Sheridan parade float depicts Obama in toilet

[seabeckind]

Last edited Tue Jul 5, 2016, 10:57 AM - Edit history (1)

Ok, found some words. This parade was sanctioned and encouraged by the local government and made use of gov't facilities and resources to make the event happen. This was on a state highway that I pay for.

Unless there is an immediate condemnation of this float as well as some legal action against the perpetrator (if he did it on his own) it might be construed as the opinion of the gov't officials.

The Clerk-Treasurer, regardless of her hafassed attempt to claim independence, is most assuredly in the very middle of this business.

She is the face of that county, an elected official. If she doesn't have accountability, just who does?

And that goes for the asshole LE guy also. Don't they have any security procedures at all? Or was he enjoying the "show".

Sheridan Clerk-Treasurer Elizabeth Walden said the town applied for and obtained a permit to close Ind 38 and Ind. 47 for the duration of the parade. The parade entries are organized and approved by the Lions Club, she said.

Walden said she does not know who drove the golf cart. She declined to respond to the growing reaction to photos shared on social media.

"I'd rather not comment," Walden said. "I don't want to get in the middle of it."

Sheridan, population 2,900, is a small rural community in northern Hamilton County. In 2012, the county gave 66 percent of its votes to Republican Mitt Romney and 32 percent to Obama.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2016/07/05/sheridan-parade-float-depicts-obama-toilet/86698760/

Bolding mine.

[mainer]

1. Driver's too cowardly to show his face.

Shame on the Lion's Club. They had to approve this. The national organization needs to respond pronto.

[spanone]

2. america, where you're free to be as racist as you wish

[cwydro]

3. Wow.

Words fail me.

[Yavin4]

4. Remember these are the people that some Liberals want us to reach out to.

Cause they just down trodden White working class, honest folks.

[Person 2713]

5. Is the lions club a national org.that approved ,Or independent units?

[yardwork]

6. The Lions Clubs have been fighting accusations of racism. This won't help.

The national organization needs to step in immediately and revoke this group's charter.

[mainer]

7. Just saw an update. Driver identified, says he didn't file for approval.

Don Christy, 73, Sheridan, told IndyStar that he drove the golf cart in the parade. He said he didn't fill out an entry form. He said he lined up with other floats at the high school parking lot and was waved along when the parade started.

"I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican," Don Christy, 73, Sheridan, said. "I'm a patriot."

Christy said he is tired of political correctness and was just trying to be funny. The display was not intended to be racist, he said. Christy agreed that others have a right to be offended, just as he has the right to express his views.

"I apologize to anyone I offended, which would be a total liberal. I have my right to say things," Christy said. "Isn't that what the Fourth of July's about? Freedom."

[AngryOldDem]

9. All the usual, tired, bullshit excuses.

On edit: And of course, the "l" word came up. It's amazing how many times politically ignorant people inject that into almost every discussion imaginable. Without liberals, that old man wouldn't have a lot of the freedoms he claims he's protecting. Dumbass.

[yardwork]

11. The parade organizers need to rethink their security.

[seabeckind]

13. I bet he wanted to use a different word on the sign.

But didn't think it would be acceptable.

[MagickMuffin]

17. Well let him explain his trump box adorning his rooftop

Looks like a republican to me!

And no sir you are not a patriot, you're a racist!

[pandr32]

26. Exactly

This is so vile. Where are the 32% who voted for Obama? How can they let this pass by?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

27. Don Christy is full of shit

If someone had done the same thing to Dumbya Bush in 2004, he'd probably try to fight them.

Fuck him, racist fuck.

[bullwinkle428]

33. TODAY - I saw this asshole with a license plate frame that said

"NOBAMA 2012 - I'm not racist. I just don't like Communists"



Okay, when you have to make the declarative "I'm not racist", you might as well be wearing a hood decorated with the "Stars & Bars"!

[AngryOldDem]

8. This happened up the road from me...

...and this is the first I've heard of it. Local media (except for the Star) ignored it. And I look at the Star site daily and I did not see this, either.

Politics aside, there's a lot to like about Hamilton County. But there's this.

[seabeckind]

12. Hamilton Cty is by and for business interests.

One of those "economic council" counties.

The ones where business interests get together to decide the best way to make use of taxpayer funds.

It's ok to relocate a school way out in the boondocks and make the students ride a bus for 45 minutes if the school property is in the way of a commercial development.

[AngryOldDem]

14. That is a big problem, agreed.

And it's my biggest complaint about it. Fishers in particular.

[seabeckind]

24. Fishers is a real piece of work, isn't it?

Using taxpayer money to encourage an Ikea. Use taxpayer money to build an exit on an interstate that would make going to that Ikea very convenient for the Indianapolis people and provide little benefit for anyone else.

IOW, Fishers is spending Indiana taxpayer money to deliver customers to a company that provides low paying jobs selling imported merchandise. Oh, not to mention the tax abatements.

