I think Lippmann's statement absolutely relates to this picture of the noose. Whether this current situation had happened or not, one usually associates a noose with the horrible history of lynchings and racial tension in our country, especially in the South. If we did not have the preconceived notion of what a noose usually stands for, we perhaps would just think this was a rope tied up in a fancy way and not associate it with racial issues. However, due to our prior knowledge of hangings, one automatically sees a satanic way of killing someone usually paired with racism when viewing the noose. Therefore, because of what we already know and feel about a noose, this picture shares an idea that most people think of when seeing it just as those in Jena probably thought when they saw it hanging from a tree.