Authored by Jennifer Kabbany via The College Fix,
There’s plans in the works to cover a mural of George Washington from the halls of George Washington High School in San Francisco due to complaints that it’s offensive and demeaning to Native Americans and African Americans.
The San Francisco school board is expected to decide next week whether to cover the image or paint over it, but there’s no plans among top officials to leave the imagery in the open for students to view, according to several Bay Area news reports.
Board members appear to agree with a working group’s determination that the mural “traumatizes students and community members.” The “Life of Washington” mural, which consists of 13 panels, was painted in 1936. One of the images involves Washington gesturing toward a group of explorers who are walking by the body of a presumably deceased Native American. Another depicts Washington next to several slaves performing various types of manual labor.
At a June 18 special meeting to consider the controversial paintings, “not one school board member advocated to keep the mural,” reports SF Weekly.
“Instead, Commissioners Gabriela Lopez, Alison Collins, Stevon Cook, and Mark Sanchez commented on how emotionally draining it was to hear — and have other rehash for them — the pain they know firsthand comes from violent, demeaning imagery like this.”
The three options before the board are to obscure the mural with curtains, create acoustic panels to cover it up, or paint over it; each option would costs anywhere from 300,000 to $800,000 to complete, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
District spokeswoman Gentle Blythe told the Chronicle the mural is “huge and complicated,” and that even though it consists of only a couple of controversial images the board’s decision will impact the entire fresco.
About 100 people packed the recent school board meeting to weigh in on the issue, many of whom spoke against covering the mural up.
“We should be teaching about the mural and what it means. I’m half native American. I have no problem with the mural. It depicts what happened,” said one mural proponent, reports FOX KTVU 2.
Writing in National Review, James Sutton reports the mural was never really a bother at the high school.
“The mural (which lies about 20 blocks from my house) wasn’t even particularly opposed by the student body. According to teachers who attended the public hearings over the mural, the majority of students were against its removal or just apathetic. But a small group of outside busybodies joined with a few students to ensure that it would be removed from the public’s sight.
Once the words ‘racist’ or ‘white supremacist’ are attached to something, no matter how inaccurate, liberals will not risk their reputation by defending it,” Sutton wrote.
via zerohedge
Every Day, in Every Way, Liberals Prove they are INSANE!
Sick dam America, young crying liberals, they’ve been taught well by parents and the media! Entitled my ass…they have no respect for History and all the sacrifices by armed servicemen. If you don’t like the art, just don’t look at it! Are you going to be the same assholes that disrespect the USA flag? History is a lesson of right and wrong’s and society and individuals can learn from it, This school board needs to get some balls ! With all the real problems in the world, students and adults that focus on this issue NEED TO GET A LIFE!
This is just Liberals trying to do away our history so they can make up lies to make their own version of our history. If the picture was a group of fairies dancing around playing with themselves, they would love it.BU
I would love to take all the liberals and put them into Venezuela or any socialist country in the past .
The little —holes would be begging to come back. I have no use for someone who does not like America and its past, tough -hit, leave anytime you want.B
Hmmm…..do these liberal turds find the dollar bill offensive? After all, G.W.’s face is front and center. But, I suppose these goofs are probably living off the government with freebies and use WIC cards and food stamps. They find the portrait offensive, but not free money! Typical California!
What is happening are we raising a bunch of babies?????? if you asked these kids who George Washington is their answer would be “” I don’t know “” . Lets start teaching these kids real History about our country and what the flag means. And the true Americans that died and fought for our FREEDOM.
Hate to say it, but we need the return of the draft in order to teach these young liberals discipline, work ethics and love of country. A couple of years for both males and females be taught by a seasoned veteran would certainly teach them respect and values.
Even though progressives want gays and transgebders in the military, with title IX and othe no discrimination policies in place they will never vote to re enact the draft without allowing for safe spaces, comfort animals and on sight counselors for draftees traumatized by being expected to do as told, do KP, G.I. parties and having to wear matching clothing.
