A Mitt Romney supporter has decided to express his disdain for President Obama with blatant racism. Morgan Hill, California resident Blake la Beck placed an empty chair atop his front yard fence, then added two watermelons and a noose, with a sign fashioned to look like a teleprompter, reading, “Go Back To Kenya you idiot” nearby, to show his hatred of President Obama and his support for Mitt Romney. There’s a pro-Romney sign just feet away.
Susan Shirley, also of Morgan Hill, was so upset, she took the above photo and posted it to Facebook with this comment:
Sorry to bum you out on a Sunday, but blatant racism thrives in my beautiful town of Morgan Hill, Ca. Driving down a road between Morgan Hill and San Martin, we spotted some Romney signs, then a chair. Amusing. Then we noticed the watermelons on the chair. Disgusting. Finally we noticed the noose hanging over the side of the chair. Horrifying. Freedom of speech? Absolutely. Freedom for people to share this picture with everyone they know to point out the ominous side of the conservative party-PLEASE.
Writing of the racist exhibit, Greg Mitchell at The Nation says “this is not to say that most Romney backers are out and out racists. But it would be nice if the media, belatedly, explored the remaining strength of Birtherism—and what it reveals. Mitchell has a few more thoughts:
Despite the blatant racism on display at various Birther and Tea Party rallies—at protests embraced by many in the GOP and Fox News—we have often been told that the numbers of such adherents is very, very low. Or even, that racism is dead in America since, as Will Cain of The Blaze told Bill Maher last Friday with a straight face, the US elected a black president.
On the other hand, how do you explain that Birtherism was never a “fringe” faction within the GOP? In fact, all manner of polls have shown that actually at least half of Republicans embrace or once embraced the meme that Obama was not born in America. The latest poll I saw still pegged that “fringe” at an unhealthy 40 percent of all Republicans.
One of the great mainstream media fails of the past two years, right up to the GOP convention, was ignoring Birtherism as a near-majority view in the modern GOP—and refusing to probe what that means.
The Huffington Post adds:
California’s KTVU reports that the display was first brought to their attention by a community resident who posted an image of the arrangement to Facebook. The station has since interviewed property owner Blake la Beck, who declined to comment, but claimed the display speaks for itself.
The controversial spectacle resembles similar ones put up last month. In both Texasand Virginia, homeowners “lynched” empty chairs in their front yards alongside anti-Obama messages, drawing criticism and calls of racism from their communities.
Racist rhetoric has also emerged this election season in more direct attacks on the Obama campaign. Last week, a vandal spray-painted the words “Muslim Lier”(intended to be “Liar”) on a large banner outside a campaign office in Des Moines, Iowa.
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{ 17 comments }
Admit it: The Obama machine is largely responsible for stirring up racism in the United States during the last four years. Anyone who criticizes this most sorry excuse of a CEO for his disastrous performance over the last 47 months is labeled a "racist" and then demonized. It's a play straight from Obama's favorite playbook, written by one of his mentors: "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinksky:
Rule #13: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."
As long as it's just a display of inanimate objects, it's simply a citizen's exercise of his freedom of speech. The fact that people are getting upset over it troubles me more than the display: These same people would gladly curtail our freedom of speech through the machinery of a heavy-handed, totalitarian government. Where were these same people when the most vile things were being said and written about George W. Bush and he was burned in effigy on the eve of Obama's inauguration (see YouTube video HINhfkQAz1g), when the United States flag was being burned in the streets by subversive radicals, or when human waste applied to Christian religious symbols was exhibited as "art" in major museums. It's unsurprising behavior by liberals, who are all for tolerance, as long doesn't conflict with their point of view. This display by a citizen in a rural area is quite mild by comparison.
Wow! You're absolutely right! President Obama is at fault for racism in America! If he would just stop being such a horrible president, these racists would go away and stop being racist. I'll bet you think rape victims are "asking for it," don't you?
