"During the ill-conceived Gulf War -- the Tucson City Council politely turned down a local patriot's call to smear a huge concrete American flag across what remains of Sentinel Peak's face. Let's hope the current council will decline any proposals to worsen the blight during an imminent burst of patriotism."
Well, as we all know, this didn't happen.
During the last week and a half, the A has been painted over several times (check out "Squirmin' on the Mount" in this issue). A summary: A group of anti-war protesters painted the thing black. After a city crew painted it white again, spending $3,700 to do so, a group of people--including four City Council members--proceeded to go up and paint it red, white and blue. Then, someone threw a peace symbol on the thing when nobody was looking. And now, after the council deadlocked 3-3 on what to do about the A during a special meeting regarding the issue, it's supposed to be painted white again.
Aside from the poor city crews who painted the thing white after the first defacement, everyone who's put paint on that A recently can be described with another A word: asshole.
The anti-war painters are assholes for sneaking up there and defacing something that means something to people. And the City Council four--along with the others who helped paint it red, white and blue--are assholes for violating their own city policy. If they don't follow the laws they make, then why the hell should we follow the laws they make?
What has all this painting accomplished? Outside of wasting city time and money, not a fucking thing.
If you want to do something, write a letter to a serviceman. Donate to the Red Cross. Or join a protest that doesn't damage property. But just leave the damn A alone, OK?
