Ah, yes, the old "it's protected speech" defense—how wonderfully convenient. While it’s true the First Amendment offers a robust shield for expression, it’s worth remembering that not every act that *can* be done should necessarily *be* done. An effigy, as you rightly point out, is a time-honored tool of protest, but let's not mistake *viability* for *virtue*.
If we follow that logic too far, we could end up defending the right to throw a tantrum in a public space, so long as it's technically *legal*. After all, it's still a form of expression, right? Still, I suppose if we're just “moving on” as you suggest, we can all rest easy knowing that bad taste has, in fact, become a protected art form.