Indiana parade float depicts Clinton in electric chair

Parade organizers in a southeastern Indiana town say they regret including a float depicting Hillary Clinton sitting in an electric chair with Donald Trump throwing the switch.

The city of Aurora, Indiana, issued a statement denouncing the float, which appeared in the Aurora Farmers Fair parade.

The city said the imagery was “not consistent with the values of our citizens or who we want to be as a city.”

The statement from the city said:

The Aurora Farmers Fair is the pinnacle of our city’s year. Every year, a countless number of community members, organizations, schools and families help make our hometown of Aurora and the Aurora Farmers Fair special.

We are disappointed that the actions of a few individuals have taken the focus away from what was otherwise a very successful 108th Aurora Farmers Fair. The Aurora Lions Club is the leading charitable organization in our City. The City of Aurora refuses to believe that this particular float is in anyway a reflection of the Aurora Lions Club or its members.

The City of Aurora has no involvement in selecting float participants. The imagery portrayed by the float is simply not consistent with the values of our citizens or who we want to be as a city.

The City of Aurora will have no further comment in this matter.

The Aurora Lions Club organized the parade. In its statement, the club said:

The Aurora Lions Club regrets the display which was part of the Aurora Farmers Fair parade on October 1st which offended some viewers. The parade is a public venue which does not reflect the views of the Aurora Lions Club. As a member of a worldwide service organization, we are proud and standby our record of service to this community. We appreciate the high levels of support and the esteem given to us by our citizens. We will continue to do our best to live up to their standards. We hope the political circus of this year’s election stays with the national media. Sincerely, Aurora Lions Club

Frank Linkemeyer made the float. He says he wasn’t trying to offend anyone and was just having fun.. “it definitely was all for laughter,” is his statement.

The float also had a grim reaper figure holding a scythe.

The town of 3,700 is about 30 miles west of Cincinnati.

Earlier this year, Trump was speaking to gun-rights advocates when he raised the threat of violence against Clinton. Trump said, “Hillary wants to abolish — essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.”

The Republican added, “But I tell you what, that will be a horrible day, if Hillary gets to put her judges in, right now we’re tied.”