Rep. Clay on the Removal of His Pigs-as-Cops Painting from Congress: ‘Unconstitutional Act of Censorship’

[excerpt CLAY For those ░░░░░░░░ you who may not ░░░░░░░░ many other members of ░░░░░░░░ conduct this Congress in ░░░░░░░░ district as well In ░░░░░░░░ this painting was one ░░░░░░░░ more than 400 student ░░░░░░░░ from across the nation ░░░░░░░░ were reviewed accepted and ░░░░░░░░ last June for public ░░░░░░░░ in the cannon tunnel ░░░░░░░░ the architect of the ░░░░░░░░ Members of Congress do ░░░░░░░░ select the artists We ░░░░░░░░ not approve or disapprove ░░░░░░░░ any of the artistic ░░░░░░░░ and we have no ░░░░░░░░ in judging the competition ░░░░░░░░ simply provide a public ░░░░░░░░ for the most talented ░░░░░░░░ artists in our districts ░░░░░░░░ display their winning artwork ░░░░░░░░ the U S Capitol ░░░░░░░░ Yet without cause or ░░░░░░░░ process and after being ░░░░░░░░ repeatedly by members of ░░░░░░░░ congressional staffers and thousands ░░░░░░░░ visitors without incident or ░░░░░░░░ my constituent s winning ░░░░░░░░ was removed in an ░░░░░░░░ of politically motivated unconstitutional ░░░░░░░░ censorship That injustice was ░░░░░░░░ by pressure from certain ░░░░░░░░ right bloggers and Mr ░░░░░░░░ Bowling a host on ░░░░░░░░ News channel who created ░░░░░░░░ mean spirited and factionally ░░░░░░░░ media campaign to improve ░░░░░░░░ ratings on the back ░░░░░░░░ a young man And ░░░░░░░░ ultimately force the painting ░░░░░░░░ be removed by the ░░░░░░░░ of the Capitol After ░░░░░░░░ acts of petty theft ░░░░░░░░ renegade members of Congress ░░░░░░░░ removed the painting without ░░░░░░░░ authorization and after a ░░░░░░░░ of right wing media ░░░░░░░░ the speaker of the ░░░░░░░░ forced the architect up ░░░░░░░░ Capitol to trample on ░░░░░░░░ rights of my constituent ░░░░░░░░ ruling that this painting ░░░░░░░░ he had already approved ░░░░░░░░ months ago was retroactively ░░░░░░░░ This unwarranted arbitrary and ░░░░░░░░ act of censorship will ░░░░░░░░ stand Now let me ░░░░░░░░ clear I do not ░░░░░░░░ or disapprove of this ░░░░░░░░ I do not approve ░░░░░░░░ disapprove the concept of ░░░░░░░░ artwork I did not ░░░░░░░░ the competition but the ░░░░░░░░ of the Capitol reviewed ░░░░░░░░ and accepted this student ░░░░░░░░ for public display without ░░░░░░░░ comment or concern.”