Billboard depicting Obama as terrorist comes down

[Casino67]

NBC11news:

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The emotion–stirring President Obama billboard on I–70B stood over the highway for its last day Friday. The sign was taken down after causing national outrage since it was put up Monday.

Those who know the owner of the billboard say he and his wife were receiving violent threats. Meanwhile, the person who commissioned the artist and the use of the billboard is still anonymous. Those who know the owner say their friend decided to take the heated President Obama cartoon down after a flood of harassing calls.

"He got a lot of calls out of his place of business that he said he was fine with. When things got out of hand and people started calling his wife, that's when he decided to go ahead and take it down," says Blake Brueggeman, owner of Integrity Auto Repair. Brueggeman leases property from the billboard owner.

The sign's artist says it's meant to convey a message. It showed President Obama as a terrorist, gangster, Mexican bandito and a homosexual. "It's got a lot of symbolism in it, in that all of those characters are issues being mishandled by presidency," says creator of the sign, artist Paul Snover.

Some consider the work political satire. "Lighten up people. Have a sense of humor," says Brueggeman.

"We had cartoons of George W. Bush with gorillas," says Jamie Lee Smith, who is angered that the sign was taken down.

Others are enraged at what they say is hate and disrespect. "Where do you draw the line? It just causes hatred and racism if you ask me," says Cory Caldwell, who is offended by the billboard.

Regardless of the emotions conjured by the cartoon, the anger has now shifted to First Amendment rights.

[nickydog]

Casino67! I never even heard about this! I usually listen to our local news at night but if they talked about it I missed it. Are you thinking about a certain Colorado person who no longer posts on TRR?

[Casino67]

Casino67! I never even heard about this! I usually listen to our local news at night but if they talked about it I missed it. Are you thinking about a certain Colorado person who no longer posts on TRR?

 

Hmmmmmmm, cannot tell a lie............