Ugly, sloppy mural
Our Readers' Opinions
August 20, 2013

Ugly, sloppy mural

Tue Aug 20, 2013

Editor: I would love to know who is responsible for the ugly, sloppy mural painted on the cenotaph (iron man). I am as open to abstract art as the next person, but the “artwork” recently added to this memorial has me stumped. What are the blue and red handprints and drag marks supposed to portray? Are the colours representations of the blood and guts that were spilt by those Vincentian soldiers who served and died in World War 2? Are the hands indicative of the aid and gratitude we offered to the survivors through the purchase of the poppy pins and a memorial service in November?{{more}}

Just imagine, little island that we are, by sending our soldiers to join the allied forces, we played a part in ending the mass murder (genocide) of millions of Jews at the hands of Adolf Hitler’s Nazis during the holocaust. St Vincent is so small it is just a dot on many world maps, yet through the assistance of our soldiers, we helped change the political structure of the world and allowed for the forming of the United Nations (UN).

Last time I wrote about paint on the cenotaph, I described it as being graffiti and I lamented the lack of respect and pride shown by the authorities leaving it there for years. However, after seeing the breaking news on the main USA’s leading channels I realized the error of my thinking. In America, the Lincoln memorial statue was splattered with green paint on Friday, 26th July this year – a police officer was subsequently placed on guard at the statue; its cleaning began immediately and over $2,000 was raised that same day by persons through a social media campaign towards the memorial’s cleaning.
 
Within three days a suspect was in custody and, as of 3rd August, about 90 per cent of the statue had been cleaned. Now THAT shows the correct reaction to vandalism of a national monument. Thus, since our memorial statue has had paint on it for more than three years and the paint has now increased to all four sides, this can’t be graffiti, this is a mural – ugly and sloppy, but I guess, a mural. The grass is well trimmed, the plants neatly pruned, but the statue is an ugly mess. How ironic. How sad.

Lisa

P.S. I use the term “mural” in this letter sarcastically.

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