There was a national controversy created recently when a rodeo clown, Tuffy Gessling, put together an act involving a President Barack Obama mask at the Missouri State Fair. The announcer reportedly called out “This bull’s going to get’cha, Obama! He’s gonna get’cha!” The reaction was fierce. Gessling was given a lifetime ban and the announcer, Mark Ficken, resigned. All clowns will now have to go through a “sensitivity training” course after the incident. However, The President of the Missouri Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Mary Radliff is calling for the prosecution of the key players for a hate crime. Radliff’s statements shows how broad this controversial crime has become and how it can now threaten free speech principles.
The criticism of this act is certainly understandable. It was stupid and disrespectful. However, some have questioned the need for the lifetime ban as opposed to an apology or being dismissed from this rodeo. I have seen presidents mocked and portrayed at many fairs and rodeos. I saw one fair where clowns chased around a guy in a Reagan mask during his presidency. I recall various events with people in Clinton masks. Presidents are public figures and people love to make fun of those in high places. I am not dismissing the fact that some have a deep hatred or racist view of the President. Clearly, many in the audience were hostile to Obama and loved the notion of his being chased by a bull. I am not sure what the sensitivity training will convey. Is it a lesson not to use presidents or politicians as clown-like characters. That has been done in circuses since ancient Rome. Is it not to use African-American celebrities?
We can disagree on what is the appropriate level of punishment. (I do feel that the display had an overtly political and disrespectful character that should be the subject of discipline). However, calling this a hate crime reaffirms the long-criticism of this criminal provision as a threat to free speech. As noted in a prior columns, free speech appears to be dying in the West with the increasing criminalization of speech under discrimination, hate, and blasphemy laws. To understand this threat to free speech, you need only read the interview with Ms. Radliff: “I think that a hate crime occurred,” Ratliff told KXNT Radio in Las Vegas Thursday. ”I think a hate crime occurs when you use a person’s race to depict who they are and to make degrading comments, gestures, et cetera, against them.”
So that is the crime now? Making degrading comments or gestures about a person’s race? That would criminalize a huge array of speech in the United States. In this case, Radliff objects to an act of being “disrespectful to our president, whether he be black, white, Hispanic, Latina.” She has called for the Justice Department and Secret Service to go after the rodeo clowns for their “discriminatory practices against our sitting African-American president.”
I fail to see the need to round up our rodeo clowns or criminalize parody. I do not like the use of actual people — whether presidents or not — in such acts because I feel it is mean-spirited and disrespectful. However it is not a crime. Moronic, yes but criminal, no. They are rodeo clowns which are by definition rather moronic.
What do you think? Should this be a crime? Do you believe a lifetime ban is appropriate for this type of display?
Source: CBS
nick:
good story.
Although there are people in this country who dont like Obama because he is black.
LK,
I think we may be talking past one another here. The reason you react the way you do (which is pretty much how I feel about him as well) is that you’re not a racist. You are judging him by objective criteria based on his actions as relates to his character. No racist would ever give him a pass even if his policies were golden, but the bad policy gives them fuel to the fire. He’s not exacerbating the quantity of racism. He’s exacerbating the quality of racism.
Bron: “Bush was burned in effigy in this country, no one cared”
I cared. I thought it was great, it made me happy. 🙂 How miserable a job did Bush have to do for a black man, with a Arabic sounding name, to get elected while we’re at war with two Muslim countries? Pretty bad. I would have been happy to take a whack at a Bush piñata. This sort of display has been considered cathartic for millennia. It reduces the chances of actual violence.
nick,
There you have clearly expressed intent (albeit after the fact) and a nebulous expression to begin with. To paraphrase Freud, “Sometimes a banana is just a banana.”
Gene, I have a lot of hostility toward Barack H Obama, President of the US, over many of his policies but it doesn’t affect how I feel about the racial landscape of the country. It’s personal to the man, not his color. If it did it would be my problem, not his, and certainly shouldn’t be used to justify a statement that HE has exacerbated racial tensions. One can’t seriously buy the premise that ‘oh, his policies are so sucky that I just have to believe that it’s because he’s black and (to play it out) black people should not be given great responsibility but I wouldn’t have felt that way if he was a better president’. That isn’t how racism works.
