Wisconsin fan costume: Is this free speech that should be protected?

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Wisconsin Fan wears Barack Obama mask with
a noose at Nebraska-Wisconsin game
Yahoo Sports 8 hours ago

One attendee of the Nebraska-Wisconsin game Saturday decided to don a mask of President Barack Obama and wore a noose around their neck.

<snip>

Guest services staff was then sent to the fan and asked them to remove the costume. The person complied with that request.
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Is this free speech that should be protected?

 
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Nope. That's garbage. Everyone who wears something like that catches flack from the national press and they should. That guy should be ashamed.

I've really, really disliked some political figures in my life. I've never felt the need to joke about any of them getting killed. There's a certain amount of reverence we should have for any president whether we agree with them or not, IMO. This crosses that line.

 
Free speech and allowed yes. Distasteful - Absolutely. Should it be noted and a FBI/CIA/whatever file started on this nozzle that is threatening the president - yes. The most disgusting part is that based on the folks around him it's obviously someone of a more mature age.

 
dudeguyy said:
Nope. That's garbage. Everyone who wears something like that catches flack from the national press and they should. That guy should be ashamed.

I've really, really disliked some political figures in my life. I've never felt the need to joke about any of them getting killed. There's a certain amount of reverence we should have for any president whether we agree with them or not, IMO. This crosses that line.
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That's sort of the way I feel. Joking about the president getting killed is a small step away from threatening the president--if not the same thing. And It's probably where the line should be drawn on free speech rights. But I'm not sure it contravenes what is allowed under today's interpretation of our first Amendment rights.

Also, why does it not surprise me that these are Wisconsin fans.
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I'm sure some people will see this as the just, impassioned demonstration of civic activism that our times desperately need.

I'd say such people are being ridiculous, but that's just me.

 
Apparently they're still talking about this on UW's campus. People are pretty unhappy with the costume, the decision to let the guys stay in the stadium and with UW's interpretation of how Freedom of Speech applies here.

You're clearly not going to please everyone with your response. In this situation, it seems like everyone is unhappy with how it went down.

Wisconsin criticized for response to costume that depicted Obama in noose at NU game

During the game at Camp Randall Stadium, one fan wore a reversible mask of Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, along with a prison jumpsuit and the noose, which was held by another person wearing a mask of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, stadium guest services staff asked the person wearing the noose to take it off, which he agreed to do during the first half. The fans were allowed to stay in the stadium, officials said.

On Monday, UW-Madison spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said, "Stadium staff monitored the fan to ensure that he did not put the noose back on and was prepared to remove him if he did."

However, Wisconsin State Journal photos taken late in the third quarter of Saturday's game show the duo walking around Camp Randall Stadium with one of them once again wearing the noose and a mask of Clinton.
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I actually like UW's response to the situation. Ask the guy to take the noose off, but let him stay in the stadium. It's not their job to put a babysitter next to him to make sure he keeps the noose off, and if he puts it back on (which it appears he did).... eh. What are they going to do? They could kick him out, but that becomes a 1st Amendment question. Is it satire? Is it hate speech? Is it political commentary? Is it inflammatory? That's a pretty thorny thicket to get into over a costume.

 
I wonder how many people who think this stunt was just utterly hilarious are also the same people that vilify Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee during the national anthem.

 
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