When the Sheriff was confronted about the post’s disturbing racial undertones, his response was anything but reflective or responsible.
“I will not apologize,” he declared, doubling down by adding, “It was meant to be funny, and I still think it’s funny.”
When others tried to educate him on the imagery’s racist past and its link to Trump-era immigration cruelty, the Sheriff further dismissed the concerns, stating, “Everything people say or do, they say it’s racist,” and, “It’s pretty bad when you say plastic, rubber alligators are racist.”
Let us be clear: this isn’t about plastic or rubber. This is about the normalization of dehumanization — of Black people, of immigrants, and of anyone deemed “other” by those in power.
Initially, I called for an apology and the removal of what I had mistakenly believed was a physical display. I later clarified that it was, in fact, an AI image posted to the Sheriff’s official Facebook page. Still, the call for accountability remains. To post such imagery on a government page and then mock its implications is unacceptable behavior for any public official — let alone one sworn to protect the public.
Maya Angelou once said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” The Sheriff has shown us exactly who he is. And let’s not forget what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. expressed, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere...whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” So the notion from the Sherriff that, “Most of the people that didn’t like it were from other states, other jurisdictions,” does not hold water because his actions here have consequences for those everywhere.
With that said, to every resident of Butler County — Black, white, immigrant, native-born— this is not the kind of leadership you should tolerate. This is not the “normal” we should accept. His blatant disregard for history and human dignity is more than an embarrassment; it’s a threat to progress. As someone currently working within a statewide coalition to end Qualified Immunity — a doctrine designed for public officials to often use to escape accountability — I recognize firsthand how dangerous unchecked power can become.
I urge you to demand leadership that values humanity, learns from history, and leads with compassion. Because when our communities are treated as jokes, the consequences cut deep. As someone who has endured the sting of white supremacist mockery before, I can assure you: this is no laughing matter. Enough is enough.
Carlos Buford is the founder of Black Lives Matter Dayton and a voter advocate.
