When Bill Harper arrived to pick up his coffin Saturday morning, he didn’t find it.
Instead, Harper found a representative from the NAACP, according to Michael Speciale, Craven County GOP chairman, who believes the involvement of the civil rights organization may have intimidated Sheriff Jerry Monette to fail to keep his word.
Over the weekend, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, state chairman of the NAACP, released a statement calling the coffin “threatening” because it had an anti-Obama bumper sticker on it. Barber added, “There is no telling how many voters it had frightened away. It appeared to be an obvious threat to Sen. Obama—a warning to him to stay away from North Carolina.”
Barber went on to say the coffin was an attempt of “voter intimidation” and said the orgaization was contacting the “state board of elections, the Attorney General’s office, the justice department, and the FBI for a full investigation.”
Newschannel 12 reports the coffin is now being held by Monette and his brownshirts for a federal investigation.
The sheriff told WNCT “the North Carolina General Statute provides that anybody who provides a display that’s likely to provoke violence or a confrontation is in violation of the disorderly conduct statute.” He added, “We don’t want to take it and infringe on his right to free speech and that type of thing, but we also want to make sure the local law is adhered to as well.”
Well, Jerry…guess what…Harper broke no law. Your deuputies had no warrant. Harper was not arrested and charged with a crime. By seizing his property, which was an instrument of his speech, you violated both his First and Fourth Amendment rights.
As for the fraudulent claim of voter intimidation…I highly doubt anyone ran away scared because of a casket with an “O No” bumper sticker. This wasn’t a race issue until the NAACP made it one. You would think a civil rights group would respect the civil rights of others.
Harper is a conservative…a very outspoken conservative. But that doesn’t make him a racist. For years he has spouted his discontent for Democrats and liberal politics…including the less-than-productive Global TransPark boondoggle. If Hillary Clinton was the party’s nominee…it would be her sticker on the casket and the NAACP would have not have gotten themselves…or the feds involved.
If anyone is being intimidated in this election, it is anyone who opposes the almighty Barack Obama. Any opposition is seen as racist. Voters are made to feel that if they don’t vote for Obama, they’re racist.
The NAACP also called on leaders of both political parties to denounce Harper’s political stunt. According to a News & Observer forum, Brent Woodcox of the NC GOP said, “All decent, law-abiding citizens of North Carolina are outraged by this incident.”
They should be outraged because Bill Harper’s civil rights have been violated.
Not one to be easily intimidated or discouraged, Harper has not given up since deputies seized his property Friday afternoon. Saturday morning, he made a call to Swap Shop, a local radio program that announces items for sale by individuals and yard sales, looking for another coffin. He also told Newschannel 12 that opponents could get their own coffin and put McCain on it.
Today he was in front of the Sheriff’s Office making a sign that read, “Please let Joe the Plumber out of jail.” Many people may think Harper is crazy, but I say no. He has the balls to be outspoken and takes his constitutional rights seriously. We need more Bill Harpers in this country.
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I will bet money that if the coffin had a McCain sticker on it, no one would say anything. The other problem is that some people have got to make an issue about everything, as long as it is not about them.
Plumber??? What is a plumber?? I do not disagree that Mr. Harper has the right as American to freedom of speech. I feel he knew this would cause problems and this is the reason he chose the coffin. This is another way to get his name in the news.
There are idiots and there are super idiots. Bill Harper and all who agree with him are the real cause of divisive, racial, ignorance in today’s society. Mississippi with her tuburlant past, is always last in education, progress and technology.
Bill Harper is a loser and the US Secret Service should investigate this idiot. Although I believe in freedom of speech, but what one utter could be bad consequences.