In recent days, major retailers including Target and Walgreens have removed from their shelves a halloween costume which many (including me) think is clever and funny because of complaints by groups who support illegal immigrants.

The costume is of an “illegal alien", that is from another galaxy, not another country.  It comes complete with a typical space alien mask, an orange jail-style jumpsuit saying “Illegal Alien", and a large “green card” for the wearer to carry.

Over at Amazon.com, the item is “currently unavailable” and the picture has been removed from the primary listing.

The costume’s description says “He didn’t just cross a border, he crossed a galaxy!

Who wouldn’t think that’s at least a little funny?

So-called “immigrant rights activists", that’s who.

Here’s some of a CNN story about the tempest in a teapot:

Jorge-Mario Cabrera, the director of communications for CHIRLA, said he initially thought the costume was a stab at harmless satire. But when he saw the Green Card, he realized it was an swipe at illegal immigrants.

“This was an ignorant attempt to poke fun at a small community,” said Cabrera.

Political satire and Halloween often merge. Costumes depicting former well-known political figures are often seen along side those depicting Batman or Wonder Woman.

To some, the attempted humor of the costumes falls flat.

Guillermo Iglesias said both of his parents were illegal immigrants in the United States. He felt the costumes were offensive because they depicted illegal immigrants as “not one of us.”

“I have a lot of illegal immigrant friends,” said Iglesias. “If I showed them that costume, it would really hurt them.”

So I repeat my question: Where has American backbone gone when “poking fun", even if “ignorant” (which this costume isn’t), causes so much fear among some of America’s biggest companies that they back down due to complaints from people who represent non-American non-citizens?  Where is there a right for people never to feel “hurt", particularly when the hurt is of their own imagination?

This nation is on the verge, in large part thanks to the Obama Administrations manipulation of the media and their plans to silence any and all media critics, of accepting politically-motivated censorship.  It’s antithetical to everything that this nation is supposed to stand for.  That is not to say this nation stands for offending people, but it certainly stands for the right to offend people without being banned, jailed, or flogged.

When interest groups, whether “minority” or otherwise, can coerce citizens and companies out of selling legal (and quite clever) products, it is yet the latest symptom of being well down the road to losing our Republic.