California Paints Over Popular 9/11 Memorial, Schwarzenegger Apologizes
**Written by guest-blogger Doug Powers
The 4th of July weekend was fast approaching, so somebody at the California Department of Transportation figured it was the perfect time to paint over a US flag mural that was painted near an expressway days after 9/11. And why? Because it was on State property, of course:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is apologizing for a decision by state transportation officials to paint over a giant American flag mural on the side of a Northern California freeway.
The 35-foot long flag was painted on a concrete slab near Interstate 680 in Sunol by three men about two weeks after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.
Even though the mural had been in clear view of commuters for nearly nine years, a Caltrans spokesman says it wasn’t until last month that someone in the agency asked if the flag was on state property.
Spokesman Allyn Amsk says it was covered up with grey paint Wednesday morning.
In a statement Friday, Schwarzenegger extended his “apologies to the artists whose mural inspired drivers along 680 for over eight and a half years.”
Before:
After:
I don’t know which is more surprising; The depths of bureaucratic idiocy to which many government officials have sunk, or that it took somebody in the California government nine years to get his or her shorts in a wad about this.
I’d hope that the people who decided to do this are on Arnold’s “minimum wage” hit list, but this is California we’re talking about — they’ll probably get a raise and a promotion.
Video of the story is at KTVU.
(h/t Dan Riehl)
**Written by guest-blogger Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Categories: 9/11,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Memorials,Political Correctness
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Remind me again why I live in Texas.
I have a huge problem with this. It is very disturbing and distressing to me the increasing degree to which the flag is being removed or “banned” in public.
If the flag is so offensive and you hate this country so much- please leave. I’m sure you would be perfectly happy in Iran or Venezuela.
In Mass they can’t even get teachers to lead the pledge of allegiance.
All of these people that b—ch about this country but also enjoy the amazing standard of living that we have here need to get their heads straight.
I agree, there are plenty of other places these anti-Americans can go to live if they don’t like it here. Why do they insist on making the US as bad as elsewhere, why not just leave? We’d be happy to see them go.
Give Obama and his henchmen some more time, then we’ll be like the ‘other’ places!
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger jokes that he is afraid to come to Arizona: we might hear his Austrian accent and deport him back to Austria. Well I don’t know if he even speaks the Austrian language but I do have a recommended reading list for the lad.
As for the Cal-Trans Twits who decided to cover over a flag on state property: insist your next paycheck be in Euros, Pesos or some other currency–the pay office is on state property.
Fly your flag this fine weekend-show your love of country, pride in our history and it just might irritate some damn leftist.
===
Let your sidearm be like Master Card:
Don’t Leave home without it.
When will California or Obama commission a $250,000 stimulus funded hammer and sickle flag on that concrete slab?
It wouldn’t surprise me that a buzzard flag is painted and then never removed….hey after all it is mexifornia…/sarc
Because most everybody with any sense does.
Hear here! I hope the refugees from The Freak State don’t try to turn it into another Kookafornia like they have Oregon and Washington.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the councilman who initiated this was an illegal immigrant supportor who had a last name like Garcia, Jimenez, Rodriguez, or Martinez. On Monday, there will be a Mexican flag painted on that gray slap of concrete with the words Boycott Arizona.
Maybe their governor is more of an idiot than our’s. That’s saying a lot since NM has Fred Flintstone for a governor.
There has never been a fence built in this country to keep these America bashing SOBs here. If you don’t love this country, get the hell out and take San Fran Nan with you.
It is sad when California liberals welcome and praise illegal alien parades and boycotts, but punish religiosity and patriotism in any form. Perhaps the medical marijuana laws have created so much smoke in the air, that everyone is high.
This is SoCal its no surprise an American flag was painted over, what’s shocking is no Mexican flag replaced it.
#8…bet ya to it…lol
I’m sure someone was “offended” by that American flag, so it had to come down. After all, we must promote “diversity” right?
If a cross was painted on the slab, it would have been painted over years ago. Someone would have been all over finding out if it was on public property.
