Beginning Monday, there has been a steady back-and-forth of a controversial painting depicting law enforcement officers as pigs that was hung by Rep. William Lacy Clay in the capital complex’s public areas.
The Missouri Democrat found that the painting had been removed from its prominent public location and returned to his office Monday — the work of Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican and former Marine.
Clay was infuriated and called Hunter’s activity an act of theft. Not so fast, Skippy. When the object is returned to you, that’s not theft.
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Moreover, Monday happened to be National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and displaying that particular painting was no way to show appreciation for those who place their lives on the line for us each day.
Clay returned the painting — the work of a high school student meant to depict police-community relations in Ferguson, Missouri after the shooting death of Michael Brown and the ensuing riots — to public display. Clay also found it ironic that constitutional conservatives would want to stifle freedom of expression.
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Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo) put the cops-as-pigs painting back on the wall in the Cannon Tunnel pic.twitter.com/hN7tiXX0ek
— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) January 10, 2017
.@LacyClayMO1: “This is really not about a student art competition anymore. It’s about defending the Constitution.” https://t.co/zc7j5sOiTm pic.twitter.com/xSOdFmFJMp
— POLITICO (@politico) January 10, 2017
Since then, the painting has been the subject of a ping-pong volley, With Republican lawmakers removing it and Clay and the Congressional Black Caucus returning to to what they feel is its rightful place.
#Breaking Police/pigs art on CapHill on removed again after Cong Blk Caucus rehangs it. Hunter says he didn’t do it pic.twitter.com/KgFEci4Oco
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
The second instance turned out to be the work of Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Republican, who said he hopes others will take up the mantle.
Rep Lamborn on art: I decided to continue the protest..& I hope that permanent action is taken to remove this brazen attack on (police)
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
When Rep Lamborn dropped off art in Rep Clay’s office, Clay says Lamborn told him “it doesn’t belong here”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
But Clay disagreed and hung it again.
To be fair, the painting was first displayed in June, but wasn’t removed until Monday, January 9 — National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.
To review:
-Painting went up in June
-Hunter takes it down on 1/6
-Clay rehangs at 10 am
-Lamborn takes it down
-Clay puts it back up pic.twitter.com/HZ5qWP3Vpq
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 10, 2017
Tuesday evening, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric L. Richmond was asked whether the painting needed security personnel to protect it. He had another idea.
“We might just have to kick somebody’s a– and stop them,” was his reply.
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We all believe in the First Amendment’s freedom of expression provisions, but when that expression perpetuates a lie and does nothing other than to further divide the races it’s tough to swallow.
After the Ferguson shooting then-Attorney General Eric Holder sent a team of investigators to that St. Louis suburb after a grand jury found Officer Darren Wilson, the shooting officer, blameless.
The investigators found that Wilson acted within the law and that the “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative was all a lie.
One suggested that if the Ferguson painting can be on display, why not other things.
@BretBaier @politico @LacyClayMO1 Then bring back the Dukes!#PoliveLIvesMatter STOP UNDERMINING THEM #SpecialReport pic.twitter.com/6CgFqLVw0t
— JScotty KGB (@InsaneTerrain) January 11, 2017
Why not?
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