Lawmaker removes Capitol Hill art with pig in police uniform
Lawmaker removes Capitol Hill art with pig in police uniform
KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press 16 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican lawmaker removed a high school student's painting from a Capitol Hill display Friday because it shows a pig in a police uniform aiming a gun at African-American protesters. The image was inspired by the shooting and protests in Ferguson, Missouri.
Rep. Duncan Hunter of California unscrewed the painting from a hallway display that includes hundreds of works of art and returned it to the office of Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay, who sponsored the work and represents a St. Louis congressional district.
Joe Kasper, a spokesman for Hunter, said "there's nothing appropriate" about the painting. He said the artwork was the subject of discussion when GOP lawmakers gathered for a morning caucus meeting. When Hunter left the meeting, he walked to the display and took it off the wall.
"He made sure he returned it safe and sound, all in one piece," Kasper said.
Hunter did not speak with Clay about the portrait, and Kasper said it was Clay's prerogative to return the painting to the display. A spokesman for Clay says the congressman was unavailable for comment.
The painting showed a police officer taking aim at protesters with signs saying "history" and "stop kill." The police officer has an elongated face with tusks, much like a razorback pig. The background includes the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and a young black man looking out from prison bars. One of the figures also appears to show a protester as a wolf.
Clay's website gives the following description of the artwork: "The painting portrays a colorful landscape of symbolic characters representing social injustice, the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri, and the lingering elements of inequality in modern American society."
In August 2014, a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, in Ferguson, setting off weeks of protests.
Clay's office said Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School senior David Pulphus won the lawmaker's 16th Annual Congressional Art Competition, and "his visually stunning acrylic painting on canvas entitled, 'Untitled #1' will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol Complex."
House Speaker Paul Ryan's office did not return a call seeking comment on whether he condoned Hunter's actions.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Hunter "will soon realize that he's fallen down more than one rabbit hole."
The reference was to Hunter's recent admission that his campaign had paid the $600 tab incurred for flying his children's pet rabbit with the family. Hunter said the charge to the campaign was a mistake and that he had reimbursed the campaign as part of more than $60,000 in questionable charges he had discovered.
Kasper said the congressman has received an outpouring of support from law enforcement organizations and individual officers.
"I am ecstatic with congressman Hunter's actions," said Andy Maybo, president of the Fraternal Order of Police chapter in the District of Columbia. "As we all know, this painting should never have made it to the walls of Congress."
A tunnel leading to the Capitol is filled with paintings and other artwork done by students who enter them in the annual Congressional Art Competition. The nationwide competition began in 1982 and students around the country submit entries to their representative's office. Panels of district artists select the winner from each district, and the winning works are displayed for one year.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/lawmaker-removes-capitol-hill-art-pig-police-uniform-174224557--politics.html
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I read about this picture last week and was shocked that anyone would think it was appropriate to hang up anywhere much less in a federal building. I don't know why this Congressmen thought it was okay to display this very biased depiction of our Police. To hang such a picture that paints every police officer as a pig and a racist is irresponsible and disrespectful. This only adds to the division of this country.
I don't see this picture portraying every police officer as a pig. The one on the right looks like a normal white guy, and the one on the far left looks like a horse or something, for whatever reason. There have been plenty of police officers in the last couple years to be exposed as horrible, racist pigs with no respect for human life. Painting a picture is a much milder form of expression than murdering African Americans for stealing cigarillos, holding a paintball gun, selling loose cigarettes, etc.
The derogatory term "pig" has been used to describe the police since before I can remember. The painting doesn't have to portray every police officer as a pig to get the point across. The painting is subjective and not an honest portrayal. Not every police officer is bad. IMO this only enhances the division. When someone is constantly portrayed in the negative it can motivate that person to do several things - quit, give in to the stereotype, or improve. The painting imo doesn't inspire one to see hope.
That looks more like a boar than a pig.
I don't like the painting, and I don't like it hanging in Congress.
It has to be approached as a legal matter though. If it is legal to have it hanging there, only the people who had the authority to hang it have the authority to take it down.
I guess I would argue that I don't think it should be legal to hang it up in a Federal Building. To me it is a symbol of hate almost similar to the confederate flag. If the Congressman wants to celebrate the painting then he can hang it in his home or in a business but not federal property.