** “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”**
Have you heard that quote? Do you know who said it?
You’ll see at the end of this post but in the meantime, keep the quote in mind.
A mural unveiled at the Florida state Capitol is more than “artistic license” … it is a lie.
Artistic license comes into play when an artist/writer knows the facts, but chooses to ignore them or distort them for whatever reason.
So consider this case.
An artist painted her interpretation of George Zimmerman shooting Trayvon Martin.
In her picture … Zimmerman is standing at a distance behind Martin … with both hands on his pistol and shooting Martin in the back.
The Medical Examiner’s autopsy report of March 15, 2012 stated cause of death: Gunshot wound to the chest.
The chest.
That is the fact.
So, the painting is a lie.
The artist, Huong, presented her painting during a demonstration by Martin supporters.
One of them said, “What happened could have been any of us. So this isn’t just an African-American issue. It’s also a Latino issue, an Asian issue, a white American issue. It’s an everybody issue.”
That would be true if anyone of any race were shooting someone unarmed … in the back — but that is not what happened.
If that had been the case, I would be the first to say Zimmerman is guilty of First Degree Murder.
Testimony and evidence shows the two were fighting on the ground — not with Zimmerman standing at a distance, shooting Martin in the back.
This painting … this lie … is named “We are all Trayvon Martin”.
It has a mirror in place of Martin’s face so as you look at it, maybe you see your own reflection, and the painting depicts Martin Luther King Jr. with blood trickling down his head.
I think the mirror is actually kind of “hokey”, but I’ll let that stand as an artist’s decision, but I won’t accept a lie and this painting is getting praise from Martin supporters … for all the wrong reasons.
Huong says her message is, “We are all equal.”
If that truly were her intent, then she should stick to the facts, but she is playing on grief and outrage.
The lie doesn’t unify …and promote equality … it divides.
She’s hoping to display her mural in D.C., and I’m sure she will get the chance.
The painting is going to get more attention than it deserves.
I’ve already given it more attention than it should have, but I wanted to make sure you knew about it and my own views of this lie.
* “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” Adolph Hitler *