Last week I received an email from Melissa Neese, the Georgia woman I told you about last week who erected a controversial Halloween display in her front yard.

The display depicted likenesses of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, only Obama’s likeness had a spectre behind him.

The new display shows likenesses of Obama, McCain and Hillary Clinton with her arm around Obama.

Ms. Neese apologized for her display and she is dismayed that the media has not been by to photograph the new display and she is worried that her reputation might be tarnished forever as a result.

Here is the email Ms. Neese sent last week:

Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:08:38
From: melissa neese
To: sandra@sandrarose.com
Subject: apologies for resent halloween display

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SORRY TO ANY ONE THAT WAS OFFENDED BY MY DISPLAY. YOU’RE RIGHT IT WAS DONE IN BAD TASTE AND WITH OUT FOR-THOUGHT.

THE REASON FOR THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK. I SIMPLY DID NOT AND WAS NOT THINKING OF MR. OBAMA AS A BLACK MAN AND THAT IT WOULD BE LOOKED AT IN A RACIST WAY. I WAS NOT EVEN DONE WITH THE DISPLAY WHEN THE NEWS MAN CAME BY I WAS GOING TO MIX HALLOWEEN AND THE ELECTION, WITH THE INTENTIONS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR WHO THEY WANTED AND MAKE THERE VOICE HEARD.

SINCE THIS HAS AIRED, I HAVE CHANGED MY DISPLAY AND IN MUCH MORE TASTE-FULL FASHION. SO NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN MARKED AS A RACIST AND GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE BY PEOPLE THAT DO NOT EVEN KNOW ME, BY THE WAY MARTIN LUTHER KING IS ONE OF MY HEROES OF ALL TIME.

Read more after the break…

BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT MY POINT IS. FOR IF ANY THING WILL COME OUT OF THIS, PEOPLE WILL GO OUT AND VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH THEN MAYBE THIS WILL NOT HAVE ALL BEEN FOR NOTHING AT MY EXPENSE. IT WILL HAVE BEEN WORTH IT FOR EVERY ONE HAS SEEN THE OLD DISPLAY AND MY NAME IS TARNISHED FOREVER AND THE NEWS PROBABLY WONT COME BY AND FILM THE NEW DISPLAY AND THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING A WRONG RIGHT.

I ASK, YOU THAT KNOW ME AND KNOW THAT I AM NOT A RACIST TO FORWARD THIS TO ANY ONE THAT WILL LISTEN AND THAT MY APOLOGIES WILL BE HEARD.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS ALL
MELISSA NEESE

Ms. Neese sent this note today:

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THOUGH, WHAT IS A RACIST? WE ALL KNOW ONE IS PEOPLE THAT HATE FOLKS FOR THE COLOR OF ONES SKIN. BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE THAT HATE JUST ON ONE STUPID COMMENT OR SOMETHING STUPID SOME ONE MAY HAVE DONE AND IT IS NOT WHAT THEY INTENDED TO DO WITHOUT TRULY KNOWING WHO THAT PERSON TRULY IS OR WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT?

I PERSONALLY HATE NO ONE. THE BIBLE TEACHES US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AND NOT TO JUDGE, AND THIS DOES NOT EXCLUDE ANY ONE.