L
This sort of crap makes me absolutely sick to my stomach! But, they can’t paint over the pride of this country that MOST Americans feel!! Believe me, the progressives are in the minority. They just happen to be loud, corrupt, stupid America bashers who, for some strange reason hate the very country that gives them the freedom to dissent. They are currently in power in our government, so it looks like they represent us. They don’t!! There are milions and millions of God-fearing patriots who will never allow our liberties to be taken away without a fight. The fight has started and it is heating up. Remember the American Revolution?? We are still those Americans and we can’t dissapoint our Founding Fathers. The evil, disgusting bastards who are doing these things HAVE.NO.RIGHT to do them and they are going down. Never let things like this go unnoticed and unprotested! Speak up, and if necessary, go back to that spot and paint another flag there! If they paint over it, do another one. THIS IS AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE!! We must make a resolution in honor of our ancestors, on the anniversary of our INDEPENDENCE, that this kind of tyranny will.not.stand!
Dragging us down to their level
The person or persons that made this decision need to be unemployed! Until that type of action starts to happen at all levels of government idiots like the people that made that bonehead move will continue to damage or destroy our country.
Imagine if it had been a Mexican flag that was painted over. We’d hear cries of racism, threats of boycotts, etc.
Bet they had a lot of Code Pinkies painting away and just a laughinggggggggggggg
Once again, another California-bashing weekend. Did anyone stop to think why Arnold apologized in the first place? Because CA voters are very patriotic! The majority of us are deeply offended! The military has a very big presence here!
If there is one thing about this blog that really annoys me, it is ignorant provincialism, particularly by you Texans who keep electing one-world liberals so long as they wear a cowboy hat and big belt buckle. And do I have to point out that you Arizonans are going to re-elect McCain? McCain, Kyl and Napolitano and your open-borders state. You must be real proud.
The entire country is being lost to Marxists yet it’s always about California. The very same people and their money that have taken over our government here is doing the same wherever you now live. We Californians have to overcome YOU first. Do you really need to bash your conservative friends in CA? Take a look in the mirror. Your state sucks too.
And why couldn’t there be a mural of an American Flag on Government Propert?
They are flying outside of Government buildings.
I don’t get it – how DUMB do you have to be to work for the government in California? Nine years huh and someone said what to whom: Uh that American Flag mural on public land that’s following code and zoning rules right?
Bureaucrats with extra time on their hands – living off of other people’s taxes.
So someone in the Bay Area grab some paint brushes and a few gallons of paint and repaint the Stars & Stripes.
I’d love to see Arnold prosecute someone for doing it. Be sure to have Jerry Brown as Attorney General and candidate for Governor take the lead in that case right before the elections.
What a great idea what a great way to spend the 4th of July. Seriously – Freedom of Expression anyone?
Phil,
Yes, there are a lot of good, decent and patriotic Americans that live in California. Fortunately, they are working to create wealth in your state. They are not abusers of that wealth found languishing in the government.
It seems that Greece-on-the-Pacific has a knack for decisions like this. I would imagine in that fantasy land of a government you have there, this decision maker would not even get a strong talking to. If punished, it will be two weeks off work…with pay. There, that will teach him/her/both/questioning.
BTW, I would like Michelle to post this blog’s traffic log broken down by state. I think a lot of you would be surprised at how much traffic CA generates.
The idiocy being reported here today was the act of one person. All you CA conservatives who read this blog. Where are you? Are you buying this crap? The people of CA will never retake control of their own state if we won’t even try to straighten out misinformed out-of-state conservatives who make it impossible for us here.
Let me remind everyone again that here in Pasadena, we are about to boot out Dem uber-liberal Adam Schiff with conservative Tea Party-supported Republican Tom Colbert. If us “stupid” Californians can do that, why can’t AZ dump McCain? He’s the lesser of two evils again? Hopeless.
***
HI PASADENA PHIL–#24
***
Keep up the good fight–hang in there! Us Texans respect the good loyal American Conservatives in California–and elsewhere.
***
The Kali bashing is targeted at SanFranNan, Diane Waters, et.al. And yes–we got RINOS in my Texas also–hunting season opens on the second Tuesday of November 2010.
***
The American Flag should not have been painted over. About 15 years ago the wall of a storage area near my El Paso, Tx. home had a pretty mural of a local boxer painted on it–along with a small Mexican Flag since he came from there. I don’t remember if the mural had the American Flag also. I thought it was good looking and spoke of the man’s courage and achievements.
***
Others in El Paso were offended and had the mural painted over–I thought it was a mistake to have done so.
***
John Bibb
***
The American Flag that survived 9/11 is touring the country and people are sewing their flags on to it. The Flag is going to go back up on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.
So whoever painted over the mural of American Flag that was a tribute to Americans who died on 9/11, what a waste of time was spent showing the pettiness of what appear to be ingrates who only think they have a right to Freedom of Expression.
