You Cannot Be Silent

I was in my gallery on Saturday to try to give an extra hand because of all the Christmas shoppers.  We have a large six foot wide framed print of “The Forgotten Man” in the front of the store.  I like to sometimes watch people’s reaction as they see the painting for the first time. Regardless of who they are, they usually are taken back that somebody actually painted this image.  It is interesting to see how people fall into one of three categories:  They begin to nod their heads in agreement as they begin to decipher the painting.  Or they have a pained look on their face and walk away sometimes shouting out a few expletives.  Or they look at it and seem to say, “What does it mean?”

 Click on image to view interactive webpage

One man asked me, “Why do you have Obama standing on the Constitution?”  I responded, “Because I believe he has acted unconstitutionally since being in office.  After he pushed through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) last March I felt I had to paint this picture.”  He then said to me, “Give the poor man a chance, he’s only been in office two years!!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  Give him a chance?  Obama has made it clear by his actions his regard for the Constitution.  On my website I listed the things he has done that I believe are unconstitutional.  Even the federal court in Virginia recently found Obamacare to be unconstitutional.  It will undoubtedly go to the Supreme Court by next year.

I also heard another person ask me, “What are the presidents looking at who are applauding?”  I responded that they are gazing out at their own vision of what they want America to become and they are looking away from the forgotten man.  I believe the uncontrollable spending and expensive welfare state we have will eventually lead to an economic collapse.

These are sobering thoughts and this painting is certainly divisive and disturbing to some people.  I knew it would be so when I painted it.  I want people to ask questions like the ones I stated above.  Our country is at a tipping point and we need to get up off our bench and do something!  When you show this image to others ask them to try to decipher what it means.  Have them go to the interactive website and read the history of what our presidents have done and what Obama has done.  Now is not the time to do nothing.  We cannot be silent.