re: #333 geoffm33

I agree with most of what you typed. But if you do take it piece by piece, the only thing that makes sense in a racial context is playing on the stereotype of the masks lips. The simple fact of wearing the mask can’t be racist (unless it was blackface, this was just a halloween mask). Saying we’re gonna stomp Obama is ridiculously inappropriate and, as DecaturDeb said, “extreme seditious partisanship”.

I don’t know, I sound like I’m making excuses for it to “not” be racism.

This is a bit like a fraternity “hazing” discussion. There’s a line, you know when it’s been crossed, but it’s also very hard to point at the ground and say that is where the line is.

There’s a lot of behaviors that are obviously way over that line, but often you don’t sit down and plan of jumping over the line.* Things work their way there in increments and then sidle across. The mask - OK, a bit edgy. Then the announcer rhetoric gets added. Then something else.

Plus while it might get by amongst themselves as a in-joke (and probably started as a prank while practicing or something) it will not pass as a public display since their actions also represent broader groups like the Missouri State Fair. With membership comes responsibilities as representatives of that group and all that.

* - This is a place where hazing and political commentary differ. The latter often *wants* to jump the line in order to garner attention. The former, barring mental illness, are hopefully not sitting there and seriously discussing how they can physically or mentally abuse their pledges simply for the sake of abusing them.**

** - If they are I hope they get criminally prosecuted for it. But let’s avoid the paddle-wielding pledge master stereotype and assume for a minute it’s a few young adults trying to develop an activity that will help bring a group of young men together and they are not being very clear in working out consequences.