And then tries to pretend that jobs is the reason.

Then there's Carmel. The poster child for tax abatements.

[AngryOldDem]

38. My concerns are many.

Despite the fact that generally I like living here for several reasons (moved here before all the nonsense started with I-69, 116th St., etc.).

Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall the town (then it was a "town&quot seeking a whole lot of citizen input before all the development started. I think it's a big cluster. I run up around the city hall all the time and it was much nicer before when I didn't have to worry about getting run over when I stepped off curbs, or have my line of sight blocked by monstrosities. Now, traffic is insane, infrastructure hasn't kept up, and area is just plain overdeveloped. And I'm afraid the city doesn't know when to stop. The IKEA idea is just flat-out bad. The roads can't support the extra traffic as it is now.

For whatever reason, Fishers seems to think it has to compete with Carmel. It doesn't. That's when I place the big rush to development up here -- when Carmel opened its arts district, Fishers felt it was falling behind. No, it wasn't. Two totally different demographics, and I wish they had left things the hell alone, or had been smarter with the development.

My biggest concern, though, is that the economy will take a major dump and Fishers will be left holding the bag with a lot of empty storefronts/offices/apartments-condos.

[mercuryblues]

10. They should be so proud of themselves

This town was renamed in honor of Union General Philip Sheriden and one of its 1st settlers was George Boxley, an abolitionist.

Now it will be memorialized as a racist shithole.

[Justice]

15. Sheriden and Boxley rolling over in their graves.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

28. Makes me sick

Being a descendant of Sheridan.

[abbeyco]

16. Lions Clubs International

Contact them to register your complaint; they're available 8am - 4:30pm Central Time.

Headquarters Contact Information

Lions Clubs International Headquarters
300 West 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842
USA (Map)

630-571-5466

[mainer]

18. IndyStar editorial: "don't blame all Hoosiers."

The problem is, the residents in Sheridan let the float proceed with a wink, wink, nod, nod, and didn't protest.

How many times have you heard " all Muslims are terrorists because they don't speak out against terrorists"?

What does that say about all those silent Hoosiers?

http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/matthew-tully/2016/07/05/tully-blame-one-idiot-racist-display-indiana/86708654/

[seabeckind]

25. Indianapolis businesses are doing a lot of apologizing these days.

[yellowcanine]

19. This guy sounds like a first class jerk.

Christy said he tries to do something funny and outrageous in the parade every year. Last year, he dressed as a gay person, he said.

"Me and a guy got married (during the parade)," Christie said. "It was funny."

Har Har.

[mainer]

20. He's now said he apologizes "if I offended anyone."

He's only sorry that he's getting blowback.

[Downtown Hound]

21. Ever notice how a huge amount of what Republicans call "humor" often revolves around

making fun of and denigrating others?

[renate]

23. rem acu tetigisti

[NobodyHere]

30. Liberal humor doesn't?

[Downtown Hound]

31. Not in the same way that conservatice humor does

And if you can't see that, you're not worth my time.

[JI7]

22. he is just angry over TPP and third way

[underthematrix]

29. This makes me so glad I'm African American

This is what you do when you still believe against all evidence to the contrary that the #WhitenessNarrative is still a thang

[SickOfTheOnePct]

32. Yes, it's vile and repulsive

Yes, charges can be filed if there is a law against joining the parade without permission
No, charges can't be filed because it's vile and repulsive
No, failing to file charges because it's vile and repulsive doesn't imply that the local government condones the message.

[Dawson Leery]

34. Do the Lions want to be associated with this?

Seems they do.

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. Man who made the flaot says he is not a bigot

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-made-obama-lying-african-float-not-racist-article-1.2700534


Donald Christy, 73, says he is not a racist for his "lying African" Obama float. (RTV 6)
An Indiana Donald Trump supporter who came under fire for a July 4th parade float calling President Obama a “lying African” says he is not racist.

Don Christy is known around the small town of Sheridan for his annual parade floats, but his latest offensive golf cart project has earned him notoriety around the country.

Pictures of the 73-year-old driving a float featuring a black mannequin in a toilet that says “Royal Flush” have circulated on social media since attendees of the annual festival.

Along with American flags, the phrase “lying African,” and a lion head, the cart had a box on top with the name of the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

Donald Trump meets with potential VP picks, then tweets about it
Twitter users blasted the display, with users saying that Christy “showed his bigoted ignorance” and “enjoys racism.” Others noted a large number of children in the crowd.

For his part, Christy says he’s not a fan of the president but also is not a racist.

“I’m not a Democrat. I’m not a Republican. I’m a patriot,” he told the Indianapolis Star, adding that he blamed response to the incident on political correctness.

“I have my right to say things. Isn’t that what Fourth of July is about? Freedom.”

[Starry Messenger]

36. He's just suffering from economic anxiety.

[ericson00]

37. WTF? The pure irony of conservatives bashing government

except when that government bashes who they want to bash and engage in indisputable racism.