# Obama hanged in effigy on campus of Univ. of Kentucky **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 30, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249 "2008-10-30T14:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/21 "2008-10-30T18:37:26Z")
If someone had stood by the effigy and protested or put up Republican ads or petitions or whatnot, I’d be more inclined to believe this falls under the “Free speech” category. The fact that someone just hung it up on a tree without follow up or taking responsibility for it or bringing attention to some political cause? That puts it into the Racial Unrest Category for me. At least the Palin Effigy was put by a dude’s house and in his property. We understand who did it, and why they did it. This was not the same thing in my opinion. That’s my 2 cents on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/22 "2008-10-30T18:42:09Z")
> [@RoOsh](#): > > The fact that someone just hung it up on a tree without follow up or taking responsibility for it or bringing attention to some political cause? > That puts it into the Racial Unrest Category for me. Anonymous speech is just as protected. To separate this out from the banner of free speech you have to find something else. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/23 "2008-10-30T18:43:38Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > As a two-time alumnus and faculty member of UK, I wish I could be surprised by such racist choadery. > > I am, however, surprised that the choads in question didn’t stop to think about the effect this might have on our basketball recruiting. Thanks a lot, jackass. [Oh, Gillispie will figure something out.](http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/goodmanonfox/2008/10/13/KENTUCKY_COMMIT_NO_SURPRISE) ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/24 "2008-10-30T19:08:17Z")
Yuck. Horrifying. Though I have to agree that it’s difficult to find more of a problem with this than I did with the WeHo Palin hanging. That said: > [@DoctorJ](#): > > As a two-time alumnus and faculty member of UK, I wish I could be surprised by such racist choadery. > > I am, however, surprised that the choads in question didn’t stop to think about the effect this might have on our basketball recruiting. Thanks a lot, jackass. I am so happy to have learned the word “choadery”. ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/25 "2008-10-30T19:26:59Z")
Never mind I didn’t read the headline. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/26 "2008-10-30T19:36:18Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Anonymous speech is just as protected. To separate this out from the banner of free speech you have to find something else. It may be free speech, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it or choose to interpret it as such. If they wished to convey their anonymous message better, well then they should have done so. If not, I’ll interpret the message as best as I can see fit with the information I’m given. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/27 "2008-10-30T19:44:03Z")
My bad, **RoOosh** , I interpreted: [QUOTE=RoOosh] If someone had stood by the effigy and protested or put up Republican ads or petitions or whatnot, I’d be more inclined to believe this falls under the “Free speech” category. [/QUOTE] as meaning that you felt the anonymity of this action it did not fall under the category of “free speech.” Clearly an unreasonable interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/28 "2008-10-30T19:51:01Z")
No problem, buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/29 "2008-10-30T19:54:29Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Well, I suppose I’ll be the unpopular one and say: **it’s free speech**. People have the right to express their opinions, especially political opinions. That includes hanging politicians in effigy, just like it includes burning a flag. > > The response to speech you don’t like is more speech, not criminalization. > > The only criminal complaint I can see about this is littering, if the university has rules concerning the posting of bills on campus. Hate speech isn’t covered under free speech. Freedoms are not absolute. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/30 "2008-10-30T20:12:27Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Hate speech isn’t covered under free speech. Is that true? Am I constitutionally protected from someone using hate speech against me? Or did I misunderstand? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/31 "2008-10-30T20:13:44Z")
All the parties involved in both of the “hangings” should be ashamed of themselves. Hating a person to the degree that you wish them dead because they are a Republican/Democrat makes no more sense to me than hating a person because he is black. I’ll be glad when this election is over. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/32 "2008-10-30T20:15:23Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Is that true? Am I constitutionally protected from someone using hate speech against me? Or did I misunderstand? Some (very poor IMHO) decisions in the US have permitted restrictions on speech by federal and state governments and their agents on the basis of prohibiting ‘hate speech.’ There has never been a clear rationale provide as to why this kind of speech falls outside the protections of pure political speech, as the expression of an idea etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/33 "2008-10-30T20:18:53Z")
Personally I consider the hanging of Palin and Obama effigies the work of immature assholes. I think to call either a hate crime is really really stretching the definition of the term (though I’ve never been a fan of hate crime legislation anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/34 "2008-10-30T20:22:55Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Some (very poor IMHO) decisions in the US have permitted restrictions on speech by federal and state governments and their agents on the basis of prohibiting ‘hate speech.’ So only those entities, then? Just regular folks can call me what they want without risking federal prosecution? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/35 "2008-10-30T20:27:43Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > So only those entities, then? Just regular folks can call me what they want without risking federal prosecution? Sorry - poor writing. I meant restrictions by federal and state governments/agents. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/36 "2008-10-30T20:35:35Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Sorry - poor writing. I meant restrictions by federal and state governments/agents. Well, that’s really stupid, then. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/37 "2008-10-30T20:37:28Z")
Hence state universities can have hate speech codes. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/38 "2008-10-30T20:38:57Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Hence state universities can have hate speech codes. My black neighbor called me a dumbass honky and threatened to beat me up. Could I sic the feds on him? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/39 "2008-10-30T20:43:06Z")
No. You could set the state police on him for assault, but I doubt it would go far. Also, arguably, it could be classified as a hate crime, but I find it unlikely that would happen either. I just don’t see what federal prohibition it would come under. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249/40 "2008-10-30T20:45:48Z")
> [@villa](#): > > No. You could set the state police on him for assault, but I doubt it would go far. So that wouldn’t be hate speech, then? In point of fact I did complain to the police. The officer offered to take him in (he was on parole) but felt that if she talked to him and read him the riot act more would be accomplished. I let her judgment be my guide. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hanged-in-effigy-on-campus-of-univ-of-kentucky/470249.md?page=3)