It's as American as Shutting Up

This is beyond mockery:

The fallout from a Missouri rodeo clown’s mockery of President Obama continued as the Missouri State Fair said it will force all clowns to undergo sensitivity training and the head of the state rodeo-clown organization resigned.

Ever see Ang Lee’s brilliant 1997 movie, The Ice Storm? It’s not an easy one to watch, so I’ve only seen it one time. But as I recall, a pubescent Christina Ricci agrees to let a boy feel her up — but only if she can wear a Nixon mask while he does.

Now that’s some disturbing stuff right there, but I don’t recall anyone requiring Lee to attend any sensitivity training. In fact, the Toronto Film Critics Association named Lee its runner-up that year for best director, and there was some shock that the movie didn’t receive any Oscar nominations.

I’m not saying we should be awarding Oscars to rodeo clowns, but we’re still talking about a guy who mocked the president, getting fired and banned for life from his job.

In America.

Fired.

Banned.

For mocking the President.

This is not the country I grew up in. Not by a longshot.

Update: Kathy Shaidle reviewed The Ice Storm last year over at the PJ Lifestyle blog, and has a photo of Christina Ricci in the aforementioned Nixon mask at the top of her post.