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Far-left Black Lives Matter extremists vandalized three landmarks in Memphis, Tennessee late Monday, including the former home of rock legend Elvis Presley, and were subsequently defended by local Democrat politicians.
Photos from the scene show that the extremists tagged crude messages such as “BLM,” “F–k 12,” “Breonna Taylor,” “Abolish ICE,” “F–k Trump,” and “Defund The Police” on the wall surrounding Presley’s 89-year-old Graceland mansion.
Look:
They are removing graffiti that appeared overnight in front of @VisitGraceland ⚠️Some pictures contain explicit language ⚠️ @WMCActionNews5 pic.twitter.com/Z8CWFUaWVD
— Briseida Holguin (@BriseidaHolguin) September 1, 2020
What an image. pic.twitter.com/ldJTzb2SJg
— Briseida Holguin (@BriseidaHolguin) September 1, 2020
The mansion has been owned by Elvis’s daughter, Lisa Marie, since his death in 1977. While it’s unclear how she feels about the vandalism, Elvis’s step-uncle, Bill Stanley, did issue a statement to local media expressing his shock and sadness.
“This is totally uncalled for. One of the saddest days of my life. I mean, besides the day that Elvis passed away, this right here is right up next to it,” he reportedly said.
Locals apparently agreed.
“We were just driving by this morning and we looked over. We just couldn’t believe it. We were just stunned by it,” local resident Alice Self, an Elvis fan, said to local station WMC.
But according to Tennessee state Rep. Antonio Parkinson, a Democrat, all the fuss is for nothing.
“What’s the real issue here? Every visitor that has come to Graceland has written on that wall and there were no complaints. So, really, it’s WHAT was written, not the fact that it was written,” he reportedly wrote in a Facebook post.
The wall out front of @VisitGraceland was desecrated with Black Lives Matter graffiti and other explicit words and Tennessee State Representative Democrat – Memphis Antonio Parkinson @TNRepParkinson made a statement on @Facebook defending the graffiti . #VOTEHIMOUT https://t.co/CyijjMbGOr pic.twitter.com/trorodFDm3
— James Worley 🇺🇸 (@JamesWorley) September 2, 2020
He wasn’t entirely wrong. The mansion’s caretakers have allowed graffiti on the wall. However, they’ve only allowed FAN GRAFFITI.
“Have you ever visited Graceland and written a message on the fieldstone wall that surrounds the property? This phenomenon started while Elvis was still alive, and the grounds keepers worked diligently to keep the wall clean,” Elvis Australia, an Australian fan club for the deceased rock legend, notes.
“After Elvis died, the volume of fan graffiti proved overwhelming, and the estate decided to leave the wall alone. Only crude messages were pressure-washed off. The rest would last a year or so until exposure to sun and rain faded them, giving newer visitors a chance to add their thoughts.”
See some of this FAN GRAFFITI below:
But for reasons that remain unclear — perhaps entitlement? — Parkinson believes BLM extremists should be allowed to vandalize the wall at Graceland with graffiti that has nothing whatsoever to do with the deceased rock legend.
It’s not surprising given that he appears to be an extremist himself.
Case in point:
— Antonio Parkinson (@TNRepParkinson) August 26, 2020
According to station WMC, the Levitt Shell Amphitheater in Overton Park where Elvis reportedly performed his first paid concert on July 30, 1954, and the “I Heart Memphis” mural in midtown Memphis were also vandalized.
“[A] spokesperson for the Levitt Shell said this is the sixth time this year they’ve been vandalized,” the station reported.
“That’s why this is such a devastating situation seeing it this morning. It’s getting worse,” the amphitheater’s executive director, Natalie Wilson, said.
However, she then turned around and made an overture to the extremists.
“Defacing our stage is not appropriate; however, we acknowledge their pain and we want to say to our community ’it’s time the conversations are deeper, they’re more productive and that change happens with good communication,'” she said.
Her overture is typical of how every major institution and corporation in America has been jumping through hoops to cater to BLM extremists, despite the extremists’ increasingly volatile and dangerous behavior.
See the vandalism below:
This is so depressing to see. Especially on 901 Day…
The Levitt Shell amphitheater was hit with graffiti overnight. The graffiti is allegedly in support of BLM and defunding the police.
Officers are investigating to determine who is responsible. pic.twitter.com/i23GVb93cY
— Chris Luther (@cluther_wmc5) September 1, 2020
“The vandalism at the ‘I Heart Memphis’ mural was caught on camera by surveillance cameras at a nearby business. It shows two cars pull up to the mural right before 2 a.m. Tuesday. On the video, five people can be seen spray painting the mural, leaving behind vulgar messages. About three minutes later, the cars drive away,” WMC’s report continued.
But according to some BLM extremists, it’s somehow wrong for normal, hard-working, everyday people to feel anger and pain over the vandalism.
Look:
y’all care more about a venue than black lives. the levitt shell can be cleaned, spruced up, allat. black lives can’t. analyze your anger and why it’s there.
— ally smith (@senpaiverses) September 1, 2020
If what happened to the Levitt Shell angers you, maybe you can extrapolate to how it feels to have the police come to an African American neighborhood or home and end up killing people for a mistake, a bicycle violation, a bag of skeetles, etc.
— Daniel Valdez 🙋♂️ (@esotrodaniel) September 2, 2020
Sounds reasonable …
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