The Summer of Stupid was highlighted by town halls featuring insane people, guys bringing guns to presidential events (because the Second Amendment COMPELS THEM TO) and the death of literally every celebrity who ever lived. We’d hoped to just sneak into Fall, turning the page quietly, but a couple from Fredricktown, Ohio, wanted to make one last lunatic-fringe scene. In other words, they ruined the Fredricktown Tomato Show Parade!
Is nothing sacred!?
Richard and Jacqueline Ruhl weren’t trying to offend anyone with a float they created for the Fredericktown Tomato Show Parade, they were merely trying to get the attention of their fellow citizens and encourage them to let their voices be heard.
So maybe they did something with a strong message? Perhaps they even used loud colors or Swiftian extremes to make people think? If they weren’t trying to offend anyone, certainly the float wasn’t overtly offensive, right?
They designed a float that coupled the Nazi flag with an image of President Barack Obama with a swastika around his arm. It also contained the phrase, “Wake up America.“ The float was denied entry into the parade by the Tomato Show Board of Directors because board members felt it detracted from the family-friendly atmosphere the parade was dedicated to creating.
The reality-based community shouldn’t have to keep saying it, but Barack Obama really isn’t anything like Hitler. Yes, they were/are both human males, but beyond that, they have…well, nothing in common (except that neither one was born in the United States).
In their efforts to educate themselves on today’s politics and political motives, the Ruhls found what they believe to be “strong parallels between what President Obama is doing and Adolf Hitler.”
Anyone want to guess how or where they did their research?
Whether that’s where they got their facts or not, here’s what it uncovered:
Issues such as the expansion of Americorps, gun control, the ability to turn off American access to the Internet and the North American Union make the Ruhls feel their fears are substantiated.
OH NOES! Not Americorps! Is there anything worse than community service? Are we the only ones who hate those self-righteous kids, running around making us look bad just because our only community service is making parade floats covered in swastikas?
Oh, and WTF gun control are they talking about!?
Sigh.
So, hey, Ruhls: why do you think people didn’t like your float? Why was it too cutting-edge for the Tomato Show Parade?
“It was the swastikas that seemed to be turning off most people,” [Jackie said].
OH YEAH!? YA THINK!? Are you sure it was the swastikas? Are you sure it wasn’t something else? Like, say, THE SWASTIKAS!
What’s especially important to take from this story is that the Ruhls aren’t racists — a point they make explicitly more than one time. Oh, also, this wasn’t fun for them.
“If anyone thinks I like pulling a swastika around, they are crazy. I hated it just as much as anybody,” Richard said.
“It made me sick to do it,” he added. “Just so disgustingly sick — sick to the point of vomiting from the sickness. But I did it anyway.”
I really hope that health care gets passed. Then we can euthanize the Ruhls. OH NOES. I revealed the liberal plot.
It made me sick that he got sick. Blehhhhh.
[...] suffer from mental illness (or are stupid/retarded). How long will it be until they start making tomato parade floats comparing Obama to Hitler? How many more people will pervert the phrase teabagging to be a political term? How many people [...]