Secret Service visits art show at Columbia

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-axis12.html

Organizers of a politically charged art exhibit at Columbia College's Glass Curtain Gallery thought their show might draw controversy.

But they didn't expect two U.S. Secret Service agents would be among the show's first visitors.

The agents turned up Thursday evening, just before the public opening of "Axis of Evil, the Secret History of Sin," and took pictures of some of the art pieces -- including "Patriot Act," showing President Bush on a mock 37-cent stamp with a revolver pointed at his head.

The agents asked what the artists meant by their work and wanted museum director CarolAnn Brown to turn over the names and phone numbers of all the artists. They wanted to hear from the exhibit's curator, Michael Hernandez deLuna, within 24 hours, she said.

more

[D-Notice]

1. Remind me:

the 1st Amendment is still in force in the US, isn't it?

[Eloriel]

30. No, not really. It's just a mirage.

A quaint holdover good in name only, from the good ole days.

On another note, I don't get why anyone putting on such an exhibit would allow the picture of Bush with a gun to his head. That's just stupid. Call me a censor, but that's stupid.

OR, put another way: I'd sure use my First Amendment Rights (and I doubt an image like that is protected anyway) on images and/or text that had a lot better chance of surviving, even while stirring controversy.

[NNN0LHI]

31. If it is not protected as you suggest perhaps you can explain to me...

...why the Chicago Sun-Times has the same image on its web site at the above link and also in todays print version of their newspaper?

Don

[bin.dare]

34. sounds like they've gotten to you ...

... they love no-one better than those that practice self-censorship.

[greyl]

69. You don't understand the meaning, purpose or place of art.

And neither does the Secret Service.

This is bull.

[conservdem]

54. Yes it is. That's why the exhibit was not taken and the show went on.

[drdtroit]

2. Everyone's a freakin' critic! n/t

}(

[saigon68]

3. Disciples of Josef Goebbels are WETTING their PANTS with Glee.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mojavekid]

20. Hey! That's my sig line,

...well sorta!

[smoogatz]

24. You might want to fix that apostrophe

its freedoms, not it's.

[mojavekid]

35. Hey Thanks!,

Poor, poor product of my enviorment that I ams..

[frictionlessO]

5. As one of the many artists hereon DU this is the sorta thing I've

been hearing rumblings of for a while... Wasn't really sure if it was happening or not, I guess it is.

For me ths is the final piece I needed to proclaim we are under a tyrany of ideological and corporate greed (off of DU and in front of any old rethug I feel like). This is undeniable in its blatant anti-Americanism. They hate us for our freedoms AND our innermost thoughts and most profound heartfelt expressions.

Well congratulations to the freepy right, I finally am starting to actually hate America... thank you for this new American fascism.

[oxbow]

62. As a fellow artist, I too am outraged

Our school is planning a political art show next semester and if any secret service agents come and bother us, I am going to have campus security escort them off the goddam premises. It's just art, you dumb suits!

[JohnnyBoots]

93. All I can hear in my head is Don McLean's "American Pie" as I read this

[renaissanceguy]

102. The neocons would do away with art

altogether, and replace it with bible study.



http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/481947

[UpInArms]

6. more from your link:

"We're an art school. Our position has always been and remains: We support freedom of speech, freedom of artistic expression and academic freedom," Leventhal said.

Hernandez said any government involvement could come close to trampling First Amendment rights.

"It frightens me ... as an artist and curator. Now we're being watched," Hernandez said. "It's a new world. It's a Big Brother world. I think it's frightening for any artist who wants to do edgy art."

[ninkasi]

7. Oh, please...

They want to clamp down on an art exhibit, do they? In the meantime, every nut case U.S. Senator or Rep is perfectly free to make threats to judges they don't like. Which of the two is more likely to cause an unbalanced person to act, an expression of art, or an expression by an elected member of Congress condoning violence?

[silvermachine]

90. Exactly....

...where was all this "concern" when I saw bumper stickers (here in "liberal" Northern Virginia) with a picture of Bill Clinton in the crosshairs of a rifle, or when Jesse Helms implied the possibility of violence against Clinton should he visit N. Carolina?
This is a fascist, smash and grab administration, hell bent on grinding any form of dissent into dust.

[seventythree]

99. right on!

[gtar100]

8. Secret Service Agents are Anti-American

Imagine taking a job to "serve your country" only to be used to work against it. Of course, I would guess that anyone who would be so anti-constitution as this probably took the job to serve themselves...many can be bought at some price, their price just happens to be lower than most.

