Pennsylvania Mayor Posts Racist Meme About Lynching President Obama

[SummerMadness]

Pennsylvania Mayor Posts Racist Meme About Lynching President Obama

Residents of a small Pennsylvania borough are urging the mayor to quit after he made a series of inflammatory and racist Facebook posts, including a meme suggesting that President Barack Obama should be lynched.

The image, posted by West York Mayor Charles Wasko, showed Clint Eastwood from the film "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," and a noose. The caption read: "Barry, this rope is for you. You wanna bring that empty chair over here!"

As mayor, Wasko had some oversight over the community’s police department, The Dispatch reported.

"With those types of thoughts in your mind, how can you oversee the police department?" councilman Brian Wilson, who also called on the mayor to quit, told the newspaper. "We can’t have anybody being racist or bigoted ... especially an elected official."

Officials: West York mayor should resign after racist posts

Several West York borough council members have called on Mayor Charles Wasko to step down in light of racist posts he has made on Facebook.

Wasko, who was elected mayor in 2013, has posted several pictures on Facebook this year that council members took issue with: Two compared President Barack Obama and his family to monkeys, and one suggested Obama should be hanged with a noose. Another post featured a fictional black person saying that socialism is "when the white folks work every day so we can get all our governmental entitlement stuff for free."

 

[He is Risen 72]

Infringing on peoples freedom of speech I see. It is ok if the left silences freedom, too bad that reign of terror will end soon.

 

[tatteredsoul]

Infringing on peoples freedom of speech I see. It is ok if the left silences freedom, too bad that reign of terror will end soon.

Please. He isn't going to jail for his posts.

But, freedoms have consequences - they don't exist in a vacuum.

For example, you express very insensitive, racially ignorant, overly-cliche allusions to black people being monkeys or apes on a public platform of hundreds of millions - and maybe expect to have your job, or relationships in question.

I am actually more disgusted by people who defend NOT his right to free speech, but the content of it.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

Please. He isn't going to jail for his posts.

But, freedoms have consequences - they don't exist in a vacuum.

For example, you express very insensitive, racially ignorant, overly-cliche allusions to black people being monkeys or apes on a public platform of hundreds of millions - and maybe expect to have your job, or relationships in question.

I am actually more disgusted by people who defend NOT his right to free speech, but the content of it.

I thought there was a federal law that prohibits making threats toward the President of the United States. If so, has the Secret Service talked to this mayor yet? Maybe he is unaware of what year this is. Or maybe he, and perhaps a few of his supporters who back this kind of speech, long for the good ole' days when white people could talk about black people like that and not have any kind of consequences or repercussions for it. It reminds me of that politician who put up the "Make America White Again" billboard.

 

[He is Risen 72]

How did he threaten the president? The president’s name is Barrack Obama; I didn’t see that in the meme

 

[Shiloh Raven]

From the OP: Residents of a small Pennsylvania borough are urging the mayor to quit after he made a series of inflammatory and racist Facebook posts, including a meme suggesting that President Barack Obama should be lynched.

The image, posted by West York Mayor Charles Wasko, showed Clint Eastwood from the film "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," and a noose. The caption read: "Barry, this rope is for you. You wanna bring that empty chair over here!"

 

[He is Risen 72]

Who’s Barry? Barry Manilow?

 

[tatteredsoul]

I thought there was a federal law that prohibits making threats toward the President of the United States. If so, has the Secret Service talked to this mayor yet?

There are some speeches not protected. "Fighting words," and other threats that could pose a serious potential harm (no matter how likely the person is to do it) are not protected speeches.

Because of the Patriot Act, "terroristic threats to the president" are offenses that can hold you indefinitely. The Patriot Act actually nullifies the first amendment: neither press nor person are protected by the constitution, and all speech can possibly land you in jail for an indefinite amount of time without due process.

So, depending on who would want to pursue this (layperson or government,) and depending on what was said he could be in a lot of trouble.

