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President Obama Parade Float: Trump Fan Displays ‘Lying African’ Fourth Of July Float [Video]

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 10:03 PST, Jul 5, 2016

A parade float depicting President Obama offended quite a few people who attended the Sheridan, Indiana Independence Day parade. The float, which some have called a “racists depiction” of the current U.S. president, featured an effigy of President Obama in a toilet, along with a sign that read “Lying African.” The parade float, which was really a dolled-up golf cart, also featured an unofficial Donald Trump campaign sign.

Many of those in attendance weren’t amused with the display, reports USA Today. Indeed, at least one spectator who saw the President Obama parade float, Darryl Brownie, was very unimpressed. He was at the Indiana parade with his family, a wife and four children under the age of nine, when he saw the President Obama parade float (i.e., golf cart). He is one of the many that were at the parade that took pictures of the Obama float.

“The parade, it’s for kids. This is Independence Day. It was just wrong.”

According to Brownie, he posted the photos of the President Obama parade float to his Facebook page to show the world “how disrespectful it was.”

The driver of the parade float was clothed in an orange prison suit and, inexplicably, a blonde wig. He has since been identified as Don Christy, 73.

Christy has since admitted to driving the President Obama parade float/golf cart in the city’s Independence Day parade. According to Don, he didn’t bother filling out an entry form for the event. He just lined up alongside the other (presumably registered) participants and found himself waved along with the crowd when the parade began.

Even though Christy displayed a pro-Donald Trump sign on his President Obama parade float, he claims to be unaffiliated with any political party.

“I’m not a Democrat. I’m not a Republican. I’m a patriot.”

Despite the complaints that the Obama parade float sparked, the float’s creator says that he didn’t mean any harm and that he most certainly wasn’t trying to be racist (despite calling President Obama a “lying African”). He says that he is sick and tired of political correctness, and his parade float was just an attempt at being funny. Despite his intentions, and despite insisting that his float wasn’t “intended to be racist,” Christy recognized the right of those in attendance to be offended by his parade float.

Just as he claimed the right to be able to express his views freely. He was quoted as mentioning that anyone offended by his President Obama parade float must be a “total liberal.”

“I apologize to anyone I offended, which would be a total liberal. I have my right to say things. Isn’t that what the Fourth of July’s about? Freedom.”

According to the local police chief, Robert Shock, no one had complained about the President Obama parade float as of Tuesday morning. He told the local media that he (and his department) had nothing to do with approving the parade float. He said he didn’t see it for the first time until it passed by as part of the Independence Day parade. It’s also worth noting that he didn’t do anything to prevent the President Obama parade float from completing its drive along the parade route.

“The only thing we do is lead the parade and direct traffic. I saw it for the first time when it came by me at the parade.”

The Sheridan, Indiana Independence day parade was organized by the Sheridan Lions Club. That much about the event was confirmed by a member of the club, Rick Cox.

Other officials in the Indiana town have so far declined to comment on the President Obama parade float incident.

According to election records, 66 percent of Sheridan county voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. Thirty-two percent voted for incumbent president Obama.

What do you think? Was the Indiana parade float offensive? Should someone in charge of the Independence Day festivities have put a stop to the float? Or, was the President Obama parade float simply an exercise in free and protected speech?

[Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images]

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