For weeks I looked at these murals and wondered who did them, why, and what they mean. They're popping up on large buildings all over El Pueblo de Los Angeles. You see them on the sides of buildings on Highland Blvd, on Hollywood, on Vine, on Sunset, on La Brea--many other places. They must've cost a fortune to put in place, and there are many of them.
The leftist junta that runs El Pueblo is united in their hatred of these murals.
Now, you have to understand--if any naked savage, ethnic minority or member of any so-called minority group paints any ugly, primitive, spray-can mural on any wall in any ethnic neighborhood, it's applauded as "the expression of the people." It doesn't matter how hideous it might look, as long as it's painted with more than one color (single color murals are, obviously, graffiti, and subject to obliteration as soon as the property owner gets around to it).
Moreover, if an approved "expression of the people" starts looking a bit weather-worn, el alcalde is likely to assign funds to have it restored.
Have you ever seen the Watts Towers? Oh my!
Meanwhile, Los Angeles' ruling leftist junta is apoplectic about these Statue of Liberty murals. The only reason I can think of is that they were done by a rich white guy.
City Councilman Jack Weiss, a white guy shot through with guilt over both his race and his wealth, who stands so far to the left of center that he has to talk long distance to LA's news media, is at the forefront of the fight against the First Amendment on this issue.
Weiss is the leader of a gang of thugs who not only want--and think they have--final right of approval of not only every commercial billboard within the city limits, but every public art display as well. O! How a certain type of neurotic lusts for total unjustified power over the largest and smallest acts of others!
According to a Reuters story,
Councilman Jack Weiss, who represents West Los Angeles and Hollywood, stated the city should file charges against McNeilly. "People shouldn't be doingLeave it to a guilt-riddled socialist to focus 'pon a patriotic theme, and then to set the war dogs of the state on that, rather than on the many ills that plague El Pueblo, the vast majority of which are caused by these selfsame leftists.
this. And the city attorney should go after them aggressively and throw the
book at them," he said, according to David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times,
Jan. 1, 2009.
Unwarranted arrogance, thy name is Jack Weiss!
Meanwhile, Mike McNeilly, the artist who created the murals, replies thusly,
"The City's action is creating a chilling effect on First Amendment rights.Now, I don't think I'd pick the year 1969 as my benchmark year, but it's Mr McNeilly's choice and he's paying the tab.
Threats of fines and jail for creating a mural of the Statue of Liberty in
America or Los Angeles is just not right. Using the power of government to
censor artistic and political speech is un American," responds artist Mike
McNeilly.
"The murals of the Statue of Liberty are an artistic and political expression
protected by the First Amendment. The series of murals depict the iconic
symbol of freedom and liberty and the year 1969, a year of great
accomplishments and change in America. The seeds of the Internet sown,
Woodstock, Vietnam war divides America and Apollo 11, man's first steps on the
moon. The three colors of the sky behind 'Liberty' represent ... red for the
crisis and challenges America faces now, white for clarity in seeing truth and
justice and blue for hope and change. The tear in the eye of Liberty is for
the sacrifices made by our soldiers, first responders and veterans protecting
our security, rights and freedom," he further states.
The 900-lb gorilla in the room, that everyone wants to ignore is the principle of property rights. The owner of every one of those buildings let, for whatever remuneration (that's none of my business, nor that of Jack Weiss), gave his permission for Mr McNeilly to place the mural on the side of his building. That, really, is the extent of the approvals necessary for the transaction to occur.
Petty little would-be dictators like Weiss and, for sure, other members of the ruling leftist junta, have no business involved in an area in which they have no expertise, nor any share in the ownership of these properties. They are equally restrained by the tenets of the Founding Documents as are any of us, and ought to stick to (and learn to be limited by) the boundaries of their job descriptions.
Those job descriptions do not include harassment of works of art they don't have the good taste to find aesthetically pleasing.
They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!
Col. Hogan
Stalag California
6 comments:
if any naked savage, ethnic minority or member of any so-called minority group paints any ugly, primitive, spray-can mural on any wall in any ethnic neighborhood, it's applauded as "the expression of the people."
Now if he had put Eff America somewhere in there, they would have loved it and that socialist fool would have laid his life down for him. *spit*
MK,
Weeeell, I doubt any sniveling socialist would actually lay down his life for anyone--though he'd say he would. But, I take your meaning.
"The 900-lb gorilla in the room, that everyone wants to ignore is the principle of property rights."
Gosh, an invisible 900 lb gorilla amongst us, or is that a Mist us, taking into consideration the movie.
The 900-lb gorilla in the room, that everyone wants to ignore is the principle of property rights. Yup, and they will keep ignoring that one.
Isn't 1969 about the time sign ordinances came into vogue?
TF,
The first time (and every time) a bureaucrat tried to order a property owner to alter his use of his property toward government desires, he should've been hanged. Life would be both easier and freer now.
TWC,
I don't remember. McNeilly didn't mention that in his statement, but then artists usually don't tell all.
Ayn Rand, through one of her characters in Atlas Shrugged, lamented the absence of billboards as the country fell apart.
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