We must not be communicating effectively on this matter.
Gene, The announcer @ a rodeo is part of the show. They always are egging the crowd on to cheer, boo, etc. That’s part of the schtick. I’ve only been to 2 rodeos, but that was my experience. That’s what I heard in this video.
There was an incident that occurred in the Orioles v Giants game last Sunday. In the 9th inning, a banana was tossed onto the field near the Orioles black outfielder Adam Jones. Being one of the bigger Twitter people in sports, Jones got on Twitter and expressed his outrage @ this racist event. Now, I thought about it and had occasion to discuss this w/ a black friend and fellow baseball fan. We agreed it certainly could be racist. My friend said, if it watermelon, then almost certainly. We both have kids, took our kids to lots of games[some together], and would pack food to save money. I often packed bananas as did my bud. The kids loved them and they travel well. There was a good amount of press on this w/ most folks assuming it was racist. The Giants and MLB denounced it, etc.
A couple days later, a guy came forward. He had a Latino name. He said he came forward because he felt very bad that this was being considered a racial event. The man said he threw the banana on the field in disgust @ his team[Giants]. They were getting their butts kicked and lost 10-2. Now, I believe the man could have remained anonymous. No one was looking for him. The player wasn’t hit w/ anything. I have to say his motives seem both legit and righteous.
Tomorrow there is supposed to be nationwide protest on the highways against Obama & Congress for their abuse of the citizens & our constitution.
I understand some will be holding signs saying: Impeach Obama’s White Half.
Beyond the Rodeo Clown/Announcer’s attempt at humor, & attempts at Humor always carry risk, there multiple layers of different political operatives on all sides posturing for political gain from the Rodeo skit.
How many different levels of dark humor can you see the political operatives/pundits using?
We’ll see.
@ay and joy:
Thank you! The pot stirrers are just the same kind of people who used to be John Birchers, and saw commies behind every tree. True, communism was a bad thing, but it wasn’t behind every thing that ever happened.
Some people are just like them, only they see Racists behind every tree. They have the same mindset, that they are saving us from a horrible evil. Which racism is a bad thing, but it isn’t behind every thing that ever happens.
I think the similarity between the Birchers and “Racers” can be seen in a thought experiment: What would a Bircher say about the rodeo clown? Here is my GUESS, something like:
Sooo, that is how I see that mindset working.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I’m thinking Obama is a bigger liar than President Bush!
How about this rewording then, W=^..^?
“Regardless, political free speech – even when you don’t like it, especially when you don’t like it – is meant to be protected.”
In today’s climate, clearly attempts to stifle dissent are not only ongoing but escalating.
Regardless, political free speech – even when you don’t like it, especially when you don’t like it – is protected.
—————————–
No it isn’t.
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/free-speech-denied/
LK,
Certainly that is the core of the thing – his color – as we are talking about racism. I don’t think he’s set back (note the word choice) race relations per se. The argument is that he’s riled up the ones with a propensity for that sort of thing by bad policy on top it. Two different kinds of harm. He may have the same number of people who hate him strictly based on race but now they are twice as angry (and just as irrational).
Also, Ozzie, the “let them figure it out” stance is based on the proposition that if you give someone the analytical framework to decide when and why they are being deceived (such as in the Propaganda Series) you are effectively teaching them to fish instead of giving them a fish.
Gene H: “But ask yourself this question: Has Obama been good for race relations? With his disastrous policies, refusal to hold Washington and Wall Street criminals accountable, and steady expansion of the Imperial Presidency all while trampling upon the Constitution? Or has he simply provided ammo for the racists claiming a black man should have never been President in the first place? The argument that he’s damaged race relations by his piss poor performance in office – if only by exacerbating and giving a thin veneer of being able to claim “they were right” to racists – has some merit. He may not have created new racists or new racial tensions, but he has arguably aggravated what was there to start with.”
******
Couple of points Gene: The same could be said regarding disastrous policies for any number of white politicians and Bush. That we have a person of color in the White House that may be doing as bad of a job on some fronts doesn’t mean he has harmed race relations in the US. He was elected President, not ‘Black Messiah that will lead us to a post-racial, social utopia’. Why should he be better at it than any other president or why should his policies suck so much less in order to escape the charge that he is bad for race relations? His domestic, purely social policies have not harmed white or other Americans.