But, this thing was done to entice the racial conflagration and drive closer to civil war. All by design; these entities are getting desperate know that the Kachinas are close... they gotta get stuff in order.

Maybe he is unaware of what year this is.

Yep, I wish it did matter what year it was. To me it is looking like 1963... maybe that is why he is confused... to him he sees black people being put down on TV and in the streets with nothing happening to the killers, and so it is the late 50s/early 60s - just like the good old days were for him.

Or maybe he, and perhaps a few of his supporters who back this kind of speech, long for the good ole' days when white people could talk about black people like that and not have any kind of consequences or repercussions for it. It reminds me of that politician who put up the "Make America White Again" billboard.

*Ding*

 

[Shiloh Raven]

I was glad to read in the articles that both Democrats and Republicans are calling for his resignation.

The four council members reachable by phone on Wednesday — two Democrats and two Republicans — out of the seven members of the council, said they want Wasko out as mayor. - excerpted from the second article

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Infringing on peoples freedom of speech I see. It is ok if the left silences freedom, too bad that reign of terror will end soon.

No one infringed on anything. He said exactly what he wanted to say. Now he's going to live with his actions.

Do you normally defer personal responsibility to others?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Who’s Barry? Barry Manilow?

Willful ignorance is so unbecoming.

 

[He is Risen 72]

So is assuming…


Let’s see, Clint Eastwood and some guy named Barry. Yep, that has to be the President, because that is what the liberals want it to be.

Barry was a very popular name in the 70s and 80s for boys.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

So is assuming…


Let’s see, Clint Eastwood and some guy named Barry. Yep, that has to be the President, because that is what the liberals want it to be.

Barry was a very popular name in the 70s and 80s for boys.

Again:

Willful ignorance is so unbecoming.

 

[Sistrin]

.

 

[SummerMadness]

Why is not surprising that the first thing out of some people's mouth is, "Freedom of speech!" Oh yeah, it's someone being racist, so that's the usual response, only voice your disapproval for people stepping on a flag.

 

[JackRT]

Infringing on peoples freedom of speech I see. It is ok if the left silences freedom, too bad that reign of terror will end soon.

I don't know about the law in the USA but in Canada inciting death or violence or property damage on the basis of race is a criminal offence called "hate speech". I believe it is a good law.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

Why is not surprising that the first thing out of some people's mouth is, "Freedom of speech!" Oh yeah, it's someone being racist, so that's the usual response, only voice your disapproval for people stepping on a flag.

Not just any flag, the American rag. And if you step on the American rag or you refuse to stand for the national anthem, then your freedom of speech is thrown out the window and people are telling you to "Get the H*LL out of their country!" Death threats, threats of being assaulted or threats of losing your job are always a possibility.

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

Interesting that the one page is no longer able to be viewed on FB, but the Socialism joke is.

Free speech. He's a public official. He should be allowed to show who he is to the public that votes.
Not saying he'll have a job come next election if he's eligible for re-election. But if he's not maybe that's why he's letting this fly now. Sort of like what Obama's doing being he has no one to pander to for second term votes now. Wait till January and see what else Barack has in store for America.

This mayor is an butt but he's entitled to show it in public. I just feel sorry for his family who will have to be associated with the name of the man that posted all that.

And especially if he has public school age kids.

 

[Ana the Ist]

So is assuming…


Let’s see, Clint Eastwood and some guy named Barry. Yep, that has to be the President, because that is what the liberals want it to be.

Barry was a very popular name in the 70s and 80s for boys.

It's pretty clearly a reference to Clint Eastwood 's speech to an empty chair that was meant to represent President Obama. Not Eastwood 's finest moment.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Sounds like this mayor said/displayed something stupid/racist and now he's paying for it. I'm still surprised that people in the public eye still do this sort of thing...perhaps they're of the mindset that everyone will agree with whatever statement they're making and they'll gain popularity.

As for freedom of speech...I agree he's allowed to say such things and not face and criminal penalties for it.

As for removing him from office, I think it's the right thing to do...and the sooner the better.