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Halloween Display Seen As Symbol of Hate
St. Petersburg Times ^
| October 20, 2004
| Lauren Bayne Anderson and Leanora Minai
Posted on 10/20/2004 5:39:32 PM PDT by Ptarmigan
It had the face of Frankenstein and the hands of a werewolf.
Outfitted in jeans and flannel shirt, the creature - stuffed with crumpled newspaper - hung by the neck on a homemade gallows outside a home in the Allendale neighborhood.
To its owner, "Bob" was a Halloween decoration. But to Omali Yeshitela, it was a racially charged symbol of hate.
On Tuesday, as police officers on the scene scrambled to contact the homeowner at work, Yeshitela and others from the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement tore the dummy down.
"There is no history of hanging ghouls in this country but there is a history of hanging African people," said Yeshitela, leader of the St. Petersburg-based group.
Colleen Watson was surprised and upset when police called her at work to say the display her 15-year-old son had spent two days creating had been torn down. She said it had never occurred to her it would offend anyone.
"We are not those kind of people, we are not like that," Watson said. "This really opened my eyes, I just didn't see it this way."
Last year for Halloween, the family beheaded "Bob," replicating a guillotine. The year before, "Bob" lay in a casket. But on Tuesday, "Bob's" latest incarnation sparked anger.
(Excerpt) Read more at sptimes.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: communazis; halloween; pcnazis; pcrunamock; politicalcorrectness
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Gees, first it was Christmas, now it is Halloween. Some people HAVE WAY too much time on their hands. They need to just get a life.
1
posted on
10/20/2004 5:39:34 PM PDT
by
Ptarmigan
To: Ptarmigan; All
To quote William Shatner from Saturday Night Live, these people needs to GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!
2
posted on
10/20/2004 5:41:20 PM PDT
by
KevinDavis
(Let the meek inherit the Earth, the rest of us will explore the stars!)
To: KevinDavis
That's what they need, a life.
3
posted on
10/20/2004 5:42:26 PM PDT
by
Ptarmigan
(Proud rabbit hater and killer)
To: Ptarmigan
Any excuse to play the victim.
4
posted on
10/20/2004 5:42:59 PM PDT
by
goldfinch
To: Ptarmigan
Omali Yeshitela could always offer to take the dummy's place!
5
posted on
10/20/2004 5:43:09 PM PDT
by
RasterMaster
(Saddam's family were WMD's - He's behind bars & his sons are DEAD!)
To: Ptarmigan
Isn't tresspassing and destroying the property of others still a crime?
To: Ptarmigan
But to Omali Yeshitela, it was a racially charged symbol of hate.Too friggin' bad. This was personal property, displayed on personal property. Am I now entitled to drive through neighborhoods and tear down any display that I find offensive? Personally, I find Kawanza offensive on many, many levels. Am I now entitled to go through black neighborhoods and trash their 'holiday' display?
7
posted on
10/20/2004 5:44:12 PM PDT
by
Hodar
(With Rights, comes Responsibilities. Don't assume one, without assuming the other.)
To: Ptarmigan
On Tuesday, as police officers on the scene scrambled to contact the homeowner at work, Yeshitela and others from the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement tore the dummy down. Trespassing and destruction of private property.
Sue the idiot Uhuru organization and the police that failed in their sworn duty to protect.
It's a first amendment issue, not just halloween.
To: An American In Dairyland
YES, it is.
Just let some of those Democratic Bowel Uhuru Movement idiots try that around here.
To: Ptarmigan
I'm not sure about the laws in St. Pete, but if it were me, I'd sit on my porch with a rifle.
Give them one verbal warning if they came onto my property and then start taking out kneecaps. It might not stop them, but it would sure slow them down some!
10
posted on
10/20/2004 5:46:03 PM PDT
by
Ignatz
(Getting a great tan in the sun of my own grandeur)
To: Ptarmigan
"We are not those kind of people, we are not like that," Watson said. "This really opened my eyes, I just didn't see it this way."
Liberal alert. This woman is an appeaser. She is not at all angry with the freaks who tore down their private property? She seems to be bending over for them: "Oh, I'm sorry, I offended you, please destroy more of my property."
To: Ptarmigan; mhking
>>It had the face of Frankenstein and the hands of a werewolf.<<
>>Despite the Halloween decor - a synthetic spider web that spanned half the width of the gray house and an arrangement of plastic skulls and bones - Yeshitela said he saw something more sinister: a black man hanging from a noose<<
>>"My daughter told me this morning there was someone hanging out here and right away I said, I bet you it's black," Melnick said. "I think it's horrendous, it's a hate crime."<<
These people are comparing Frankenstein to a black man and the owner is a racist?
12
posted on
10/20/2004 5:46:50 PM PDT
by
netmilsmom
(Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer in it?)
To: An American In Dairyland
Those people are wimps. I would have prosecuted.
13
posted on
10/20/2004 5:46:54 PM PDT
by
Politicalmom
( Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but they're not entitled to their own facts -D. Rumsfeld)
To: Ptarmigan; Constitution Day
It had the face of Frankenstein and the hands of a werewolf.And it votes Democrat.
To: Ptarmigan
Frankenstein was black??? Wow....ya learn something new everyday. /sarcasm
The idiots who attacked this family's Halloween display should be dragged forceably into a men's room and swirlied until they can't see straight! What a bunch of PC IDIOTS!!
15
posted on
10/20/2004 5:47:41 PM PDT
by
Bombardier
(Scratch a Democrat, find a traitor.)
To: Ptarmigan
"There is no history of hanging ghouls in this country but there is a history of hanging African people," said Yeshitela, leader of the St. Petersburg-based group. OK, everybody please take a minute and realize the sheer idiocy of that statement.
Perhaps, Mr. Yeshitela, there is no "history" of hanging ghouls in this country because there ARE NO SUCH THING AS GHOULS!!! YOU FREAKING IDIOT!
If he's the "leader" of the group, I'd hate to meet the followers.
16
posted on
10/20/2004 5:48:15 PM PDT
by
TomB
("The terrorist wraps himself in the world's grievances to cloak his true motives." - S. Rushdie)
To: Ptarmigan
International People's Democratic Uhuru MovementDon't they have anything better to do....Like attending a Star Trek convention or something?
17
posted on
10/20/2004 5:48:18 PM PDT
by
Godebert
To: Ptarmigan
Sounds like one more poverty pimp and 'civil rights' exploiting media whore is out for publicity and fundraising.
18
posted on
10/20/2004 5:49:10 PM PDT
by
atomicpossum
(If there are two Americas, John Edwards isn't qualified to lead either of them.©)
To: Ptarmigan
To its owner, "Bob" was a Halloween decoration. What an insult! I am not a Halloween decoration and I never have been.
19
posted on
10/20/2004 5:50:36 PM PDT
by
Bob
To: Ptarmigan
"Yeshitela and others from the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement tore the dummy down."
Maybe they should take the dummy back to where they came from and live happily ever after.
20
posted on
10/20/2004 5:50:43 PM PDT
by
Tarpon
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