[lynne]

12. What a crock -

- Secret Service employees have a job to do. They do it for Presidents and administrations they like and they do it for Presidents and administrations they don't like. They don't play politics.

The article goes on to say that the Service was involved because of citizen complaints. They are required to investigate such.

As the spouse of a U. S. Secret Service employee (ret.), I find your remarks more ignorant than insulting.

[frictionlessO]

14. so what???

Why do they need the names and numbers of the artists? How is art a physical threat to anyone in this administration?

Your posts own willful ignorance shows through the expected bias.

You can sit there and say "they don't play politics" which they as individuals might not, however as far as being manipulated by a group with a hidden agenda in regards to politics, my guess would be that only the naive would be so inclined as to think that doesn't happen.

In case you haven't noticed the liberal movement in this country has been under dire threat and intimidation tactics would seem to fit the bill of goods on this incident. Though the actual civil servants working under the authority of the Secret Service might have been ignorant of the fact of their use as a tool.

Further if more and more ideological extremists make nice little call ins on any and all art that does not fit with their notion of the Theocratic States of America, then I hope your husband comes out of retirement because he is going to be needed for all the false calls and witch hunting that is already starting to blossom under the bosom of this ill gotten piece of political shit that used to be the USA. A last thing to consider is the retaliatory phone calls that will be made by liberals against the rightwing nuts. Oh but I bet they don't bother with those as much, they surely didn't with Jeff Gannon... or maybe they did and couldn't reveal that fact because they had to "protect" someones reputation.

bah! Whatever.



edit: needed more cowbell!!

[NNN0LHI]

18. They had better start running around grabbing all DVDs and books of...

...'The Manchurian Candidate', and any other book or movie broaching the subject of presidential assassinations while they are at it just to be on the safe side.

Don

[Art_from_Ark]

88. Manchurian Candidate:

The next video on my Must Watch list> Thanks for reminding me :D

[Al-CIAda]

17. " They don't play politics." Ah, just like Tom Ridge would say.

Welcome to police state USA

[The Stranger]

21. This is harrassment -- plain and simple.

To claim that there is a threat arising out of a college art show, which likely constitutes pure speech, is dangerously trivializing real threats and compromising of the mission of the organization.

[NNN0LHI]

22. You damn right it is nothing more than harassment

And anyone who tries to convince me otherwise goes right on my full of shit list.

Don

[smoogatz]

26. I wonder what citizen complained?

The show hadn't even opened, right? Must've been the janitor or someone.

[Kool Kitty]

100. Citizen Bush complained.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

[smoogatz]

28. Wasn't the Secret Service busy all summer

Ejecting people wearing Kerry t-shirts from Bush rallies? Isn't that kind of the definition of "playing politics?"

[Firenze777]

43. Please clarify

Was your spouse ever asked to eject the mother of a slain soldier from a campaign rally for no justifiable reason? Don't you worry that a noble entity- the Secret Service- has been corrupted and diminished?

[CarefullyLiberal]

45. Lynne, thank you

Through my father who was a 25 year Marine Corps veteran, I was have met many Secret Service agents both active and inactive and I must say I have never met a group of people so capable so extraordinarily talented.

These men and women willingly put their own lives in harms way without regard to the person they are protecting. Whether the person is George Bush or Hillary Clinton they do their job without regard to political party or personal interests.

The Secret Service, part of the Treasury Department is one of the finest groups in our government.

My hat is off to them and their families.

-Fergus

[CarefullyLiberal]

50. Oops, wrong department

The Secret Service is part of the Department of Homeland Security, not the Treasury Department as I posted earlier.

Sorry.

-Fergus

[saigon68]

58. They are Thugs out to stifle DISSENT.

NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS.

IT'S HEAVY HANDED INTIMIDATION.

THEY CAN GO FUCK THEMSELVES.

[cornermouse]

47. Your own insult was unnecessary.

I'm sure from their point of view, it is a job, not a crusade. However. I would consider the secret service's investigation of a piece of art to be a waste of time which could be put to better use elsewhere.

[conservdem]

55. Informative post. And welcome to the DU.

[Fire Walk With Me]

113. Amazing

Perhaps the "citizens" who reported the art had coaching. And I resent the use of the framing: "Citizens" means that those who called the government down on artists, are somehow better than artists, and what artists do. It has already been accepted, beyond individual taste or definition, that dunking a statue of Christ (who is a nicer individual than Bush, some might agree) in urine, is acceptable self-expression.

If you want to call this administration a work of art/selfish self-expression and THEN go after definitions of taste and acceptable expression, we're on.

