Capitol Hill Police blasted a painting that now hangs in the U.S. Capitol, which depicts police as pigs shooting up a black St. Louis neighborhood and want the piece removed immediately.
“The painting portrays a colorful landscape of symbolic characters representing social injustice, the tragic events in Ferguson and the lingering elements of inequality in modern American society,” Democratic Missouri Rep. Lacy Clay said in a statement last June of the painting created by David Pulphus and chosen by Rep. Clay as part of the annual U.S. Congressional Art Competition.
However, law enforcement in and around the Capitol are seething. In a statement to The Daily Caller. Andy Maybo, president of The Fraternal Order of Police District of Columbia Lodge #1 said, “This piece of art, which depicts officers as pigs, is both offensive and disgusting. During a time in our society when tensions are so high that someone can be offended by a single word, this painting does nothing but attack law enforcement to its core. The fact that a member of Congress would advocate and praise such a painting is reprehensible. We, in law enforcement, regardless of the police department we work for, are held to higher standards that certain Members of Congress now have made a mockery of.”
One law enforcement figure stated to Maybo, “How is this possible!? This painting should just be tossed in the trash, along with Congressman Clay’s career as a public servant. He obviously doesn’t know that more officers have been killed this year than in years past.”
“Only a few more weeks left of this bs! Trump would never allow something like this, especially from a Member of Congress. Shoot…he would probably come to the Hill and remove it himself,” a D.C. police officer said.
Maybo himself stated, “The DC Fraternal Order of Police – Lodge #1 has the most diverse FOP Lodge in the Nation. We pride ourselves on fraternalism and unity within our organization. When a painting like this is displayed, portraying police as animals, it attacks each and every one of us–especially during a time when we are trying to rebuild and strengthen our relationships within the community.”
“As President of the FOP, who represents over 10,000 police officers and federal agents, to include all members of the US Capitol Police, I hope that this artwork will be removed immediately. The fact that it hangs just feet from where Capitol Police officers are posted on a daily basis, protecting the very members of Congress who support such an offensive piece of artwork, could not be more disrespectful to the Capitol Police, and all law enforcement across the Country,” he said.
The St. Louis County Police Association posted the art as displayed by Representative Clay and a photo depicting a law enforcement funeral.
“You will see the “art” which Rep. Clay described as, “a colorful landscape of symbolic characters…” depicting a perverted distortion of an actual event. The next image is a real photograph of another actual event. You will notice it shows numerous Police Officers from our region, most of whom served during the civil unrest in Ferguson, paying their respects to a fellow Police Officer who was murdered in the line of duty.”
The Association continued, “Rep. Clay’s vision of our Police Officers, as animals, appears to conflict with the reality that we are in fact human beings… people, not animals. People who are willing to die for the citizens we swore we would protect and serve.”
In a Facebook Post, the Association asked others to let Rep. Clay’s office know what you think by contacting him at the below phone numbers:
(314) 367-1970 (St. Louis Office)
(202) 367-1970 (D.C. Office)
In The Line Of Duty, a leader is law enforcement training films, said that “every cop, cop’s family members, friends and friends of law enforcement should swamp his/her Congressperson demanding this atrocity be removed. Lacy Clay is nothing more than a racist….”
We have spoken frequently here at Law Officer about the discrimination that is dolled out at the expense of law enforcement and this latest example comes at no surprise. Just imagine what Clay’s response would have been if a photo showing any other group in America resembled this racist art? He would be the first to call for investigations and prosecutions.
Then again, in America, it’s ok to generalize and discriminate against law enforcement.