That any of his policies do not completely remove the ability of racists to claim “they were right” to racists is to be held against him, then that is a false charge. Racists will never give up that “thin veneer” of correctness no matter what objective reality demonstrates- they’re racists.
To say “He may not have created new racists or new racial tensions, but he has arguably aggravated what was there to start with.” is old school, what has aggravated the existing tensions is THAT HE IS BLACK, period. You’re going to have to show me that people that are not racist have become racists in response to him for that statement to even get off the ground, let alone fly. It’s not the Presidents job to kiss the ass of every racist in the country in order to diffuse racial tension or be twice as good as any other president to get the same level of respect or, at least, not be assailed by racists.
I lived the concept of having to be twice as good to get a shot at ending up at the same place male counterparts expected, and achieved, as their due. There’s a sub-text to your comment that may not be what you were aiming for.
As far as the rodeo clown: not a hate crime, first amendment yada, yada, yada. But I’ve been to a couple of rodeo’s in Missouri albeit a long time ago, I’m sure there were racists in that crowd that just ate it up but that just goes with the territory, it’s Missouri.
mahtso,
I think you missed the point. Race factoring into his policy isn’t the issue. It’s his failed and unconstitutional policies as a whole that gives racists ammo to justify their irrational hatred based on race. If you value the Constitution and the rule of law, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to hate the man.
Ozzie,
You should read the blog more often. Most of the regulars are looking for the best argument and are open to change. That being said, some people never change. It’s not in their nature.
nick,
The announcer is clearly inciting the crowd. “We gonna smoke Obama, man!” “Obama we’re coming for you this time!” Had it just been the mask without further comment? No issue.
Swm,
You could research this thread’s topic further online with the link below or you can just go to the Liquor store, buy a case of Campari, & drink a shot every time you hear or see the Obama or Democratic mentioned. 🙂
http://www.campari.com/
“But ask yourself this question: Has Obama been good for race relations? With his disastrous policies, refusal to hold Washington and Wall Street criminals accountable, and steady expansion of the Imperial Presidency all while trampling upon the Constitution? Or has he simply provided ammo for the racists claiming a black man should have never been President in the first place? The argument that he’s damaged race relations by his piss poor performance in office – if only by exacerbating and giving a thin veneer of being able to claim “they were right” to racists – has some merit. He may not have created new racists or new racial tensions, but he has arguably aggravated what was there to start with.”
For the most part, President Obama’s policies have nothing to do with race and this comment strikes me as silly. Unless it can be shown that the deficiencies listed are the result of racial bias, we should give no credence to anyone who needs this “ammo” for their racist views.
Having written that, I think there are areas where race has entered the President’s policy choices (and decisions) and that this has been bad for race relations (e.g., the Black Panther elections matter and his statements about Trevon Martin matter).
Oh never mind, a lock room clown can’t get any respect around a full of lawyers! 🙂
“Dark Humor”
In the famous words of Rodney King: Can’t we— “Can’t Obama just lighten up? ”
The Rodeo Bull was used as the pun for Obama’s policy positions. The Rodeo Clown was mocking Obama’s policy positions as being bovine faeces.
AKA: everywhere else known as Bull Sheeet.
IE: Obama is going to get run over by his Bull Sheeet Policy Positions.
**Puns are used to create humor and sometimes require a large vocabulary to understand. Puns have long been used by comedy writers, such as William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and George Carlin. The Roman playwright Plautus is famous for his tendency to make up and change the meaning of words to create puns in Latin.[4] **
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun
Maybe if people did some more work on their vocabulary it would help? 🙂
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2010/08/in_the_line_of_ire.html
“Absolutely. The First Amendment protects the right to free expression, which includes the right to shoot, burn, or in any way destroy an image of anyone including the president as long you’re not posing a “credible threat.” The standard here is whether there is genuine intent to commit or incite violence, and also whether that violence is likely to actually occur. If there’s no “clear and present danger,” as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. put it, there’s no basis for censorship.”
Bush was burned in effigy in this country, no one cared.