"Don't suspect your neighbor, turn them in." -Placard in Gilliam's "Brazil"

Reagan denied the UK band Psychic TV visas once, saying that they lacked artistic merit. That's certainly not for them to decide in any manner or form, is it. Let them decide things like that, then soon there are laws, and unconstitutional limits to thought and the expression of thought. Especially thought which is inconvenient to them.

"Law and order puppets, remote controlled by greed". -Devo, SNM

[leftofthedial]

9. Heil Bush!

Vee haff nossink but love for unsere great leader!

I am sick of this fascist bullshit.

[dArKeR]

10. The SS just cost the taxpayers $30,000 and it was only for harassment

[frictionlessO]

11. If this scares you, vote it up! Fellow DU'ers and related ilk need

to be made aware of this big time.

Something just occured to me. Take this news in conjunction with the report on domestic terrorist groups form a week or so ago (the one where they only mention "leftist environmental groups" and no militant neo nazi extreme fundie outfits). Now add in the Patriot Act...

I think the new American detention centers are being readied and I say that without tinfoil. At least thats what I feel like could be happening, anyone else?



on edit: a comma was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[NNN0LHI]

13. They had time for this? Usually they are very busy with other things

http://wintersports2002.com/oly/view/0,3949,70000730,00.html

3 U.S. agents idled in probe

Was the trio partying with underage girls?

PROVO — What began as a noise disturbance complaint at a Utah County motel earlier this month may land three U.S. Secret Service agents in criminal court on allegations of misconduct involving a party with underage girls and alcohol.

Provo police and the Secret Service confirmed Thursday night that three out-of-state agents have been placed on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation.

According to Mike Mower, assistant to the Provo mayor, police received a disturbance complaint during the early hours of Feb. 1 at the Western Inn motel, 40 W. 300 South, Provo.

Police arrived and handled the disturbance. But it wasn't until five days later that police realized with whom they were dealing.

more

[bunny planet]

15. as an artist and a curator I find this big time scary but more than that

it makes me furious.:mad: :mad: :mad:

[wovenpaint]

33. As a fellow artist

I agree wholeheartedly with you! :grr: :grr: :grr:
Here's (more) proof that freedom of speech and expression is definitely endangered in 21st century America.

[AnneD]

16. As someone that actively supports the arts....

(I am married to a musician-LOL)I am not surprised. Artist and musicians are/tend to be free thinkers and pose a real threat to any fascist or totalitarian regime. Literature and history are chocked full of examples, clamp down is only a matter of time. Remember, they hate us for our freedoms. This is one more example of the NeoCon vision of America. This does need to be kicked up and disseminated. It is further proof of the 'New AmeriKa'.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

39. Thanks for your support!

I'm a freelance violinist in the DC area; and the only rethuglican supporters I've met among the musicians I know are service band personnel. Of the musicians I know that are in the service bands, I'd say about half openly despise the neocons. There are others whom I suspect are silent on political issues because they fear for their jobs.

[Lizzie Borden]

108. KICK!

:kick:

[moof]

19. Are these more play SS agents ?

Did anyone check out their papers to see if they were in fact who/what they were claiming to be ?

[grace0418]

23. So let me see if I have this straight...

The art in question is a stamp that says "Patriot Act" on it, and they keep telling us that the Patriot Act isn't taking away our freedoms, only protecting us. Yet the Secret Service is investigating the art because it has a picture of George Bush with a gun to his head. Why is this? Because the world is currently free of all serious threats and the agents have nothing better to do? Someone explain to me how violating the first ammendment is protecting us.

[atommom]

25. These days, the town busybodies have a lot more power.

In the old days, they'd be stuck writing LTTEs to denounce things they found "Un-American" or offensive. Now, they can bring the SS in to intimidate others who don't share their views. I don't like where this is leading.

[leftofcool]

27. All artists are turrists....................

and everybody knows it. <sarcasm>

Left of Cool

[Dover]

29. Intimidation...........

The artists should be proud to have pierced their little bubble of INsecurity.

Hope they take them to court.

[bobthedrummer]

32. Gonzales The Torturer's Department of Justice at work ladies and

gentlemen. You have the right to know their names and assignments.

[CarefullyLiberal]

49. Wrong department

The Secret Service is part of the The Department of Homeland Security , not the Department of Justice. And the head of Homeland Security is Michael Chertoff not Gonzales.

In an earlier post I made the mistake of putting the Secret Service in the Department of the Treasury, a department they have not been a part of for two years.