National 9/11 Flag Tours The Country.
Thank you Pasadena Phil! There I was reading all those comments thinking why did we leave So Cal for the Central Valley when we could have moved to Texas and you woke me up. The people here are great, its the politicians who are the problem, here and everywhere. Happy 4th of July everybody.
Californians should put the Mural back up make it bigger let it be seen from outer space LOL!
The twin towers have two shafts of light – lit every year to commemorate the anniversary of the attack on 9/11.
Why doesn’t California put up a projector system that projects the American Flag onto that now painted over mural with an image of the American Flag and any other patriotic graphic they want. Hell they could create a slide show and project it onto the surface it at least would be seen at night.
I agree with you, Phil!! That is why I made sure to say that it is the progressives who are doing this, not Californians. As a Minnesotan, I know how it feels to be painted with a broad-brush. Granted, California and Minnesota have more than our share of kooks. But there are still plenty of good people who want our states to succeed. California is in big trouble in many ways and I pray for all of you out there.
We need to be careful not to generalize. I catch myself doing it all the time and it is just wrong! We need ALL the states to fight the growing tyranny in DC and elsewhere. Good people in all “57″ states need to stand up and fight the evil with everything we’ve got. And yes, I will fight to throw Al Franken out as soon as is humanly possible!! (At least he can’t do any harm while he is sleeping on the job!)
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!
Phil,
As a critically-thinking conservative, I do not besmirch those in California trying to stop the overthrow of American ideals in your state. However, it is apparent you are a minority faction.
Not saying we in Arizona do not have our issues either. With the mass defections from the rust belt and Midwest, we get more and more traditional democrats daily. Our conservative majority has been diluted.
Here is one difference: California passed a tougher anti-immigration law (in the form of Prop 187). Arizona is taking the heat from other states (especially the offended government employees) for passing a measure that only enforces existing law.
You keep harping on McCain, who while not ideal, shares at least as many warts as those who challenge him. McCain’s biggest problem is that he is 50 years too late. Back when compromising in Congress could still be done honorably and with good results.
Phil, keep fighting the good fight. I wish you well. I know there is hope as I spend a lot of time in the last bastion of Calif-conservatism, Orange County. I love it there.
On the “Your state sucks too” list, don’t forget us Nevadans — we keep re-electing that goofball Harry…
I lived in S. and N. California. California is a good example of how a small group of lefist can have an impact much bigger then their size would seem to make possible. The folks I lived around in N. California were pro-guns, very conservative, church going folks who have grown quite disgusted with California.
If Arnold is afraid to come to AZ I can assure you we won’t be picking on him for his accent. However being postive for steroids might give him some grief.
John Wayne weekend here on our local cable channel. Watched some yesteday with the wife. Too hot for chores in the afternoon. Pool, then John Wayne movies and snacks.
Noticed a common theme in many of his movies. And that is when a minority of good folks band together to do the right although possible costly thing, when matters play themselves ALL the way out, evil does not win the day. Might win a few skirmishes, but it can’t hold out in the long term against good folks doing the right thing no matter how big the evil seems to be.
How relevant for today……
John Wayne would not be amused.
John Wayne was The Man before being The Man meant anything.
Probably why Orange County named their airport after him. Love the OC.
*Hey Phil, what’s one thing California has that Arizona doesn’t?; Answer:good neighbors; Now in my non-PC world, that’s a good joke, so take it easy on us in flyover country; I have quite a few family members in California and have visited a couple of times; There is good and bad everywhere, and at least right now, we get to choose which state we desire to live in.
*Bottom line is, we must identify progressives where ever we find them, and root them out, be they school board members, county commissioners, mayors, sheriffs, or even the current governor of California; Think dominoes and let’s roll; McCain, Lincoln, Boxer, Steele, Reid, etc., etc.
“Bureaucrats Gone Wild” I have stated before if American Citizens gathered up all of the bureaucratic over reaching across this country, and put it on say a DVD, and sold it, we could get some of our wasted tax money back from these yay hoos at least in the form of satirical entertainment. There has to be some kind of entrepreneurial spirit still out in America somewhere.
I’m willing to bet this has less to do with anti-patriotism and more to do with busywork projects for Cal Trans workers.
We all knew California was a different country; their Cal Trans worker just made it official.
Insanity reigns in the USA.