As an educator, I fight ignorance daily. It’s a little over the top when you find it with school administrators making six digits a year.
Perhaps, if the children learned Washington’s best friend who accompanied him in every battle. Who with Washington was considered the best riders in America. Bullet holes in his hat and coat, Will Lee, honest, dependable, loyal, was Washington’s ‘second.’
Will Lee like the first casualty of the Revolutionary war was black.
I guess those of us who have been exposed to this mural since 1936 must really be exhausted from fighting all the pain and misery to which we have been exposed for so long! Grow up midget minds and get a life. This really shows how dumb our kids must be in this day and age. If you don’t like it don’t look at it. It really is that simple. We really don’t have to cover up or take away all those things some of us don’t like we just don’t look or listen. At least that’s what the majority of the worlds’ peoples do. Oh I forgot I have a brain and use it, do you?
I wonder if this set of murals was painted during the Depression by some of the agencies formed to put artists to work when there was no work for many of them. Is this set of murals apart of our history beyond the what it depicts? Is it part of Roosevelt’s and the Congress’ work to lift the country out of the Great Depression? If so, it is doubly hurtful to erase this part of our history.
Aside from that, the depictions are probably the romanticized ideas that our culture had of those events by the time of the 1930s.
It’s unfortunate that morons are running our education system and are turning out uneducated, socialist little zombies who are afraid of their own shadows. They should thank their lucky star that George Washington freed our country from British rule. Oh, I forgot, they don’t teach real history any more. No wonder everything offends these moronic snowflakes…
How are these young people going to cope when they let them go into closets and hold on to Winnie the pooh bears and cry if things get to tough when they are in college . High schools and colleges in America are the reason that these kids can’t break away from living with mommy and daddy until they are in their 40’s . They are the reflection of the sissy professors that are afraid of their own shadows
What if the poor traumatized white students took offense to the slaves in the portrait because they thought the slaves or the Indian’s were going to harm one of the founding fathers of our country would anyone cover it up . I hope this school does not have any sports programs more physical than knitting or touch football because these poor students would go insane to see someone tackle another student . If every racist minority has their way all white people will be removed from the history of this country and the slate wiped clean so the poor sissy students do not get offended . Grow up and except history for what it was .
I’m tired of these worthless idiots keep getting their way with all of our history. If thats the case take down all black murals and statues. They are offensive to me. How does that sound to all these busy bodies. Shut up and get a life. I think its the same people going around are causing the problem. Check out the facts firstly.
No wonder our dumbshit kids know nothing about American history! The dumbshit so-called ‘teachers’ are allowing this!
Absolutely one of the most stupid demands by these so-called students & so-called teachers. That’s what tax payers get when socialists and their so-called students crap on history.
Don’t cover the portrait—ship their asses out to another school! So now we are back to fighting the redskins and the blacks. What a wonderful demoncrat led world this is! FU!!!
This is a part of history, leave the mural alone. If you don’t like it,don’t look at it. Some people in this country need to get their heads and bleeding hearts out of their butts. The Government and courts are getting way to easy protesters and criminals!
Teachers! Students! Get a grip! History is history and the idea is to learn from it, not destroy it. One of these days there ‘s going to be a heatwave to melt all these snowflakes.
This is exactly the crap that put us in the position we’re in now. This is run over from B. Hussein Obama the divider in chief! He, along with prescription medications for kids and crybaby parents are what happened to America. This mural has been up on those walls for 83 years!! Now it’s traumatizing everyone? When I think of Frisco, I can’t help associating the city with lbgqt. Or what ever the letters are.
Can we assume that the San Francisco School Board will next demand that all local banks destroy any one dollar bills they may have or receive from depositors because they have George’s picture on them? Those poor children are in for a terrible shock out here in the real world, where there are no “safe spacces” and a lot of folks ready to jump on them. It ought to be interesting for the rest of us to view.