Oops!

-Fergus

[LiberalinNC]

36. I want those stamps!!!!

I'd use them on everything!

[The Animator]

37. As an artist, this sort of thing doesn't scare me...

... it angers me.

I'm actually considering doing some preformance art that will point out this bullshit.

If the Secret Service feels the need to stop by and intimidate me... well they can try.

Know your rights, stand your ground, be polite, but never cave.

[Zerex71]

38. Good to see they've found a way to revive the Geheimestaatspolizei

or, as it's more commonly known, the Gestapo.

[Straight Shooter]

40. It isn't postage stamp creativity of an artist the SS needs to worry about

It's the angry, isolated, feeling-persecuted American with his sniper rifle, standing in his basement, taking mock aim and fire at a photo of bush with target circles on it. (And, no, despite my DU moniker, I do not have a rifle.)

This postage stamp is totally open to interpretation. You could say the artist is expressing it's an act of patriotism to put a gun to bush's head, or you could say it's a form of asking bush how would he feel if he were subject to the threat of the Patriot Act against himself, which is how intelligent citizens perceive this nasty piece of legislation.

[longship]

67. To the Neocons..

Get this. The artwork in question is "metaphor".

I know that this concept isn't simple. I know that you neocons have difficulty wrapping your thin minds around such subtleties. After all, it isn't cut and dry like rapturous, literal interpretations of the Holy Babble.

So why don't you all go back to your homes, read your Babbles and leave the rest of the world alone? Better yet, why don't you pray to your sky fairy and demand that she rapture you immediately so that the rest of the world doesn't have to continue suffering under your mindless, repressive ignorance.

Sheesh, this lunacy pisses me off.

[Maat]

41. I would have (1) asked to see their pocket IDs, and

(2) asked to see their search warrant.

Oh, they didn't have one? Then I would not cooperate with the investigation until my lawyer arrived.

[wuwei]

42. wow...

I've done a few semi controversial peices of artwork myself - I'll tell you what ; first time secret service shows up at my door regarding my artwork thats the last time I do anything political in the artwork sense.

And it will probably be about 1 week later that I take advantage of my dual nationality and move back to the UK.

/shudder

wuwei

[Stephanie]

44. Yahoo posted pix of the stamps >

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050412/480/cx10604122058

[NNN0LHI]

53. Better pic at the link above with the original story n/t

[jilln]

46. No, this makes perfect sense...

I mean, every major terrorist attack in this century was preceded by the terrorists displaying their intentions in public art galleries, right? They're just following the clues!

I've posted here before about the SS harassing my neighborhood about "Kill Bush" graffiti on a neighbor's wall, and how they painted it out themselves (leaving all other graffiti alone). I guess "protecting the president" is up for interpretation.

[Judi Lynn]

48. Two more events which happened BEFORE Ashcroft reactivated Cointelpro.

Donna Huanca works as a docent at the Art Car Museum, an avant-garde gallery in Houston. Around 10:30 on the morning of November 7, before she opened the museum, two men wearing suits and carrying leather portfolios came to her door.
"I told them to wait until we opened at 11:00," she recalls. "Then they pulled their badges out."
The two men were Terrence Donahue of the FBI and Steven Smith of the Secret Service.
"They said they had several reports of anti-American activity going on here and wanted to see the exhibit," she says. The museum was running a show called "Secret Wars," which contains many anti-war statements that were commissioned before September 11.
"They just walked in, so I went through with them and gave them a very detailed tour. I asked them if they were familiar with the artists and what the role of art was at a critical time like this," she says. "They were more interested in where the artists were from. They were taking some notes. They were pointing out things that they thought were negative, like a recent painting by Lynn Randolph of the Houston skyline burning, and a devil dancing around, and with George Bush Sr. in the belly of the devil."
There was a surreal moment when they inspected another element of the exhibit. "We had a piece in the middle of the room, a mock surveillance camera pointed to the door of the museum, and they wondered whether they were being recorded," she says.
All in all, they were there for about an hour. "As they were leaving, they asked me where I went to school, and if my parents knew if I worked at a place like this, and who funded us, and how many people came in to see the exhibit," she says. "I was definitely pale. It was scary because I was alone, and they were really big guys."
(snip/...)

