An Oklahoma man is apparently causing a scene by hanging a dummy from a tree in the front yard of his McAlester home, mostly because the Halloween decoration is in close proximity to a Confederate flag.

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A McAlester News-Capital editor stopped at the home of Billy James this week after receiving reports from residents that a dummy swaying from a tree in his front yard, not far from a large Confederate flag, is offensive.

“I find it offensive and disgusting,” resident Patt Ellington told the newspaper. “It goes beyond the pale.”

“If he’d hung a ‘ghost,’ that would have been great,” she added. “If it’s a Halloween decoration, it’s in poor taste.”

Billy James assured the News-Capital there’s no hidden racial agenda behind the display, but made it clear he couldn’t care less what his neighbors think.

“It’s a Halloween decoration,” James said. “If it offends somebody, tough ****.”

The dummy is hanging about 10- to 15-feet in the air, dressed in coveralls, a red long sleeve shirt, and boots, with a stuffed western-themed pillow case for a head.

“There’s nothing illegal. There’s nothing racist,” James told a reporter, who apparently attempted to correct his politically incorrect language.

From the News-Capital:

“I have black friends; no racial thing’s intended,” said James, who did use a racial slur during the conversation. He said the word he used also applied to some white people.

The News-Capital asked James drop the word from the conversation and asked why he had chosen that particular display to put next to the Confederate flag.

“No real particular reason,” said James, who noted he also flies an American flag and said he has a right to fly his Confederate flag.

James explained that he went light on this year’s Halloween decorations because the city is putting down sod in his front yard soon as part of a city project. He acknowledged the hanging dummy has received a lot of attention, and regularly gives permission for folks to snap pictures, but nobody has complaint about the display to him directly.

“I had intended to get some bales of hay,” he said.

The newspaper also called city police, apparently to check whether anyone had reported the dummy as a hate crime, but no dice.

Police chief Gary Wansick said his department hasn’t received any complaints.

Folks on Facebook, however, had a lot to say about the display, both in support and opposition to James.

“Jeez people. Everyone jump on the PC wagon and find everything in existence offensive,” Eli Bowen posted. “Let’s ban everything that has color or shape as to not offend anyone and not allow anyone to do anything on their own property. Let’s all just sit around and not speak or do any sort of actions cause it might offend someone This is the world that you people want.”

“This is why I hate McAlester. It’s Halloween. It’s his yard and he can put whatever he wants in his yard,” Cameron Stewart wrote. “The flag was up before he put his Halloween decorations out. People are making a big deal out of nothing. Get over it and grow up.”

“How is this considered a Halloween decoration is my question?? I’m so surprised at how many people are actually defending this guy’s actions!” Amanda Jeffries commented. “You have a Confederate flag with a dummy right next to it. He’s obviously using Halloween as an excuse to show how racist he is.”

“Would I decorate my yard like this? No. Is it distasteful? Yes,” Rayford Bratcher posted. “I think we live in a society that is overly sensitive though. It is his property and he can do as he wants. He has freedom of speech just like everyone has freedom to speak against something. That’s the beauty of America, we can have different views.”

“It’s his property,” Darlene Carter added. “End of story.”