Phil, Sorry everyone has offended you with their comments. I know you and other conservative Californian’s are keeping up the good fight. I visit CA on business every now and again and do enjoy the weather and the scenery. I get to TX a few times a year as well and love it there. BTW, my home state of IN went for the Obummer in ’08… I’m still embarrassed by that fact.
When I first read that Arnold apologized, I figured he was apologizing that the flag was on state land in the first place….
And the REALLY fun part about this story?
It was probably bid out, then subcontracted to some union company… at a time when Calif. is so in the red they are slashing pay for its workers.
One person mixed the chemicals at Auschwitz. No one questions the order to desecrate our flag. “I was just doing my job”.
I found a huge 48-star in an old factory when i was a kid. Long forgotten in a dusty corner, She is now proudly displayed for Independance Day.
The official who made the decision, Hector Ramirez Gonzales de Garcia, was immediately promoted to the California Office of Public Relations for Mexican Affairs, which shares office space with the Council Latino de La Raza.
Not really, but what do you want to bet the decision was made by someone of Mexican heritage, who felt “dissed“? And, so it goes in California!
Why doesn’t non English speaking Gov. have the state repaint the flag if he’s so up set and sorry about it…sorry my butt. Let me tell you why, the man is flipping liberal and Ca. voted him in to office as a conservative Republican… watch, to be replaced by that wacko commie Brown. Why does that commie still have a government job, maybe because he lives Ca. the land of fruits and nuts, how appropo.
I don’t make negative comments about Ca. just to be negative. All states have their problem, LIBERALS, CA. just has more than their share and you have to ask why. It didn’t happen over night. Bottom line the state is governed by flaming liberals, state, federal and local office holders…someone had to vote them into office. I sadly doubt it will change for Ca. come Nov. 2nd.
It was said, you can break the man, but not the spirit. You can ban and paint over all the American flags you want, but you can’t take the flag out of my heart. It will stay there and guide me.
Not only that but Sunol is in No. Cal.
I don’t have an excuse I’ve already drank two cups of half caf coffee.
Time for another. Relax libs I’m take’n a break. Smoke’em if ya got’em, or roll’em cause we know you, got pot.
There is a special place in Hell for those who try to break the spirit of a people.
Awwww. If only it were a mural of Christ hanging from a crucifix in a jar of urine, the poor offended state worker would have been OK with it.
….or would have demanded state taxpayers pay for it in the first place, and would demand more state money be paid to repair it if it had been painted over.
…the same thinking from the left on parade as those who want the Mojave Cross removed.
These are the same people who have no problem stuffing hundreds of flags in garbage bags once they are done with them.
Remember the flags from the DNC convention?
If I could find the link here at MM I would post it. But this one will do as well.
Just found it here.
But this one shows it as well.
As to the one painted over, perhaps some lib was upset because it would not lower to half staff for Byrd.
Sorry, it’s is a target rich environment.
Okay, Gang, I am late to this party, but – yeah there are a lot of Libtards here in the People’s Republik of Kalifornia.
BUT there are alot of Conservatives here that are “incognito”. Like the gay neighbors who RAIL against ObaMao and his ilk, and the poor, working stiffs just trying to eek out an honest existence.
Some people say that life is too damn hard. Since my husband died in October, I have to admit that I am one of them, and I attribute his early (he was 50) demise to the cerebral stroke caused by the overwhelming STUPIDITY and EVIL in government. I miss Mr. PSRK’s rants so much.
I guess I have to pick up the banner and fight on in his memory…can’t let the Libtards(Bass…) get away with murdering my husband AND my country!
And I have tomorrow off. How much paint do you think I’ll need to repaint that flag?
And what kind of paint would I buy – enamal, house, what?
I have a $20 off coupon for paint at HomeDepot.
1. BBQ
2. Barbecue
3. Bar-B-Que
4. Blondes driving their Daddy’s car 90 mph in the fastlane.
God bless you, Mrs. PSRK, and your late husband.
Q: Why wasn’t Jesus born in California?
A: They couldn’t find a virgin and three wise men.
I’m in the nanny of nanny states but can I get a couple of points for Scott Brown?
no
Living in the PSRK Went by your blog. Liked the garden pics.
Kudos to you or anyone who repaints that flag.
I’m painting a US flag on some wood to hang on the front of my house. I’m hoping to finish tonight.
If that was the case it would have been painted white.
“Why wasn’t Jesus born in California?”
