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Mural celebrating Revolutionary War called too violent for Greenwich pupils
Waterbury Republican-American ^ | June 6, 2006 | Associated Press

Posted on 06/06/2006 8:26:34 PM PDT by Graybeard58

GREENWICH -- A restored Revolutionary War mural painted in the 1930s may not be returned to an elementary school because officials are concerned it is too violent for children.

The mural shows Gen. Israel Putnam, a war hero from Greenwich who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, half-naked and about to be burned at the stake.

He aims a gun at wolves while men around him fight with guns and knives.

"Violence is not something you see at Hamilton Avenue School," said principal Damaris Rau. "And then to have it in the forefront, especially in the lobby, a picture of men hurting each other and killing each other, it really goes against my sense of what children should be exposed to."

The mural, which belongs to the town and once hung in Town Hall, was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration in 1935 and painted by James Daugherty of Weston. It was displayed in the gym at Hamilton Avenue school for nearly 60 years until it was removed in 1998 and restored.

It now hangs in the Greenwich Library, but is scheduled to go back to the school when a renovated building reopens next year.

For some residents whose families have attended the school for generations, the mural doesn't belong anywhere else.

"It was a battle scene, but if anything it was an inspirational battle scene," said Marisa Nigiro, a member of the third of four generations of her family to attend the school. "Unfortunately today, we psychoanalyze everything."

But PTA President Laura DiBella, who also attended the school, said former students do not remember the painting as disturbing because it was dirty and hung too high to be seen clearly.

"I thought it was phenomenal growing up, but it was a different time," she said. "There was no Columbine or anything like that, and the schools have really done a lot of work on anti-violence. We are now promoting tolerance, accepting differences and all of that, and it doesn't belong in an elementary school."

She said the painting frightened her sons, ages 3 and 4, when they saw it at the library. She also said a depiction of Native Americans with tomahawks may not be appropriate.

She and Rau have asked parents to look at the mural and weigh in on whether it is too disturbing to hang in the school.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: art; censorship; israelputnam; politicalcorrectness; revolutionarywar; wpa
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1 posted on 06/06/2006 8:26:35 PM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Graybeard58
She also said a depiction of Native Americans with tomahawks may not be appropriate.

Right. Tomahawk bad, craps table stick, good.

2 posted on 06/06/2006 8:29:10 PM PDT by Dahoser (Time to condense the stupid party nonsense: Terry Tate for RNC chairman.)
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To: Graybeard58

This stuff makes me want to scream.

We are at risk of raising a nation of sheltered little wimps.


3 posted on 06/06/2006 8:30:00 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: Graybeard58

I'm willing to bet money that these "concerned" citizens will lobby to have the mural taken from the school - and then the they will SELL it for a tidy profit. Of course, the money will go into an undisclosed fund for "future projects".

After all, it's not really stealing if you're doing it "for the children"...


4 posted on 06/06/2006 8:31:29 PM PDT by dandelion
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To: Graybeard58

If all these anti violence policies are so good, why are students more violent than they used to be?


5 posted on 06/06/2006 8:33:50 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: rlmorel

"We are at risk of raising a nation of sheltered little wimps."

I'm beginning to hate the very country I live in.


6 posted on 06/06/2006 8:34:35 PM PDT by Leatherneck_MT (In a world where Carpenters come back from the dead, ALL things are possible.)
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To: Graybeard58
"She said the painting frightened her sons, ages 3 and 4, when they saw it at the library."

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Let me get out my extra strength prescription wahhh pills. Take two every 6 hours and if you need anything more, just whine.

7 posted on 06/06/2006 8:36:21 PM PDT by Xenophon450 (Behead those who say Islam is violent)
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To: Rodney King

bump


8 posted on 06/06/2006 8:36:47 PM PDT by Stingray51
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To: rlmorel

I am a practitioner of a very violent sport and I can tell you that trying to convince anyone under 30 to join in is incredibly difficult they just want to play video games.


9 posted on 06/06/2006 8:37:55 PM PDT by Sentis
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To: nutmeg

Ping


10 posted on 06/06/2006 8:38:18 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Sgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: Graybeard58

I don't suppose it ever crossed their mind to TEACH what the picture might mean?


11 posted on 06/06/2006 8:39:47 PM PDT by Brett66 (Where government advances – and it advances relentlessly – freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: Graybeard58

The sissification of America continues.


12 posted on 06/06/2006 8:40:51 PM PDT by MichiganConservative (Government IS the problem.)
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To: Brett66
"...I don't suppose it ever crossed their mind to TEACH what the picture might mean?"

Oh my. Guns. Native Americans with tomahawks. It is all evil you know.

13 posted on 06/06/2006 8:44:50 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: Graybeard58

14 posted on 06/06/2006 8:48:12 PM PDT by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Charlie Mike, son))
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To: Brett66
I don't suppose it ever crossed their mind to TEACH what the picture might mean?

Come on pal, save the logic and common sense for someone else. /sarcasm

:D

15 posted on 06/06/2006 8:50:05 PM PDT by Fruitbat
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To: Graybeard58
"Violence is not something you see at Hamilton Avenue School," said principal Damaris Rau. "And then to have it in the forefront, especially in the lobby, a picture of men hurting each other and killing each other, it really goes against my sense of what children should be exposed to."

Is this from Scrappleface?! Schools have lots of violence in them...check the statistics. And children shouldn't be exposed to the facts involving the founding of their nation? What does this school teach about the Revolutionary war...that there was a bit of a struggle, some people weren't nice to each other and then they had a vote?

16 posted on 06/06/2006 8:51:21 PM PDT by highlander_UW (I don't know what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future)
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To: bnelson44

If that is the mural where is the violence?


17 posted on 06/06/2006 8:51:56 PM PDT by Sentis
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To: Graybeard58
"...We are now promoting tolerance, accepting differences and all of that, and it doesn't belong in an elementary school."

The irony of that statment is astounding.

18 posted on 06/06/2006 8:52:08 PM PDT by Hugin
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To: bnelson44

Well, if that's the mural, this story has a silver lining. It's butt-ugly 1930s-style commu-art.


19 posted on 06/06/2006 8:52:19 PM PDT by Antoninus (Ginty for US Senate -- NJ's primary day is June 6 -- www.gintyforsenate.org)
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To: bnelson44
Barf! I think I could draw a better mural on a paper tablecloth with the free crayons at any two-bit restaurant.

This needs to be banned - for being BAD ART.

20 posted on 06/06/2006 8:54:01 PM PDT by Leroy S. Mort
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