What would you do?

[TicketyBoo]

A person down the street from us has put up a Halloween display with a life-sized effigy of a black man, chains between his hands, hanging from a tree.

(I told you things were bad here.)

My husband reported it to the police. They said they'd "talk with him." It remained hanging.

My husband went to the City Attorney and asked him if he really wanted such a thing hanging on the city right-of-way. (The tree was on the parking, which is claimed by the City.)

We drove by, and now the black man is sitting on their porch bench, still in chains.

What would YOU do?

This is disgustingly offensive.

[Greyhound]

1. The facts of freedom of expression, he (they) are free to be bigots.

:shrug:

[TicketyBoo]

2. So the answer is

to do nothing?

It's going to happen more and more, I fear, if nothing is done.

[TicketyBoo]

3. Isn't there some

national group that would be interested in this?

[polly7]

5. I would call a few newspaper and media reporters and invite them

to practice their journalist skills. That's terrible .... I can't imagine how hard it is to see every day.

[TicketyBoo]

7. Done.

My husband called the local TV station; they have expressed an interest.

[TicketyBoo]

11. Unfortunately

local newspapers are likely to agree with this racist's point of view. They know their readership, after all.

[pipi_k]

21. Yep, that's exactly what I would suggest.

People have freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean disgusting things have to be tolerated in silence.

[Greyhound]

9. You have the same freedom, use it to publicly shame them(?)

How do your other neighbors feel?

[The Straight Story]

4. Ask them to replace it with a white man (nt)

[Curtland1015]

6. Could you make a dummy of your neighbor for your yard?

Not hanging from a TREE of course, but maybe having sex with a stuffed animal or wearing a diaper or something?

[TicketyBoo]

8. I don't even know this person.

(Thank goodness.)

The house is about 15 blocks down the street from our house. We have to drive by it every time we go anywhere.

[TicketyBoo]

10. I don't think

an effigy of an anonymous white man participating in bestiality or wearing a diaper would get the point across, unless maybe I dumped it in his yard.

[Divine Discontent]

17. "unless i dumped it in his yard" seriously had me ROLLING!

remember, these people are friggin idiots, and want a rise, but their disgusting behavior cannot be overlooked, of course. maybe you can do what's stated below that I agreed with, or the journalist/NAACP route.

[pipi_k]

23. bwahahahahahh!!!!

take a picture from across the yard, blow it up, and have it printed on a sheet of weather-proof paper or plastic to stick on the dummy's head.

hahahahahah

:7

[SoCalDem]

12. Take a picture, write about it and send it to the newspaper/ tv station... n/t

[Stevenmarc]

13. Oh let's see, an effigy with a Dubya mask in prison stripes

[Berry Cool]

14. I would steal it, hide it in my basement

and if he questioned me about it, say innocently: "What?? Your slave is missing? Must've gotten away on the Underground Railroad." And shrug.

If he then figured out I was hiding it in my basement, I'd quickly pass it on to someone else and encourage them to pass it on to someone else, and then maybe even see if they could get someone to drive it to Canada. Make a joke out of it, like the garden gnomes people steal and send on vacation--only you're making a point with it.

If he says "You stole my property" and the police become involved, you have a perfect answer: "In the antebellum South, slaves were considered personal property, and it was against the law for anyone to hide them or help them escape. Many people who were against slavery defied the law to do what they thought was right. I'm just doing the same thing. Please don't tell me YOU believe in slavery??"

[Toots]

15. Get a large cross and put it in his yard and set it on fire.

:shrug:

[Divine Discontent]

16. DING DING DING!

that way you're not doing anything violent, but you're getting the point across!

also, if you stole it, they'd just make another one, and maybe more vile. if you've got the guts the 6-8 foot tall burning cross would point out how racist they are!

I am a Christian, and I don't see you using a cross to point out their evil behavior is bad, it's being used in a morally correcting way, but I like the idea of reminding them they might as well admit they're KLAN members and start putting burning crosses in people's yards! Embarrass them either with that if you're bold, or simply get a local journalist to report on them and humiliate them! Call the NAACP in your nearest city. I know if I saw a straw guy with a rainbow shirt, or a black man with chains, was hung from a tree I'd have a hard time not doing something direct!

[AlienGirl]

19. That's not a good idea, IMO: you could get a ticket for littering or harrassment

And even worse, the neighbor and his family might assume you're the Klan Welcome Wagon and come out dressed in sheets to party with you!

Tucker

[Moosepoop]

20. That could result in arson charges or something.

Perhaps fake cardboard flames on the cross instead?

[AlienGirl]

18. I'd take pictures of it from the street, and post them to DU and other sites

Nothing you can do about offensive free speech except expose it to ridicule and challenge.

Tucker

[slackmaster]

22. I wouldn't have done a thing

If my neighbor wants to make an ass of himself and isn't breaking any laws or local ordinances, it's none of my business.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

24. Violating The Law Makes You No Better Than They Are

That's why I think the suggestions to expose him to public ridicule are the best ones. He's got freedom of speech and all, but so do you. I agree that taking pictures and sending them to every media organization in the area would be the first step. You might also consider contacting the NAACP. There have been many stories where the NAACP has gotten involved in cases where images of black men being hanged cropped up during Halloween, and more recently, when there was a college professor who had a noose hung from the doorknob of his office (you may remember that one). I think they'd be very interested to hear what's going on in your neighborhood.

[Iggo]

25. Take pictures and send it to the TV news.

They love shit like this.

[Forkboy]

26. Yep. I was just going to say, call attention to it in the area.

Be it through tv news, print news, LTTE, or friends or neighbors who aren't insane scumbags.

[TicketyBoo]

27. I've been contemplating

sneaking up to his house in the middle of the night and taping a Barack Obama campaign sign to his window.

Not sure I have the guts, but it would be a neat thing to do.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

28. Hmmmm. Nebraska, eh?

I couldn't place at first which state resembles a dust buster. That's pretty horrendous.