Painting of U.S. in toilet raises GOP hackles

[justinsb]

SACRAMENTO
Painting of U.S. in toilet raises GOP hackles
Attorney general asked to remove work in state-owned building

Sacramento -- A painting of the United States sinking into a toilet now on display in the cafeteria of the state Department of Justice has raised the ire of the state Republican Party, which is demanding that Attorney General Bill Lockyer remove the image.

The painting -- part of an exhibit of more than 30 works by lawyer artists and pieces with overt legal themes -- has an American flag-painted continental United States heading into a toilet. Next to it are the words: "T'anks to Mr. Bush."

The artist, Stephen Pearcy, a Berkeley lawyer with a house in Sacramento, won earlier notoriety for hanging an effigy of an American soldier on the outside of his home here with a sign saying "Bush lied, I died." Angry residents tore the effigies down.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/20/BAGV0DQLCS1.DTL

[Son of California]

1. called freedom of speech, bucko

maybe you don't like what its saying, but its the truth.
if you really love someone, you are capable of giving them tough love when they need it. Right now this country needs tough love.

[PunkPop]

2. Stephen Pearcy strikes again!

Love that guy. He's making a career out of speaking out against the Bush fraudsters - and pissing off plenty of Republicans in the process. All I have to say is, keep up the good work!

[gratuitous]

3. Wow, reporter Greg Lucas canvassed the length and breadth of California

And could find one (ONE) Republican in the entire state who would voice an objection.

Poor babies. When someone points out what a crappy job George W. Bush is doing, it just puts their panties in a bunch, doesn't it? All those icky dead soldiers and squandered money - stop looking at it and wave your flag for Georgie!

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. In the DOJ no less! *lol*

[noiretextatique]

5. they have a real problem with artists and poets

remember when laura cancelled that poetry event at the white house because it might be "too political?"

[NJCher]

6. encore encore

We have to keep those republicans in a perpetual state of mad.

Cher

[aintitfunny]

7. If they find it offensive

perhaps they should stop helping him flush our country down the toilet. Just a thought.

[byronius]

8. I'll listen to the GOP on this when they arrest the criminals who

vandalized the Pearcy home in Sacramento. To date, even though their faces and names are on video, no arrests, no investigations. Open criminality deserves good art like this. Stuff it, GOP. You're all unconvicted felons, and you have no say in anything anymore, as far as I'm concerned.

[ragin_acadian]

39. was that the same incident where fox news just

"happened to show up" on scene while the home was being vandalized? the story looked kinda' suspicious when i read it.

but then again, i'm sure fox has news vans sitting on every corner of every neighborhood out there in Sacramento. :sarcasm:

[byronius]

41. Yes. Three criminals, fresh from trespass/vandalism, self-identify

on video, proud and unrepentant. The Sac PD did absolutely nothing, except to proclaim that they would not arrest the Pearcys. I called the Chief of Police and complained bitterly about this open approval of criminality; to date, no response. I'm still pissed. The right wing has gone lawless. They are utterly anti-American, in terms of fairness and justice. 'We're right, therefore we do not have to respect the law.' Pimple-heads. Terrorists.

[seeminer21]

9. Ha ha

Perfect!

[proud patriot]

10. Welcome to California you GOP Bastards , where we are FREE

If GOP don't like it , start putting America before
the nasty partisan fascist take over .

GOP control everything only they can pull us out of
the toilet , too bad they are ready to flush us all
away .

[calimary]

11. That's actually a pretty good meme -

T'anks, george.

[marions ghost]

12. everytime you put political art

in a state building, this kinda thing happens. Becasue they made a hoo-ha now we ALL get to see it, when it looks like it was relegated to a nook in a cafeteria before that.

"Lawyer artists" -- now that's interesting...personally I don't know any lawyer artists but I'd certainly like to see what they paint! This one has a kind of direct folk art appeal.

:boring: as usually the flaps over political art are. If you can't say something controversial in pictures, or temporary art installations, bumperstickers, t-shirts or cartoons, what's left?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Quick! Pass a constitutional amendment against toilet desecration!

[dogday]

14. Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder, however

reality is in the minds of the viewer of this picture....

[ClayZ]

15. I hope Mr. Fitzgerald is the plumber!

LOL:rofl:

[getmeouttahere]

16. This is one of the few things I can get a chuckle out of...

these days...then it's back to the reality that the repukes want to make federal case out of something like this

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Makes me want to send Pearcy a donation of more paint.

[Karenina]

18. Sometimes

TRUTH HURTS!!! :rofl:

[KeepItReal]

19. It seems to inspire smiles from the ladies walking by...

If that is what they were looking at, it seems to be an effective morale booster.

[sepia_steel]

20. Ha!

Tough shit, crybabies.

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. I wonder if they would like THIS PAINTING any better? No? Too Bad...

This image is all the more appropriate since apparently napalm has been used in Iraq. In the famous original photo (by Nick Ut) of that fleeing Vietnamese girl, she had shed her burning clothing.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x135363
Thread title: "Incinerating Iraqis: The napalm cover up"

The horror of war has always been a dark inspiration for artists - who can forget Goya's images or Picasso's "Guernica"? The following image may take as much as a minute to load, but it's worth it.

http://www.allhatnocattle.net.nyud.net:8090/usa_WAR.jpg

More art from this source here:

http://www.coolon.net

[jbnow]

22. We should all be offended

because it is true. It's the truth of the painting that hurts. bush and the truth of what he has done to our country is offensive.

[Old and In the Way]

23. When they stop desecrating the flag by wearing it as a lapel pin as

they legislatively destoy this country, then I'll worry about some art that makes people think.

Patriotism is the next to the last refuge of scoundrals.

[earth mom]

24. The truth hurts doesn't it? I LOVE that the bastards are being exposed

for what they are!

[Warren DeMontague]

25. So... a question for our enraged patriots about this flag-burning thing.

What if I draw a picture of someone burning a flag?

Will that be illegal?

How about if I draw a picture of someone drawing a picture of someone burning a flag?

How about if I write a story about someone drawing a picture of someone burning a flag?

How about if I burn a picture of someone HOLDING a flag?

How about if I burn a picture of someone writing a story about someone holding a flag?

What if I bake a cake with flag-style frosting, and I accidentally burn THAT?

...

[prodigal_green]

26. fine

let it sit next to a copy of the ten commandments.

[progressoid]

27. The Freepi hate us for our freedoms!

[Strawman]

28. Is that the guy from Ratt?

[MrSlayer]

31. LOL! I was wondering the same thing.

It would be the most significant thing he's ever done.

[BrightKnight]

29. The POS (Party of Shills) is happy in the toilet.

It is not a very pretty sight.

[bluestateguy]

30. Um....anyway...

Teh Dukes of Hazzard movie comes out on August 5th.

The guy who played Scotty on Star Trek died today.

The game "Grand Theft Auto" was given an adults only rating.

The A's beat the Angels last night.

[donheld]

32. Americans can't seem to handle the truth

It's painful, but that doesn't mean it's false.

[tuvor]

33. Oh, cry me a fucking river. n/t

[democrank]

34. If the President of the United States can

write on a REAL flag with his big cowboy magic marker, I guess a "lawyer artist" can paint one.

[Zorra]

35. Republicans cannot face the truth in life or in art. n/t

[jazzjunkysue]

36. Love the boots.

[UTUSN]

37. Wingnuts Just Can't Get the "Concept" Thing Down n/t

[bejammin075]

38. Wingnuts should be mad about the REAL America

It's the Real America, stupids.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

40. That would make a great bumper sticker! n/t