Which one is the State's Attorney of McDonough County, IL?

MACOMB -- Here's an interesting photo that ran in a recent print issue of the McDonough Voice, formerly the Macomb (Illinois) Daily Journal.  

These law enforcement officials, dressed as women, a/k/a Hooters girls, are the Republican McDonough County State's Attorney James Hoyle, Bushnell, IL police chief Merv Hilliard and Blandinsville, IL police chief Justin Lundgren.

The photo, apparently only in the newspapers's print edition, has drawn protests and defenders. 

The protesters have pointed out that these men would not have dared to dress as blacks, as Native Americans, or as any other ethnic group.  But apparently it's OK to mock women. 

Their law enforcement connections raise additional issues, namely what they really think of the women victims of domestic violence who turn to them for help -- or not -- after seeing this photo.

Their defenders say they are good guys and didn't mean anything by this, and that critics are being overly sensitive. They're not sexist, their pals say. (Just clueless?)

But don't take my word for it.  Read the eight -- so far -- letters yourself, back to June 15, and the comments. They are a hoot!  And also show how stupid some people are. They are on the newspaper's website.

Here's the link.  Scroll down to see all eight letters and the comments.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Comments

[C. J. Summers]

They were raising money for 4th of July activities. I suppose if their fundraising gimmicks had called for them to have their heads shaved, you would have accused them of "mocking" bald people, or being insensitive to those undergoing chemotherapy, eh?

Also, doesn't the ACLU support the right of men to dress as women if they wish?

[Elaine Hopkins]

If their gimmicks had included blackface mocking black people would there be objections? How about Native Americans? Etc. This display mocked women, and many women are not amused.

There's a difference between cross dressing and mocking the opposite sex. Men in Hooters shirts mock women -- that's the only point of the costume.