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/McCarthyism/New_McCarthyism_Prog.html

Another story on the Houston Art Car Visit:

FBI and Secret Service pay a visit to the Art Car Museum
by tish
8:04am Tue Nov 13 '01 (Modified on 2:32pm Wed Nov 14 '01)
[e-mail]
http://houston.indymedia.org/


On Wednesday November 7th Terry Donaghoe, an FBI agent and Steven Smith, a Secret Service agent visited the "Secret Wars" exhibit at the Art Car Museum in Houston, Texas. Following is interviews with Donna who was working when the agents came and Tex who is a curator at the art car museum.

On Wednesday November 7th Terry Donaghoe, an FBI agent and Steven Smith, a Secret Service agent visited the "Secret Wars" exhibit at the Art Car Museum in Houston, Texas. (the FBI and Secret Service work together in the Joint Terrorism Task Force along with local law enforcement agencies, which is under the supervision of the Department of Public Saftey) The agents, who arrived just before 11 am, said that they were following up on reports of anti-American activities that were phoned in to the department and would like to see the show. Donna, who was opening the museum for the day escorted them through the exhibit and talked with them about the artwork. They came dressed in suits wearing American flags on their lapels....
(snip/...)

http://www.refuseandresist.org/newrepression/112001carmuseum.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In North Carolina, two Secret Service agents and a Raleigh police
officer questioned A.J. Brown, a student at Durham Technical Community College, for 40 minutes in her doorway. She didn't let them into her apartment because they did not have a search warrant. She knew her constitutional rights.

But from the doorway, these specialists in un-American activities could see, as Kris Axtman reported, "a poster of George W. Bush holding a noose. It read, 'We hang on your every word.'" The noose was not around his neck. The poster was critical of Bush's unwavering support of the death penalty while he was governor of Texas.

Reacting to Axtman's story, Barry Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington said, "It's a very frightening trend: that people are doing nothing more than expressing the very freedoms that we are fighting to preserve and find themselves with the FBI at the door."
(snip/...)

http://www.b.150m.com/writers/hentoff/door.html

[Karenina]

51. Yes! And do you remember the stir

at a NY gallery over a portrait of *blivet that used monkeys as its "pixels?"

[Judi Lynn]

66. You would have thought the artist tried to kill him.Quite the overreaction

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4117059.stm

You have to wonder if the gallery managers were protective of _Bush's tender sensibilities or were running in fear they'd all be ruined if _Bush tried to wreack his revenge.

[Bridget Burke]

87. More on Lynn Randolph....

The picture "of the Houston skyline burning, and a devil dancing around, and with George Bush Sr. in the belly of the devil" was not that recent. It, or another version of it, had been in the back room of a Houston gallery for years. Every opening, I had another chance to look at it & wonder what that burning skyline could mean--& why George Bush on the belly of the devil? Actually, I had a pretty good idea...

Lynn Randolph is the artist of the month at Artwomen. The picture in question is to the left of the screen, but others are also interesting.

www.artwomen.org/gallery.htm

[seventythree]

96. ANTI-AMERICAN

activities?? - I thought that was UN-American activities, as in the title of the 50's committee? Jesus Christ -- not f'in again????

[Democracy White]

52. As an artist and anti- * protester

I find this very frightening. I am too afraid now to even make something that shows my true feelings about this assministration.

Where did the 1st Amendment go?
Where did my country go?

Maybe I should sneak into Canada before they really tighten the borders.

Dee

[Nostradammit]

68. Great Courage is the first prerequisite of all Great Art.

Maybe you should stay here and take your country back.

[Democracy White]

103. True

I have told others that if it came down to it, I would die fighting. I know it sounds extreme but it's true.

Dee

[conservdem]

56. If the face on the stamp were replaced by that of Hillary Clinton

would people here have the same view if the gov agents made the same inquiry?

I doubt all here would have the same view of the event.

[silvermachine]

94. A point...

...which you seem to miss involves the fact that such things were available and displayed during the Clinton administration (see my post above) and nothing was done. It was acceptable. A "joke". Freedom of expression. Now, all of a sudden with the boy wonder (p)resident in there, it's worthy of investigation.

[conservdem]

109. I read your post above bumper stickers with B. Clinton in a cross-hair

I never saw such a bumper sticker or anything like it until the stamp at issue here. I hope and wish the secret service looked it to the ones who made the bumper stickers and those who put them on their bumpers. Did you call in any complaints when you saw them?

Do your really know that no inquiries were made about them back then?

How would you have felt if you read that someone with such a bumper sticker were questioned about it today? Would you think that it was harassment or reasonable questioning by the gov. ???

