The double standard results in this (bold emphasis added) item about hanging Obama in effigy. Excerpt from wtvq.com/news
"As President of the University of Kentucky, I feel outraged and hurt. I am outraged because we work very hard, every day, to build bridges across the divides," said Todd. Diversity and inclusion are among our most precious core values. Episodes like this serve only to erode our confidence in and respect for one another. Todd said those found responsible will be "subject to the full force of university, state, and federal rules and regulations." The FBI may be called in to investigate the incident as a hate crime. If you have any information, you are asked to contact the UK Police Department at 257-1616."
Palin Effigy 'Not A Hate Crime' ["Now, if there was a crime against bad taste..."] (Sky News Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008)
But the Los Angeles County sheriff's office said Mr Morrisette has not committed an official offence because the doll is part of a Halloween display."I'm not defending this; I'm not criticising it. It doesn't rise to the level of hate crime," said spokesman Steve Whitmore.
"Now, if there was a crime against bad taste..."
Mr Whitemore did say, however, that because potential hate crimes are looked at on a case-by-case basis, a complaint about an effigy of Barack Obama would have to be handled differently.
"That adds a whole other social, historical hate aspect to the display, and that is embedded in the consciousness of the country," he said.
It would be "ill-advised" for anyone to speculate on whether that would be a hate crime, he added.