Near as I can figure there’s a lot of Jesus’s being born in California.
I gotta tell you, and I am probably the odd man out here, but this isn’t all that upsetting to me. State land needing to be maintained, etc., and they decide to handle it cheaply and just paint over it? This really does not seem to be that big of a deal to me.
Could it have been handled differently? Of course. Find some volunteer group who would maintain it, etc. Sure. But is this some huge insult to my patriotism? Not really.
Was it technicall graffiti? Well again I’d have to say yes, it was.
Again something that could have been handled differently, changed how it was going to be used, painted, etc., “officially”? Sure.
But all things considered, this is not some earth shaking insult to my patriotism.
Is it really to yours?
Well, I have a trip coming up to Fremont, Milpitas and Sunnyvale later this month. I guess I won’t be seeing this piece of patriotic art on my trip. Thanks CalTran! Got any more patriotic symbols to destroy on the public dime…
If it were me making the trip, I’d take some red, white and blue paint and repair the vandalism perpetrated by this rogue state. I’m absolutely serious. In fact I need to head to San Diego in August to see family. If this treason is not straightened out by then – watch for it! After all this bad press and Ahnold’s appology they wouldn’t dare stop you or cover it up again. Think about it.
What a simple way to say a loud and clear f-you to the Cali-libtards!
No time. Just as this story broke, having only moments before got the go ahead, the CalTrans employee tasked with the job was just pulling out of the Home Depot parking lot with the day laborers and spray paint he had appropriated.
Only 1-3 three meets with my wife’s approval. Even Texas isn’t perfect – but its close.
So how much money did they spend for state employees salary, fuel, paint, etc to paint over the flag. Not like they have a massive deficit or anything do deal with.
Hey! This Missourian is not ignorant.
If Arnold really wants to ‘apologize’, hire someone to paint it back today.
Well, my ‘Daddy’ has passed away, but I still drive my sugar-daddy’s car too fast.
“So how much money did they spend for state employees salary, fuel, paint, etc to paint over the flag.”
It doesn’t work that way. Salary, supplies, etc., already bought and paid. If they weren’t painting over the flag they’d be doing something else or doing nothing on tax payers dime.
Fire all the Marxist peckernecks involved up to and including the management. Make an announcement as to why and leave a warning for other drones who may contemplate future desecrations. If they want to sue, tough luck. Post it all for the world to see.
Patriots are going to have to walk this next decade locked, loaded, and with sharpened elbows. Setting our faces like flint towards the task at hand.
Didn’t you guys know?
“Actually, what the flag stands for is a symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and repression.”
-UMASS Professor Jenny Traschen at an Amherst, MA town meeting on public displays of the American flag in the town of Amherst. Delivered on September 10, 2001. How poignant.
This is what the lefties think of our flag (and the Bible, our way of life, our exceptionalism, our work ethic, our economic system etc., etc., etc.).
If Arnie is really sorry, he will have the original artists repaint the flag.
I guess technically the painting was graffiti. However, as it had been up there, and painted there for a good reason, if I had been in charge, I would have adopted the painting and made it official. A “work of art” if they can’t get away with actual patriotism under their rules.
I hope those who decided to paint this over get paid in something other than US money since they are so offended by US symbols.
Mr. Governator: please have the flag re-painted or give official blessing for some group to paint the flag back.
I painted this flag to hang on the front of my house for Independence Day.
http://twitpic.com/22ilnt
I hope Caltrans doesn’t want to paint over it.
Sweet – I live in Sunnyvale. There are a few of us conservatives in the Bay Area.
***BIG UPDATE***
The flag was repainted in time for today’s Independence Day celebrations. I drove past it at 3pm PDT and there it was, big as ever, surrouned by American Flags planted into the ground all around it. Somebody decided not to wait for the “permit”!
I loved it! Everyone was honking as we drove by.
So cool.
Happy Birthday, USA!
AWE SOME!!!!!
‘Tuned’ into this thread just to see if there was an UPDATE.
Thanks vickisoup for the good news!
In my town, Clayton, California, we have had a 4th of July Parade for more than 100 years. On Saturday nights at the town park, we have free concerts that attract hundreds of people. In my immediate street, there are 6 families where the Husband/father works in law enforcement, another 2 work for the fire department and at least 3 families have actively serving members of the military and a lot of us are veterans. We treat the flag with respect, go to church on Sundays and “cling” to our guns. SO DON’T CALL US LIBTARDS!!