[Us vs Them]

57. Investigate away...

These motherfucking goons have been popping up a lot lately, and in their wake is usually a shitstorm of media coverage. If they are intending to 'investigate' potentially troublesome expressions of first amendment rights in the hopes of suppressing them, their meddling really creates the opposite of their desired effect. I say keep up the good work. The more they're spotted out from the shadows, the more aware Americans become of their questionable relevance.

[Inland]

59. Secret Service Probes Chicago College Art Exhibit Featuring Stamp of Bush

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=664645

CHICAGO Apr 12, 2005 — The Secret Service sent agents to investigate a college art gallery exhibit of mock postage stamps, one depicting President Bush with a gun pointed at his head.

The exhibit, called "Axis of Evil: The Secret History of Sin," opened last week at Columbia College in Chicago. It features stamps designed by 47 artists addressing issues such as the Roman Catholic sex abuse scandal, racism and the war in Iraq.

[babylonsister]

60. Dupe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1388387

[Inland]

61. Dammit. nt

[sui generis]

63. well fuck the secret service

it is purely intimidation. If they are too stupid to understand what art is (and they aren't) then this might be excusable. The fact of the matter is they want to instill fear and discomfort in anyone who dares question der Fuhrer.

Art shows are not national security emergencies. I sure wish I was that curator - we would have two VERY uncomfortable secret service agents.

This is America. The more we quake in fear of these goons, the more power we give them. I am sure there are very real threats to our government and elected leaders that need to be taken very seriously, but ART SHOWS just aren't one of them. Send them back to the academy for retraining.

[teryang]

64. I'm glad they're so stupid

They have turned this into a bigger issue by trying to stamp it out.

They are correct to see this as a threat but it is only a threat in a propaganda or public relations sense. In their view however no one else gets to play the propaganda game. Only they get to play.

Incidentally, the Secret Service has an abysmal record.

[chomskysright]

65. GET THE FUCK OUT OF IRAQ

[rodeodance]

70. Feds probe politically charged art exhibit (provacative image of Bush)

pic at site-along with a poll


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7480455/

Feds probe politically charged art exhibit
Secret Service focuses interest on provocative image of Bush
BUSH

M. Spencer Green / AP
Secret Service agents scrutinized this piece at a Chicago gallery, part of an exhibit called "Axis of Evil, the Secret History of Sin."

The Associated Press
Updated: 8:38 p.m. ET April 12, 2005

CHICAGO - The Secret Service sent agents to investigate a college art gallery exhibit of mock postage stamps, one depicting President Bush with a gun pointed at his head.

The exhibit, called “Axis of Evil: The Secret History of Sin,” opened last week at Columbia College in Chicago. It features stamps designed by 47 artists addressing issues such as the Roman Catholic sex abuse scandal, racism and the war in Iraq.

.....Brown said the agents were most interested in Chicago artist Al Brandtner’s work titled “Patriot Act,” which depicted a sheet of mock 37-cent red, white and blue stamps showing a handgun pointed at Bush’s head........

[Fridays Child]

71. I'm sure they'd be equally concerned, if Hillary was on that stamp.

:sarcasm:

[Triana]

74. Ha!

If Hillary was on that stamp, the SS, every Repuke/fundie/FReeper in the nation would be clamoring at the door to buy a sheet of them. The artist would be one rich dude!

Of course, *that* would be perfectly acceptible...

[conservdem]

110. Would hou have the same feelings and opinions if it had HC's

picture instead of Bush?

[conservdem]

111. Would you views on the incident change if she

was on the stamp in the same way???

[Journeyman]

72. Fairly pedestrian satire and art. . .

though it makes effective use of an amusing pun.

[dave123williams]

75. It's a call for assisnation, couched in the 1st ammendment.

IMHO. It's still protected speech, because it's fairly pedestrian satire as well. You could take many things away from it, other than the obvious...

[MrModerate]

79. Not even nearly . . .

Even with the pun. It's clearly an art project, which the agents had to realize before they investigated. It's a waste of taxpayer money and shows bad judgnent on the part of the Secret Service.

This is the same level of bad judgment they showed when they investigated the high school band playing "Masters of War" a few months ago.

I completely support the Secret Service's presidential protective mission (remember, Schimpanski won't always be in office), but they just make themselves look like fools and "jackbooted thugs" when they do things like this -- especially in Chicago, which has an unfortunate history of officials interfering with art shows for political reasons.

[silvermachine]

95. Bullshit

EOM

[fasttense]

83. God, I like looking at that. I wonder if it's for sale,

and what the going price is. I really would like to buy that. I'm off to do some research. Let you know if I find anything.

[dw]

73. In the embedded poll...

73% of over 3,000 votes say this smacks of Big Brother.