I'll bet you can't comprehend what you read. I neither wrote nor implied any such thing.
You're right again! I can't imagine where I got the idea that you were suggesting that the president is at fault for this and other racist behavior that we've seen since his election. Oh wait, here it is: "The Obama machine is largely responsible for stirring up racism in the United States"
The problem is that conservatives like you insist that any allegation of racism from a liberal is an overreaction, instead of acknowledging that there is a large and very vocal racist faction among you. It is your responsibility to call them out and shut them up. Otherwise, I'll continue to assume that you stand with them.
Phil, where in this article is it stated that this man should not be allowed to express his feelings? Just as he's allowed to express his feelings, people who oppose/support his display are allowed to express theirs. As far as racism is concerned, all the Obama administration had to do was be elected for racism to rear its ugly head. Refer to Exhibit A above. And no, people who disagree with O's policies aren't called racists. The racists who make vile displays of racism are called racist. And if you're thinking of blanket generalizations, you must be referring to anyone disagreeing with W as being "unpatriotic" and "hating 'Merica."
Oooh! It looks like I committed a cardinal sin in liberal-land by mentioning Barack Obama and Saul Alinksky in the same statement. All you folks who gave my statement the thumbs-down, in your heart of hearts, would like to lynch me, because you've been trained by the liberal media to regard people like me as "racists" when we DARE to criticize The Anointed One. Yeah, a prime example of liberal IN-tolerance of dissenting views. How do you folks manage to look at your own faces in the mirror each morning?
Phil, I am one of the people who gave you a thumbs down on your comments, but before I go any further let me clarify something upfront. I am a registered Republican. I did NOT vote for President Obama nor will I be voting for him in the upcoming election. Now, that being said, I am appalled by this picture and even more so by your comments and support for this man's actions. The guy who posted this picture is a racist. I am all for free speech, but what this guy did, goes beyond "free speech". Which of the things exactly in this picture that Mr. la Beck put out there on his fence to express his dislike for President Obama has to do with ANY of President Obama's political stances or decisions he has made while in office? Please tell me bc I see nothing that exclusively identifies President Obama or his politics. I do, however, see a picture of someone's fence post who has an obvious dislike for black people. He isn't protesting the politics and beliefs of President Obama in this picture. He is expressing hate based on the color of President Obama's skin. What this man did in this picture is the equivalent of yelling out a racial slur. As I stated above, I did not vote for President Obama in 2008 and I won't be voting for him in November either. But regardless of whether or not I voted for him, or whether or not I agree with his policies and stances on certain issues is a moot point. He is still the President of the United States of America. He is MY President. He is YOUR President. He is Mr. la Beck's President. We may disagree with him on political issues but he still deserves our respect bc he is OUR President. We can voice our disagreements with President Obama's politics by supporting other candidates we feel better represents our beliefs without having to resort to demeaning and demoralizing racial antics. All credibility is lost when you bring in race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. to any argument.
I am embarrassed as a registered Republican to be associated with other Republicans such as yourself and Mr. la Beck. People like the two of you are a disgrace to the party bc you see nothing wrong with these actions. People such as yourselves think it's ok to protest our President using racist tactics bc of your Constitutional right to free speech. I don't agree with the actions of any person affiliated with any political party who has to resort to hate in attempt to make a statement. If your reasons behind not wanting President Obama or any other candidate to be elected are valid and they have merit, AND you are well informed on the matter about which you are discussing, then the reasons should be able to carry themselves on their own. If you have to bring in the color of someones skin, their religion, sexual orientation, etc in an attempt to carry or make your argument, then maybe you are the one who needs to re-evaluate what it is exactly you are questioning.
Didn't take you long to waft off into hyperbole, blowing a perfectly good chance at establishing a dialogue.
Yeah, we want to lynch you, yeah we think you're a racist, yeah, we're being intolerant of your views.
