A County GOP In Virginia Steps Way Over The Line

The images seen above were included as part of a "Halloween" memo sent out by the Loudoun County (Virginia) GOP. I have no problem with most of the images -- after all, Halloween is a fun holiday and people should have fun with it (and zombifying your political opponents, like was done with the picture of Rep. Pelosi, can be a good-natured part of that fun).

But I have a big problem with the middle picture on the top row -- the picture of the President of the United States with a bullet hole in his forehead and his brains exposed. That is inappropriate, to say the least. For an older guy like me, it instantly brought back memories of another president shot in the head exposing his brains -- President John F. Kennedy. And my second thought was whether this could give the "crazies" in our society the idea that doing the same thing to President Obama would somehow be acceptable.

Frankly we have enough problems with virulent racism in this country without publishing such an image. In a country where we have seen the assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and the attempted assassinations of Ronald Reagan and Gabrielle Giffords-- not to mention past presidents and leaders who have been killed -- is way over the line of decency, common sense, and acceptable behavior.

I don't know if it was racism or just incredible stupidity. In either case, it is just not something that should be tolerated. The Republicans are now doing some "damage control". Pat Mullins, chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, said, "The disgusting image used today on a mass e-mail has no place in our politics. Ever. The Republican Party of Virginia condemns the image and its use in the strongest possible terms."

I appreciate those words by Mr. Mullins. But I have to wonder what kind of person, a county party official, could have thought that the image would be appropriate, even funny. The e-mail should never have been sent, or even considered for distribution, and the official who OK'd it should be fired.