U.S.

Police Commissioner Who Defended Racial Slur Against Obama Resigns

The New Hampshire official who called President Obama the n-word and then defended it, did not ride out the controversy as he hoped.  

By Adam Chandler
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The New Hampshire official who called President Obama the n-word and then defended it, did not ride out the controversy as he hoped. Bob Copeland, who makes up one-third of the Wolfeboro, New Hamp., police commission triumvirate,  reportedly resigned today after, well, some outrage over the police commissioner's remarks.

In case you missed it, Copeland was overheard referencing President Obama as "that fucking nigger" at a local restaurant. After a complaint was filed, Copeland not only refused to apologize, but defended his language:

While I believe the problems associated with minorities in this country are momentous, I am not phobic. My use of derogatory slang in reference to those among them undeserving of respect is no secret. It is the exercise of my 1st Amendment rights... I believe I did use the “N” word in reference to the current occupant of the Whitehouse [sic]. For this I do not apologize – he meets and exceeds my criteria for such.

Many, many people, including former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, disagreed with Copeland's logic. Here was Copeland's remarkably succinct resignation letter:

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.