Except I've seen nothing to even suggest the above. Hyperbole, the final refuge of people just one argument level above name-calling. I expect you'll start that next?
Phil You look like youd lick Mitt Romney's toochus if he'd let you and he probably would.
Phil, this article is not about anyone's policies, and the person who created that vile display didn't talk about policies either. That person wasn't making an intelligent criticism or coherent statement about anything at all, just one advocating violence, racism and hatred. Why do you continue to overlook this? No commenter here wants anyone "lynched," or is that the difference between you and the rest of us?
Of course this man has a right to the display as distasteful as it might be. This guy is racist who would support anyone against Obama as long as they are white. Romney is irrelevant to the equation. This man has the right to express his opinion, just like all the other bible-thumping, fox news watching puppets of the Republican party. If anyone is a subversive American it is Mitt Romney trying to gain political capital from the attack on our embassy before he had the facts. Americans pull together in a crisis unless you're Mitt Romney………he would trade Ann for the presidency………..
EdinOcala, you're a walking, talking textbook example of liberal intolerance and hypocrisy.
And your a walking textbook of how to be a bigot. Could you please go back being a sheeple to the closed-minded idiocy that you apparently adore?
KTHXBAI
If this vile unflushed white trash hooker's sanitary napkin is on this planet when class war comes, he is likely to experience the pleasure of having a sand screw twisted down his throat and being hung by it until gravity eviscerates him through the mouth. He should post an apology where his racist filth was, if for no other reason than to ensure that his children are not orphans at the end of a class war. Too many of my ancestors fought for racial equality to see scum like this live on the sacred soil of America.
When ignorant assholes put a cross in a bottle of urine it's free speech, and gets put in a museum. When ignorant assholes put two watermelons and a noose on a chair it's racist. He doesn't need to apoligize, he needs to apply for an Arts and Humanities grant…then it would be okay. I'm black, and i don't like this disgusting picture…but it's America folks..where people use to be free….get over it, he's expressing his ignorance which last time I looked we all had the right to do.
Well, this doesnt surprise me in Morgan Hill. For those that dont live in the Bay Area, Morgan Hill is a semirural area south of San Jose,CA. San Jose is a very conservative area of the Bay. Typical of conservaties, they cannot contain their hatred and their racism. @ Txk2178, putting a cross is bottle of urine may not be my idea of art, but if anything it is attacking an idea, not an individual. The sign and display put up by this JACKASS in Morgan Hill is attacking OUR PRESIDENT. Whether he likes him or not, Mr. Obama is owed respect. Telling him to go back to Kenya and putting watermelons on a chair IS racist. It is shameful and this cretin should be ashamed of himself. Karma is a bitch and it will come back to him, however. If you wants to put up a sign supporting a fool, thief and liar like Romney so be it, however, he has now let the whole community know what a hateful, bigoted racist he is. Good luck with that. It's bad enough to put a Romeny poster up ( that tells everyone what a moron you are), but to put up that display, that's just appalling and low class
To those of you who cry "foul" and accuse people of "playing" the race card, here's a Gut Check for you: Search deep into yourself and you will find that you were noticably silent during the 8 years of the Bush fiasco. It didn't matter what Bush/Cheney did, as far as the 'right' was concerned it was ok. Let's see; two UNFUNDED wars (that means paid for with money borrowed from China…and let's keep that of the books, ok?
Did you make a sound? Did you protest? Here's another one: Unregulate Wall Street! Yeah, that one worked out great. I'm sure all of the retirees who lost millions are glad you stuck up for them. Oh wait… you didn't. Did you make a sound? Did you protest? Now a black guy comes along, tries to undo the mess of the previous administration and suddenly he's responsible for everything that has gone wrong for the past 12 years…and NOW you have a voice. Coincidence? Face it, you are a racist! And to all of you who shout "Take Back America" – are you Native American? Because if not, that is a stupid statement! I am proud to be on the side of the Real America!
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