blatantly racist, hate-filled, completely sick. What year is it again? Oh yeah, 2012, not that it should matter, because it's not like lynching -- or even using it as "metaphor" -- was ever something that should have been condoned by any American! This isn't civilized political protest -- it's grotesque and, as Rosemary Edwards, chairwoman of the Travis County Republican Party in Austin, put it, "deplorable."
Thankfully, the Secret Service is taking the incidents seriously and reportedly conducting a followup. But, at the same time, one local Republican speaking out against these isn't good enough. Because these vile displays were clearly triggered by Eastwood's strange performance at the RNC -- in which he said, "When somebody doesn't do the job, you've got to let them go" and made a throat-slashing gesture -- we need to hear from him and the Romney campaign. Granted, neither of these sick "empty chair" displays actually show any support for the GOP or Romney, but it still only seems right that they publicly denounce these acts.
It's no different and perhaps even worse than in 2008, when some McCain-Palin supporters adopted a mob mentality and began shouting out hateful, threatening remarks about Obama. Thankfully, Sen. McCain made the decision to shut down some of that ignorance at one rally by telling a racist supporter that Obama "is a decent person and a person you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States."
Sadly, we can see that in some pockets of the country, not much has changed in four years. Hence why it is even more imperative that the Republican party and the Romney campaign take a strong stance and make it known that these deeply disturbing, incredibly "un-American" (because, you know, if you want to slap that FOX News-y label on something, this is it!) displays are nothing short of shameful and will NOT be tolerated.
How do you think Clint Eastwood, the Romney campaign, and the GOP should react to these "lynching" displays?
Ashley Is a Widow Who Stays Strong...
This Hot Dad Wants to Vacuum Your Rug
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
Comments 89
I didnt read your article, as all of them are a bunch of left wing whining :) Let me just say I dont want o hear Jack Diddly SHIT about lynching being a problem or awful of ANYthing from the lefty loonies! NONE of you had a problem when is Sarah Palin. OBVIOUSLY stupidity abounds on both sides o the political spectrum, EQUALLY obvious is that lynchings don't always equal racist.....sometimes its just idiots.
Not as disgusting as what people who are directly connected to Obama get away with. Where's your revulsion over the way the Republicans are treated?
Oh, right....you're just a left-winger. You don't know how to be anything other than a hypocrite.
It is absolutely amazing that you guys will defend any and everything done against the President. Seriously, that's just pathetic. Bills, I mean seriously. Can you not just take off your blinders for one moment and see that this kind of behavior is completely unacceptable, disgusting, and disgraceful and that we, as Americans, should ALL be shocked and repulsed??? Turning this into some kind of "picking on the Republicans" argument is ridiculous. Calling Palin the "c-word" was wrong, but isn't quite the same as suggesting she be hung from the highest tree AND using such inflammatory and hateful symbolism. The blogger didn't blame Romney, she asked if he and Eastwood--who used the vacant chair symbol--ought to denounce this sort of disgusting behavior. (which, of course they should) By not recognizing that, it appears that you are just fine with people symbolizing the lynching of the President of the United States. Accepting behavior like this says a lot about a person's character.
Asking Gov. Romney or Cilnt Eastwood to address these displays is ridiculous. The left never apologizes when something is done to Republicans that is just as bad or worse.
The only thing anyone with any conscience and morals should be saying about this behavior is that it is disgraceful, disgusting, and unacceptable. Shame on all of you defending this crap and whining about the poor republicans getting called a name. When someone lynches Romney in effigy, then I'll be outraged.
That is so disrespectful to the office of the president. I am disgusted by it.
I think a chair tied to a tree is not the same thing as a chair dangling from a noose. If there had been a noose, I would agree that it was wrong and disgusting, Currently it bears no resemblance (symbolic or otherwise) to a lynching. Either way I don't see how this has anything to do with Clint Eastwood, the GOP, or the Romney campaign.
And, no, it isn't the same thing as the Obama campaign selling an altered representation of the flag for the purpose of improving his political ambitions.
None of these things are okay, but I dont think one can be called more offensive than the other. And the right is not the only one burning, hanging, destroying effigies, so dont act holier-than-thou.