Bozo the Freedom Symbol

On Saturday evening a rodeo clown wearing a Barack Obama gag mask roused the Missouri State Fair rodeo crowd---and (eventually) riled the media.

Here is the Kansas City Star account of the event and the subsequent fallout.

Let's examine the article:

The Facebook writer said he had taken a Taiwanese student to the rodeo Saturday night in Sedalia.

Every story I’ve seen about this articulates how the “whistleblower” took a Taiwanese student to the event, but no story seems to elaborate why that matters.  Perhaps the publisher (of the Facebook posting that “broke” the story) was dismayed that a foreign youth had to witness this spectacle, which has been criticized by many.  After all, according to MO Senator Claire McCaskill:

“[Y]oung Missourians who witnessed this stunt learned exactly the wrong lesson about political discourse—that somehow it’s ever acceptable to, in a public event, disrespect, taunt and joke about harming the president of our great nation.”

Though not a Missourian, the young Taiwanese student witnessed something amazing about our great nation indeed: free speech.  Those from Taiwan likely have unique potential to appreciate our free speech rights, after all.  So while it may not have been in the best taste, this rodeo bit hardly seems harmful.

In a statement from Lake Ozark, Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill called it shameful and unacceptable. She noted that the fair receives taxpayer dollars and is supposed to be a place to celebrate the state.

From the article [as well as the sound byte that played all over media outlets on Monday], the audience cheered and laughed in response to the clown and the announcer’s play-by-play.  In other words, they seemed to be celebrating their tax dollars adequately.

Okay, so ALL taxpayers should have the right to enjoy the event.  I get it.  But let me take you back to 2004, regarding now-defunct (and Democratic National Committee-funded, in part) Air America.

The Randi Rhodes Show played a mock movie trailer jokingly presenting an assassination of then president George W. Bush.  Following the bit, Randi told her audience that she didn’t understand why the Bush family could not treat 43 like the Corleone family (Godfather novels/movies) treated Fredo –a reference to taking him “fishing” only to assassinate him and dump his body.

Where was the outcry?  (Don’t lose sleep looking for it.)

The bottom line is that these reactions, once again, reveal a liberal double standard.  So long as the joke goes against Barack Obama, it must be racist, hate-filled, unacceptable.  So long as it mocks George W. Bush (or conservatives), it is satire, parody, justifiable. 

(Game of Thrones, anyone?)

I hope the hosts of the aforementioned Taiwanese girl take the time to explain to her that, while perhaps in poor taste, Bozo the President was the perfect example of why the United States are the Land of the Free.