A painting of the Statue of Liberty wearing a hijab hangs in the California office of Rep. J. Luis Correa.
Hopefully, it won’t stay that way for long! Mike McGetrick of ‘We The People Rising’ wrote the Congressman, demanding the immediate removal of the disgusting artwork. In his letter, McGetrick stated that the painting, created by a high school student, show the iconic statue with her torch slung over her shoulder – like a baseball bat, and the fact that the figure is wearing radical Muslim clothing is “perplexing, even disturbing.”
“Ultimately, to attribute a specific religion to the Statue of Liberty is inaccurate, unprofessional and offensive,” McGetrick wrote in his letter. In addition, the painting displays the torch of the Statue of Liberty, not as the heralded beacon of light, but rather held awkwardly to one side” he added.
Another member of McGentrick’s organization wrote in, saying, “You guys have a picture out in front of your office with a Statue of Liberty wearing a hijab, which I find reprehensible and disrespectful.”
While this isn’t is the first that first time that a lawmaker was asked to take offensive artwork down, Rep. Correa announced on Tuesday that he has no intention of caving to public pressure and removing the offensive painting. The Congressman argues that artists have a right to express themselves, and that an artwork shouldn’t be something that should be filtered, as doing so could lead us down a, “very dangerous slippery slope.”
“My thoughts were, here’s probably a young Muslim lady who is trying very hard to be part of America, who is trying very hard to show people that she is an American, given the context that is going on around us in our country,” Correa complained. “By me taking it down I’m acknowledging that she did something wrong,” he argued – not seeing the obvious error of posting Muslim propaganda in the halls of the United States Capitol.
The Congressman has ordered his staff to seek legal advice about the painting, including from the authority that governs the annual congressional painting competition.
The student’s painting came in fourth place among entries in Correa’s district, and is one of several runner-up art pieces displayed on the congressman’s wall. The first-place winner of the Congressional Art Competition for Correa’s district — a mural depicting Mexican-American World War II veterans — is displayed in a tunnel between the Capitol and House office buildings alongside more than 400 other works from other districts that won.”
McGentrick’s group highlighted that, “When you put the Muslim–you know, hijab–on the Statue of Liberty, that implies that we welcome Syrian refugees.” And, that the organization would simply, “like to see our Congress people be right-down-the-line patriotic.”
Should Congressman Correa be forced to remove the Muslim Statue Of Liberty Painting from the Capitol? Make your voice heard in the poll below!
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