Sure does to this voter.

[xchrom]

76. the right from delay to limballs

calls for violence against the left in far more graphic language every day.

the artist is simply pointing that out.

the right is a universe of the violent.

[Ian David]

77. Poll being freeped

SURVEY
The U.S. Secret Service paid a visit to a Columbia College art show that included a mock U.S. stamp showing President George W. Bush with a gun to his head. Did the Secret Service overreact?

http://www.nbc5.com/news/4371143/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=65194

[hootinholler]

81. MSNBCs poll isn't yet

73% say it smacks of big brother ;)

-Hoot

[jukes]

78. the Secret Squirrels

shd ONLY investigate direct death threats to the "president". this is NOT a threat & the investigation is an attempt to stifle dissent.

[Earth_First]

80. Dupe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1388387&mesg_id=1388387

[Disturbed]

82. provacative image of Bush

[Debau2005]

85. Oh My!

Thanks for that pic! I needed a hearty laugh this morning. I just finished cleaning up the mess I made when I spilled my coffee all over my desk and into my day timer!

He really is just a giant buffoon!

[noonwitch]

84. The secret service overreacted, but it is tasteless and vulgar.

Obviously, it's one of those art projects made for the purpose of getting a rise out of people, not for the public enjoyment of artistic expression.

[Debau2005]

86. Art

My take is that if you find it offensive, don't go see it!

Until the current administration has brought the troops home, balanced the budget, controlled inflation, and contained the raising price of gas, they do NOT have time to worry about the way someone depicted them in an art gallery!

[marions ghost]

92. yeah the stamp piece

is a one-liner, intended to be shocking. I look at a lot of art, and I find this stamp concept kind of boring and simplistic. And we really don't need more pictures of guns pointing at heads, I'm sure. BUT-- I still defend it's right to be in the show, and I seriously question the secret services's involvement in provocative art exhibits. Nobody is compelled to go to this gallery. Not all art has to meet commonly held notions of acceptability and taste. Woe to us all if that were true--I've seen terrible art and overblown furniture at obscenely high prices that makes me truly want to puke. Personally I find more offensive images in ads and pop culture all the time, and they are far more influential. Political art is protected by the First Amendment. Not all art is made for "enjoyment," and that is OK. Some of it is made to make statements and cause discussion. In the current climate, you could argue that some viewers DO get enjoyment from highly charged political images, in that it validates their feelings. The purpose of art is to entertain, sure, but also to distill emotions in visual form. There is a lot of legitimate anger towards the government now, and you would expect political art in a "free" country to address it. It's an appropriate location for it. Just as we can do nothing (but protest and counter) the excesses of right-wing radio, the left has to protect it's right to speak negatively also, however tastelessly done.

Stifling political art will do nothing to make America or the president safer. This is all about intimidation and promoting self-censorship among artists, so that Americans have the illusion that everything is OK in this country. This kind of art is a Public Relations problem, not a security problem. Don't be fooled, the SS is not stupid and they know this.

[frictionlessO]

97. Exactly!!!! Beautiful explanation of what this is about! Thank you! n/t

[marions ghost]

101. thanx frictionlessO

for your kind words. Many posting here seem to be on the same wave in taking this seriously. Scapegoating artists is nothing new, but it must be continually opposed. I think this is one of those hard "lines in the sand" between freedom and fascism. Using scare tactics so artists learn to censor themselves is a very insidious way to reduce the net amount of political art and make pariahs of those who engage in it. It takes guts to make overtly political art in a repressive climate like this especially, where govt agents are enlisted in the muzzling process. Even liberals sometimes have a hard time getting the point.

[frictionlessO]

104. Again so very very correct.

The point is we are starting to see a pattern of repression and intimidation in regards to the liberal arts and specifically protest/anti-establishment art.

If that is ok with some libs out there then they aren't really libs in many true libs books.

Again your eloquent words were worthy reading, thank you.

[AnneD]

89. I am steamed now...Write NPR

I was listening to NPR this am and they meantioned this very story. They placed it in their little 'Humerous Story' segment. My impression was that they were treating it as a joke or a lighthearted manor. Now I have a sense of humour, but I see this as intimidation a bullying Needless to say NPR will get a scorching e-mail from me. I am not sure of the links but I am sure you can stream it. Check it out and see if you think I misunderstood the story. I think we need to kick this--make some noise to show people this admins 'true colours'.:kick:

[JohnnyBoots]

98. I read in some other post that

NPR got bought by one of Bush's big campaign contributors in the oil industry. Don't know if it is true, but I distinctly remember reading it.

