Coffin at N. Carolina voting station draws fire from NAACP

[Blue Belle]

Coffin at N. Carolina voting station draws fire from NAACP
by Diane Sweet
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Coffin_diplayed_at_N.Carolina_voting_station_1101.html



<SNIP> A former North Carolina County Commissioner displayed a coffin carrying the photograph of Sen. Barack Obama outside an early voting station Saturday, setting of a firestorm from the NAACP.

The National Association of Colored Persons wrote a letter today asking both political parties and its members to condemn the coffin. The NAACP's Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II says the symbol suggests a death threat as a way to demean a candidate, and possibly intimidate voters, or frighten them away from the polls.

The coffin was displayed by a former Craven County Commissioner, Bill Harper for several hours at the firestation used for early voting in Craven County... The county sheriff's department arrived on the scene and remained "just to make sure tensions didn't get too high." Harper was not fined or arrested as the coffin display did not violate any laws.

Harper said he displayed the coffin because it "symbolizes his belief that democrats will tax Americans to death if they are elected" and that he first displayed it in 1992 when Bill Clinton ran against George H. W. Bush.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Whoa. That's fucking hardcore.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. That is beyond disgusting. It is a very sad commentary that it is not illegal!!!!!

[Selatius]

3. If it is a death threat, then it will receive no protection from the 1st Amendment.

However, given that it was also put on display when Bill Clinton ran and beat Bush's father, it would seem to be less a death threat and more a slam of progressive taxation as an idea.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

4. I hope it works as well for them now as it did back in '92.

[Blue Belle]

6. Me too...

maybe they'll figure out that their "artwork" only drives voters to the Democrats.

[surrealAmerican]

11. Just what I was thinking.

[azurnoir]

5. well it is Craven county n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Ummm.. that's Joe supposed to be in that coffin, and...

whilst I find the whole thing disagreeable, I can't see where the threat is.

[surrealAmerican]

12. It strange, but if that is what this is supposed to be, ...

... (and that's what it looks like in the photo) it winds up looking like a parody of what they intend to say.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Yeah, and country did WAY BETTER in the Clinton years, genius.

Even the richest folks, who, last time I checked, were not "taxed to death".

Ken Lay perished under dubious circumstances, (or did he?) but most of the gimungo Billionaires managed to make it through 1993-2001.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

9. Oh please Bill, he isn't paying them now.

What's a mythological tax increase gonna do?

[Blue Belle]

10. no kidding...

He would have to get a real job (and not just scab work) before he paid any taxes....

[gratuitous]

13. Taxed to death, just like they were in 1992

I take it there's no intelligence test required to run for commissioner in Craven County. You just have to lie real gud.