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Posted at: 06/16/2009 6:52 PM | WHEC.com Costume controversy in Bergen parade
Brenden Vaneenwyk dressed in blackface, wearing oversized ears in The Bergen Park Festival Parade over the weekend. He marched alongside a trailer with "FUBO" written on the side. Vaneenwyk says you can imagine what the F-U stands for. B-O stands for Barack Obama. He says his costume had nothing to do with race. "Barack Obama is brown skinned and I have white skin so in order to look like him you've got to put brown paint on," said Vaneenwyk. Vaneenwyk says he wanted to encourage people who disagreed with the government to speak up. He calls President Obama a facist. "Complete lack of respect for the constitution is going on right now just complete lawlessness really," said Vaneenwyk. Anne Sapienza, the festival and parade organizer, says she did not approve the float. She says it was a last minute entry. "Everybody was in shock, it really kind of caught us off guard," said Sapienza. "That day is about community and everyone putting aside their politics and religion," said Sapienza. She has received several complaints with many calling it a racist stunt. Many people were angry over the blackface and say it gives the people of Bergen a bad name. "I find it ignorant," said Roland Galdun, of Bergen. "There are a lot of different races and cultures in America and to portray something in such a negative attitude is poor." Vaneenwyk says he has no regrets and people are being irrational. For more Rochester, NY news, go to our website, www.whec.com.
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Print Story
A man's costume for a parade in Genesee County is causing controversy. 