Senator Obama, your silence is dangerous and unforgivable

Sarah Palin has been hung in effigy by an alleged adult who thinks that showing the lynching of a woman is excused or warranted by it being Halloween time. Please go here to not only read but watch the coverage of this latest in the barrage of misogyny that continues to go unaddressed by Senator Obama or his surrogates.

Senator Obama, your silence is dangerous and unforgivable.

You should be convening a press conference with your top advisers, supporters and surrogates, including John Podesta, Senator Clinton, President Clinton, Senator Biden, Senator Kerry, Governor Rendell, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Colin Powell, William Weld, Susie Buell and anybody else you can get to stand with you, and at this press conference you should not only condemn this depiction of a lynching, you should apologize for your complicity thus far in creating an environment where anybody in his right mind could think that a children's holiday - Halloween - is a good time for depicting the lynching of any woman, let alone a woman running for vice-president of the United States of America. You owe it to every woman in America and to every man who cares about any woman to make it clear that you realize that this display is horrific but, tragically, not atypical for this election year.

And if you fail to speak to this event, as you have failed each and every day for months to acknowledge that you have been the beneficiary of misogyny and sexism and as you have failed each and every day to even acknowledge the rampancy of these ills in our body politic, the advisers, supporters and surrogates I have named - and those who I have not - should rescind their support of your candidacy and refuse to continue to aid your election and announce that they will not accept a position in the administration of a President who does not speak out against the virulent and pervasive hatred of women that has arisen anew in a year when two women have stood a serious chance of serving as President or Vice-President of our country.

Comments

[Anna]

Obama has nurtured a culture of confrontation. The press has been complicit. Democrats have remained mute. Even many Republicans appear reluctant to speak out. Obama's got non-supporters running scared that if they/we dare to speak out, we will be accused of being racist. Meanwhile, it appears that blatant misogyny remains quite acceptable.

I challenge great thinkers, brave political leaders, journalists with integrity, civil right's organizations, human right's organizations, women's right's organizations, to speak out about this horrid and dangerous double standard.

Hateful acts toward women are unacceptable.

This goes beyond partisan alliances. How can the very people who speak out against racism tolerate acts of aggression against Sarah Palin? How can organizations that champion women's rights ignore the treatment of Palin?

Enough!

[ainnj]

frightening and sickening.

[looking for integrity]

Voted at RCP. 42 votes currently.

[va va voom]

This is absolute BS! This kind of hateful humor should never be allowed. For those who say "lighten up", what says you if the "art" showed Obama lynched? Al Sharpton and his posse would be out there instigating protests and riots. It's dangerous and downright hateful. Why can't we disagree on opinions without showing such hate? The Democratic party has lost me forever.

[Mirlo]

the man at who's house this effigy lynching is displayed, decribes it as ART, it should be SPOOKY and SCARY, he says.

What is truly scary to me is the widely accepted disrespect towards woman;
spooky is Obama's silence, he does not demonstrate leadership;
and art? Well, let's just say I have quite a different concept of art.

[CKA in Red State USA]

Remember that Obama waited FOUR days, following his campaigns immediate insult of Gov. Palin -- they remarked that as the mayor of a small town she had no experience comparable to Obama's -- to say that the OMSM should tone it down.

But he never condemned it.

And he won't do it.

Misogynist. Racial arsonist. Megalomaniac. Empty suit.

[Steven Mather]

The act is outrageous on its face.

Dear Heidi Li,

I hypothesize that the silencing chill that has blanketed the electorate, due to the ubiquitous, unjust accusations of racism against those who do not intend to support Obama, will cause a significant multiplier to the Bradley effect.

Given this occurence (a), and (b) the pro-Obama punditry who are saying McCain can only win through electoral fraud, and (c)the mainstream media's practise of oversampling Democrat supporters, which causes the polls to be significantly distorted in Obama's favor, is it possible for people to sue the mainstream media for these distortions, if they are the basis that informs the conduct of riotous Obama supporters who damage persons and property because they are justified in concluding that a McCain victory means the election must have been stolen from Obama?

Thank you for yoru consideration.

Yours,
Steven

[dcattorney]

That's really it. Even *I* can't take it anymore. I'm speechless.

[imustprotest]

Heidi, I live in the Southern California area, not that far from East Hollywood. I contacted the E. Hollywood City council's office. They are getting complaints from all over the country. He said that because it is on private property, there is nothing that can be done. Isn't there some kind of hate crime law that would cover this, even if it's on private property?

[debate]

thankyou Heidi Li for writing and posting this article.. I'll be voting at RCP

[ainnj]

Isn't there some kind of hate crime law that would cover this, even if it's on private property?

Posted by: imustprotest | October 27, 2008 at 03:33 PM

There doesn't appear to be.
This site describes the California hate crime statutes.

http://da.co.la.ca.us/hate/hcdefined.htm

I found the differences in penalty enhancements for hate crime murders based on gender or sexual orientation versus hate crimes based on race or color quite interesting.

