Auto shop sparks outrage with their Halloween display of a Donald Trump scarecrow holding Barack Obama's 'severed' head by a rope while standing on Hillary Clinton's head
A Michigan auto shop owner has come under fire for displaying a Halloween decoration where President Donald Trump appears to hang Barack Obama's severed head by a noose.
Fowlerville residents called the exhibition of a scarecrow featuring a Trump mask, and a rope with a mask of the 44th president 'racist', 'vulgar' and 'anti-American' on social media this weekend, after one local drew attention to it in a Facebook post that has since been deleted.
'I am disgusted this is in my hometown. Way to display your ignorance. Democrat or Republican this is just wrong,' Kathy DeTroyer wrote online about what she saw outside Quality Coatings.
But the owner has since removed the rope and attached Obama mask, replacing it with yellow tape reading 'PC-Police'.
Trump scarecrow holding a rope with an Obama mask attached was up for three weeks in Fowlerville, Michigan before a sudden backlash
People said it looked like a noose but Quality Coatings' owner said it represents a spine and the whole thing depicts a move from game Mortal Kombat
The display also appeared to show Trump with his foot on Hillary Clinton's head
Spectators called it 'racist', 'vulgar' and 'anti-American' on the shops social media page
Behind the scarecrow is an American flag, plus a knife and red paint to signify blood made it appear as if Trump had been stabbed.
The Trump scarecrow also appeared to be standing on Hillary Clinton's head.
'I'll never support them. Here's what they thought would be funny for Halloween...racists! They demonstrated complete lack of empathy when people complained. They owe their town a public apology. Shame on them,' Jason Heinrich commented.
Mary Joslin added: 'Racist and violent display. Vote with your $. Don't go here!'
'Lacks judgement, lacks respect. Lacks human decency, Haley Sewell posted. 'This is gross and should have never been displayed.'
But on Friday, business owner Dave Huff was forced to change the display after he was made aware of the backlash.
Now the rope and attached Obama mask are gone and yellow tape reading 'PC-Police' appears
But the owner said 'no race ever went into this thing' and called it a Halloween decoration gone too far
Many commenters assumed it was a Republican making a statement about Democrats
'It was a Halloween decoration that I guess went too far,' Huff told the Detroit Free Press on Sunday.
He added that 'no race ever went into this thing' and claims the rope was supposed to represent a spine.
Huff insisted he was simply trying to depict a move from the game Mortal Combat with the display and that he is not racist.
He also noted that he has never voted and is neither Republican nor Democrat.
Fowlerville is currently holding a scarecrow competition but Huff's business is not registered to take part, according to Detroit Free Press.
While many showed outrage on Facebook, the display had been on show for three weeks before it was a deemed a disgrace and plenty of others showed support for the business.
'In lieu of the current news, they've DEFINITELY earned my business! Well done! #MAGA2020 ,' was among some of the supportive posts.
Huff has refused to address the comments publicly via the business' page.
His refusal to apologize riled up some even more.
'What a genuinely awful Halloween display this company put up. Racist, Mean-spirited, Clueless, Stupid,' Jay Pe posted online. 'And only a complaint from the owner about 'PC police,' instead of an apology when reasonably offended people made it an issue.'
In 2017, comedian Kathy Griffin lost her New Year's Eve TV hosting job and cancelled stand-up tour dates as she was blacklisted in the industry for a Halloween picture that portrayed her holding Trump's severed head.
She then became the subject of a federal investigation but she has since managed to partially restore her career and win over the public again.
But Huff noted that he has never voted and is neither Republican nor Democrat
In 2017, comedian Kathy Griffin's career was ruined and she became the subject of a federal investigation for her Halloween image of Trump's severed head
