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By Scott Tibbs, August 29, 2017
Every single person who is distributing the petition to remove the Bendon mural from Woodburn Hall is a liar who supports the Ku Klux Klan.
Harsh words? You betcha. They are also true. This paragraph from the petition illustrates why those distributing it are liars who support the KKK:
It also violates the student rights and code of ethics be forcing students (and faculty) of color to work and study in an environment that promotes a group known for discriminating against people of color, homosexuals, non Christians, and various other marginalized groups of people.
The Benton mural does not "promote" the Ku Klux Klan. The Benton mural was painted specifically to oppose the Ku Klux Klan. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of the mural's history knows this. Benton was an outspoken opponent of the Klan, and his mural was very controversial when it was painted - not because it "promoted" the KKK but because it served as a reminder of a shameful time in Indiana history where the KKK dominated Indiana politics. Politicians who were embarrassed of this did not want it prominently displayed.
The mural itself is a celebration of the downfall of the Klan. In the foreground, you see an image of racial harmony: A white nurse tenderly caring for a black baby. (This is much larger than the image of the KKK, which I remind you Benton opposed.) The mural also features a journalist typing on his typewriter. That is also a significant anti-KKK message because it was the news media that exposed and caused the fall of the KKK in Indiana politics.
Because of these inarguable facts, those who support removing the mural support the Ku Klux Klan. They are actively trying to remove a powerful piece of anti-KKK art from a prominent position on campus. The fact that they are liars who pretend that the mural "promotes" the KKK utterly annihilates their credibility and demonstrates that literally nothing they say can be trusted. If any of these people told me the sky is blue, I would have to run outside and check.
Can opponents of the mural actually be honest for once in their lives? They know full well what the mural stands for. They want it removed because they are pathetic snowflakes who cannot handle historical imagery, even when an image of the KKK is a small part of a mural by an artist who opposed the KKK, surrounded by much larger anti-KKK images. If you are too much of a crybaby to handle historical facts and must even silence those who support your position to protect your fragile feelings, then just admit it. Stop lying about what the Woodburn mural stands for.
Indiana University must never give in to the KKK and their apologists by taking down the mural in Woodburn Hall. To do so would be a violation of everything the university stands for and an act of extreme disrespect to those murdered by the KKK and to those who bravely fought and defeated the Klan. The mural absolutely must stay where it is.
Those who demand its removal, meanwhile, should reconsider whether they are mentally, psychologically, intellectually and emotionally capable of studying at a university. Perhaps returning to kindergarten to color with crayons would be a better option for them.
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