OMAHA, NE – Norfolk’s Independence Day Parade contained a large display of disrespect for President Barack Obama, some even calling it blatantly racist. Many residents of Norfolk, Nebraska and the Nebraska Democratic Party called foul. The controversy even made its way to national news. The float featured a zombie-face dummy in overalls portraying Obama standing in front of an outhouse with Obama Presidential Library on the side. See more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/06/obama-outhouse-float_n_5561568.html
Obama Presidential Library – Norfolk Parade
The offensive float is a slap in the face to a sense of decency and The mission of the Odd Fellows Lodge: Specifically, IOOF today are dedicated to the following purposes: To improve and elevate the character of mankind by promoting the principles of friendship, love, truth, faith, hope, charity & universal justice. To help make the world a better place to live by aiding each other, the community, the less fortunate, the youth, the elderly, the environment and the community in every way possible. To promote good will and harmony amongst peoples and nations through the principle of universal fraternity, holding the belief that all men and women regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, gender, rank and station are brothers and sisters. See more: http://www.ioof.org/IOOF/About_Us/Mission/IOOF/AboutUS/Mission.aspx?hkey=836e4547-847f-466f-a9f1-0b67deb0b125
For the record, the City of Norfolk denies any involvement with the float being in the parade. Norfolk Mayor Sue Fuchtman told KMTV-3 News the city has no involvement, even though she later admitted she granted approval for the Odd Fellows Lodge to use city streets for the parade. KMTV-3 News http://www.jrn.com/kmtv/news/City-Of-Norfolk-Denies-Parade-Involvment-265963471.html
A FaceBook page was created that is dedicated to demanding an apology from Norfolk’s Odd Fellows Lodge. The Page currently has over 260 FB likes in just 24 hours. The page will be a hotbed of activity for folks upset over the parade float.
Please like and share the page if you agree. https://www.facebook.com/NorfolkApology
Norfolk, Nebraska was in the national news before for passing a housing ordinance to ban renting to illegal immigrants. The ordinance was ultimately upheld in a court challenge. See more: http://www.newstalkradio.net/news/us-supreme-court-upholds-fremont-immigration-ordinance
To the Odd Fellows Lodge and your allies, I must ask, what’s next, a parade where the participants wear white robes and hoods? A racial lynch mob? Public Stoning of Queers along the Parade route? The Obama Float is the perfect example of what Nebraska Nasty is all about.
Progressive Oasis 
Ken, I always enjoy reading your posts but you and I are looking at the Obama Library from slightly different perspectives. While I agree that the office of the President should be respected, it is the office itself and not the office holder that deserves the automatic respect. Respect is not conferred just because someone is given a title: it must be earned and that’s true whether it’s government or private industry.
I respect all who deserve it. And before anybody screams “racism”, I’ve been on multiple committees with many black friends, a number of whom are quite competent and possess uncompromising character, so this has nothing to do with race, but instead of the character (or lack thereof) of the man in office. Whether it’s the President of the United States or a high school class secretary, I respect the person based on who they are instead of what they are. If they are honest, respectful of those around them and competent in carrying out their responsibilities then they are deserving of respect.
Ken, you said in your writing that the purpose of the IOOF is to “improve and elevate the character of mankind by promoting the principles of friendship, love, truth, faith, hope, charity & universal justice”.
Obama has done none of those. He is the most divisive president (small “p” intentional) our country has ever seen.
Now back to the float: it is sad to me that the float in the Norfolk parade was so disrespectful of an American institution and so disrespectful of such a major part of our history. And I’m speaking, not of the White House, but of the outhouse. The outhouse played an integral part in the growth and development of our country while the same cannot be said of Obama. Based on my above definition of respect and the IOOF’s purpose, Obama is not deserving of any of it. He made it clear, even before he took office that he was going to transform America.
Having him connected, even referentially, to the outhouse denigrates the name and the history of one of America’s earliest fundamental footholds.
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By: Ted Quick on July 7, 2014
at 5:49 PM
I find it interesting that Obama’s opponents can spread all that rhetoric about how he’s done nothing but disrespect the country and the constitution, but none of you can indicate with any legal support let alone facts to demonstrate exactly what he has done wrong. Obama has done a lot for this country: HealthCare, He got Osama, he saved the economy. Republicans have done absolutely nothing in the most do-nothing Congress in US history.
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By: Ken R on July 8, 2014
at 3:28 AM
Obamacare is not about health care, it’s about taking over the economy and putting it in the hands of a centralized committee. It is all about control of the people. If I understand it correctly, between 6 and 7 million people lost their insurance because “it didn’t measure up” and 8 million people have signed up for Obamacare of which only about 60% have paid their premiums. If that is accurate then fewer people are now covered than before. So I guess that program isn’t working too well. And it was voted through “in the dark of night” while approximately 63% of Americans were against it so where was the representation of the people? I thought the President (in this case, “president”) was to be working for the people. “He saved the economy”? He did? Our country would be in better shape today, if the failing companies had been allowed to go bankrupt. The valuable assets would have been gobbled up and then managed properly. The real unemployment rate is more nearly 11 to 12 percent. The worker participation rate is around 62%, the lowest in the past 30 to 40 years. The House, as of March of this year had passed 434 bills while only 83 had become law, so what part of Washington is “do-nothing”? While very few of us on the right believe any of what BHO says, one only needs to look at his repeated lies of “If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor” and any rational human being would question the integrity of that person. So sorry that you can’t see the truth because from your readings, although I disagree with so many of them you appear to be a fine fellow and reasonably bright. Simply misguided. If you and I were to meet on the street and didn’t know who the other one was, we’d actually like each other. Always interested in your views.
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By: Ted Quick on July 8, 2014
at 9:23 AM
Actually, healthcare is about ensuring all Americans have access to healthcare. That’s not a secret. The mandate is a Republican idea, one that Romney took up for Romneycare in Massachusetts. Yes, 434 bills the House passed, making it slow. One thing the GOP doesn’t mention is that insurance policies through the employer are redone annually or biannually, Obamacare didn’t change anything in that respect.
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By: Ken R on July 9, 2014
at 1:15 PM