[theboss]

91. If I did a painting of Bill Clinton in a noose would everyone praise it?

For the record, I think the Secret Service is largely making a mountain out of a molehill.

But the Secret Service has no sense of humor when it comes to perceived threats on the president. So, I don't really see this as a shock.

[AnneD]

105. What we are seeing is a pattern...and it is not funny.

Secret Service scoping out art exhibits and making their presence known is intimidation plain and simple (not making a mountain out of a mole hill). If there were a real threat, they would be wire tapping and engaging in other covert activities. We would never know about it until they broke the case.....
This is in keeping with hand picking people for the social security town hall meetings, and let's not forget the campaign rallies.

[theboss]

106. That's not how the Secret Service works; I was confronted by them once

During the Clinton years, my dad and I were part of a group of people who pulled a practical joke on a long-time friend. He'd been nursing a grudge about a high school football coach since the 60s. So, we faked a letter from this coach asking him to contribute to a book that the coach was working on.

Well, we expected him to go nuts and start yelling at the local bar the night he got it. Instead, he investigated and actually called the coach. The coach got mad that a letter was mailed in his name and got his son...who works for the freakin' Secret Service involved.

Basically, we all came clean and the agent just intimidated the shit out of us for about fifteen minutes each. Talking about mail fraud and such.

I learned my lesson.

The Secret Service don't really investigate except where counterfitting is concerned. They really just bully.

[AnneD]

107. my point exactly, they are bullying

and I see no humour in that. That is a violation of freedom of speech. I'd be taking names and badge numbers and asking for a supervisor's name.
I use to live in a sensitive area and we had alot of spooks and g-men running around. They would try to be incognito, driving around in cars with black wall tires and were cheap suits and green shades (all GI). We use to laugh when they would leave the coffee shop...like I was so fooled.

[Al-CIAda]

112. FIGHTING TORTURE WITH ART

FIGHTING TORTURE WITH ART
April 13, 2005
Seattle, Washington

The Columbian artist Fernando Botero has produced a brilliant collection of life-sized paintings depicting the horrors of Abu Ghraib. The works show prisoners bound and gagged, stacked on top of each other, and being beaten by American soldiers. The paintings have a haunting, frenzied feeling to them, like Pieter Bruegel's medieval "The Triumph of Death" (1562)<1> where the artist conjures up a scene of armies clashing while wagon-loads of skulls are carried across an apocalyptic-looking landscape.

Abu Ghraib is the entryway into that same world, faithfully reproduced in detail by George Bush. We're fortunate to have men like Botero to shine a light on the real machinery of Bush's terror-apparatus. Already, 100,000 Iraqis have died in a gratuitous act of aggression, entire cities have been flattened and 17,000 Iraqis languish in overcrowded gulags waiting for an improbable turn-of-events. Botero captures the look of desperation on men's faces when there is no expectation of justice. He confronts his audience with the bloody stanchions that support the new world order and the increasing number of innocent victims required to keep them upright. This isn't the stuff you'll see in the media, where America's war crimes are concealed behind a heavy lacquer of flowery rhetoric and optimistic predictions. These pictures are the real deal, like the grinding violence and humiliation produced by a brutal occupation.

Do American's know that 22 Iraqis were killed yesterday "when U.S. helicopters and heavy artillery bombarded houses in al-Rummana village? Seven children, six women and three old men were among the dead." (Al Jazeera) Their house was leveled. None of them had any connection to the insurgency. They were simply collateral damage in yet another errant American bombing raid.

This is just one of the unrecorded crimes that takes place in Iraq on a daily basis without the slightest attention from the western press and without a word of protest from Bush's rubber-stamp Congress. For the most part, the cameras are turned off in Iraq unless enough footage can be pieced together to show our brave, young warriors bringing democracy to unwashed.

Do American's realize that the UN released a report this week that shows that the number children suffering from malnutrition in Iraq has actually doubled since the war began 2 years ago. This means that the misery of the average child is actually greater than it was during America's genocidal sanctions-regime, when an estimated 500,000 Iraqi children died, mostly from preventable diseases, to achieve America's goal of regime change. (It is interesting to note that Colin Powell referred to the death of 70,000 Sudanese as "genocide". Sudan has a population of 48 million. In Iraq the US is responsible for at least 600,000 deaths in a population of 25 million. By Powell's standards that would be double- or triple-genocide)

Con't w/photos-

http://www.uruknet.info/.?p=11080&hd=0&size=1&l=x