Hanging lawn chair across from Grand Haven school sparks claims of racial insensitivity

Mlive.com ^ | September 28, 2012 | John Tunison

[cripplecreek]

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, MI -- An Ottawa County diversity group is claiming that a Grand Haven area man's political statement -- a lawn chair hanging from a tree -- is racially insensitive and should be taken down.

Leaders of the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance have scheduled a "community conversation" public meeting next Thursday at the Grand Haven Community Center to discuss the issue.

The lawn chair is suspended by a rope from a tree along Comstock Street near Peach Plain Elementary School and, according to the homeowner, is simply a take-off on Clint Eastwood's much-ballyhooed "empty chair rant" speech at the Republican National Convention where Eastwood was pretending to talk to President Barack Obama.

[cripplecreek]

When porch swings are outlawed, only criminals will have porch swings

[cripplecreek]

Better take those racist porch swings down folks. Holder's boys will come callin.

[ClearCase_guy]

If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
If the only tool you have is a the race card, every sound starts to sound like a dog whistle.

[dalebert]

hahhaha now all empty chairs are suspicious...Clint did such a great job..Bless him.

[rudabaga]

I think we could probably get even a snarky message across with the chair without invoking lynching. sorry but the image is pretty evocative.

[tumblindice]

Damn. Someone’s feelings were hurt. It has to have been a muslim, a `person of color’ or a liberal.
So let’s have a “community conversation” and everyone can act concerned, engaged and proactive.

[dsrtsage]

Why are blacks all freaked out about nooses anyway? Each and every black person lynched by the KKK was a republican. Nowadays, liberal blacks would do the same thing to black republicans if they could get away with it.

[Reddon]

I guess the rope is what’s racist. And maybe the word “Hang”. Would it be OK to “suspend” the chair with fishing line?

[cripplecreek]

[Yardstick]

I’d mount some sort of “performance art” defense.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

mau-mauing the flak catchers.

. . . a community meeting is in order . . . The "community conversation" is Thursday, 7-9 p.m., in the Escanaba Room at the Grand Haven Community Center.

We know who the mau-mauers will be.. who will be the flak catchers? The sheriff? City council? Who?

[hadaclueonce]

Obammy’s supporters must be unsure of their own beliefs if an empty chair makes them mad.

[freedumb2003]

If you look at the “Sponsored Links” there are advertisements for folding chairs and lawn chairs!

Priceless!

[hadaclueonce]

Maybe they just want to “pick their own seats”

[cripplecreek]

Who will “chair” the meeting?

[Irenic]

Where he has that chair located, it would probably be taken. Maybe he tied it in the tree to make sure it isn’t stolen or grabbed and smashed up?

I haven’t put out a chair because I know it would be hauled to the corner by kids waiting for the school bus. I wouldn’t tie it in my tree because it would look junky.

[cripplecreek]

[a fool in paradise]

Some Hollyweird homos lynched Sarah Palin in effigy in the run up to the 2008 election (”it was a Halloween decoration”) and the media shrugged.

[Trteamer]

[Ecliptic]

We have to start ignoring these stupid people. Our lives cannot be controlled by someone who is upset at our behavior. It then becomes “everyone’s lives are controlled by the whims of others.”