-Punishment for intentionally killing someone because of race or color (or religion, nationality, or country of origin) can be enhanced under special circumstances to get you the death penalty.

-Punishment for intentionally killing someone because of gender (or sexual orientation or disability) can be enhanced under special circumstances to get you life without parole.

[Cyn NY]

Heidi, don't hold your breathe waiting for Obama to speak out. He only speaks out on past associations that hurt his aspirations to be crowned. He could care less about women in general. In fact, he really doesn't care about anything but himself.

This entire campaign season has frightened and sickened me. It is the treatment of Hillary, then Palin, that has shown me exactly where we, as women, are. That "we've come a long way, baby" is insulting.

In the event that McCain loses, the MSM is already blaming it on his pick of Palin for VP. Of course, it must be a woman's fault.

I have to stop before I really start ranting.

[HP Boston]

I am appalled at the lack of media coverage about this despicable effigy.
If this was Obama it would mean the whole city would be in lock down the SS and the FBI and the national guard called out. I am so ashamed of America these days......

[Anee]

Not only is this a hate crime but it is a THREAT against a vice presidential and presidential candidate. Where are the feminist lawyers? We need to picket this house, I live in so cal how can we organize a picket outside this guys house?

[Cathy in Ks.]

The year is 2008 in the United States of America. It might as well be 1708 or 1608 of even 1008 when it was still okay to hang or worse real women for being witches as well as others who did not conform and were considered a "threat to the powers that be".

It's telling that the "so-called artist" when asked about his "art?" said it was okay to hang a "white woman" in effigy but not a "black man". This act goes beyond sexism or misogyny; this is a vile crime against not only Sarah Palin but against all women - not just white women. And where are the women's groups protesting this heinous act? I guess they are still hung up on protecting our reproductive rights. I have news for them. Who cares about reproductive rights when you're very personhood is threatened because you happen to question "the one".

[ainnj]

Where is Senator Clinton's voice now? Does she no longer speak for the 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling? Or is it that she is now just speaking out for those cracks that vote Obama? If that is the case, I am very sad to say that the Clinton voice no longer speaks for me.

Heidi Li Feldman speaks for me.

So, who else is brave enough to step up to the plate?

[ainnj]

In the event that McCain loses, the MSM is already blaming it on his pick of Palin for VP. Of course, it must be a woman's fault.

Posted by: Cyn NY | October 27, 2008 at 04:11 PM

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Well, at least they are not partisan in their vile misogyny. In the event that Obama loses, the MSM has already blamed it on Hillary Clinton.

[imustprotest]

Ancee, I live in the LA area too and would be willing to picket with you. I wonder though if picketing would only give the jerk who did this more attention. When I called the West Hollywood, (sorry, in my earlier post I said E. Hollywood) city council's office the gentleman said that because of all the attention and phone calls the council themselves even sent someone out to look at it. I think within the story it was mentioned that bus tours were stopping to look. I just emailed the Los Angeles and Hollywood chapters of NOW for advice. I know that NOW has endorsed Obama, but Shelly Mandell, LA Chapter President personally endorsed Sarah Palin. Anyway, I asked for NOW's help since no matter who they endorse, this act goes to the core of misogyny and violence against all women.

[vb]

Hi Heidi,

This has been the most depressing election year that I can remember, and it just keeps getting worse. The candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have revealed the raw sewage of misogyny in our political system that threatens to overwhelm all the gains women have made over the years.

I've been a progressive throughout my adult life and disagree with many of Sarah Palin's positions on issues, but my heart has gone out to her as I've watched the predictable sexist assaults matching, and in some cases, surpassing, what Hillary Clinton endured.

I withdrew my lifelong membership from the Democratic Party a couple of months ago. And all I know for certain right now is that I'll be voting present on Nov. 4th, if I bother to vote at all.

Keep up the good work.

[Norma Padilla Tomlin]

Thank you Heidi. I saw another unfunny spot on the Brit Hume program?) on FOX today. It was a doctored video of John McCain slapping Sarah as she spoke. I was sick because the journalists thought it was hilarious and it was like "on that funny note...Good night!" We must support Sarah!

[debate]

http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/10/27/vote-62/#comments

Greta has a poll asking "Should Senator Obama publicly condemn the personal attacks on Govenor Palin.

[Anee]

imustprotest:

Let me know if you find anything out. I will take off of work if I have to, this kind of attack cannot go answered.

[imustprotest]

Anee, okay. We'd need more than the 2 of us picketing though! A great time to do it would be on Wednesday during Obama's infomercial!

[Marie]

Obama has no political courage and no scruples. Do not expect that he will condemn the very sexism that underlies his swift rise to the nomination. He won't bite the hand that fed him. It's about to put him in the White House.

[TerryDo]

This is an act of agression towards Governor Palin and the FBI should investigate this man, Chad Michael Morrisette.

He tries to justify his act by playing the Hollywood card, that it is a piece of art and it is the seaon of Halloween.

In the spirit and seasonof Halloween, I hope McCain supporters, lambasted his home with rotten eggs.