Artist Receives Threats Over 'Swastika Dollar Signs' Trump Billboard
Billboard featuring President Donald Trump as Hitler with dollar sign swastikas and mushroom clouds sparks controversy in Phoenix.
Billboard featuring President Donald Trump as Hitler with dollar sign swastikas and mushroom clouds sparks controversy in Phoenix.
- A billboard placed in Phoenix, Arizona, featuring President Donald Trump as Adolf Hitler is drawing different opinions. The controversial artwork shows the commander-in-chief surrounded by dollar sign swastikas and mushroom clouds.
- Soon after the image of the billboard went viral, artist Karen Fiorito started receiving death threats.
- However, owner of the sign Beatrice Moore, who provided Fiorito with the space, said the sign would stay on her property for as long as Trump remains president.
- Following this bold initiative, Moore also received threats.
- “I've been called a communist, a Satan worshiper. I've been told I'm a 'very, very sick person.' I'm not sure what that means. I haven't been answering the phone. My husband has because he's not afraid to talk to anyone, but he told me he received a couple death threats this morning. ... He said, 'They were coming to get us with their boys,'” mentioned Fiorito.
- Unfortunately, this does not come as a surprise. After all, in Trump’s America anybody with a different voice or opinion has a very good reason to feel threatened.
- On the other hand, what most of the people missed out was that the backside of the billboard had a different message. It had “unity” written in English and in sign language.
- The public notice is probably declaring how Trump has done everything to separate people on the basis of color, race and religion.
- A passerby, Astrid Olafsen, supported the message behind the sign.
- “I think that it’s a wonderful expression of the two sides of the opinions of what is going on and how we can move forward,” she said.
- “It’s fantastic. I think this is what artists are supposed to do, make statements, whether you agree or not, it’s a statement,” said another supporter, Jeremy Bacpac.
- Meanwhile, some, even those who don’t support the business mogul, didn’t like the billboard.
- “It’s pretty drastic, I thought swastikas were very crude and violent,” said neighbor Jeff Whitman. “Maybe put some thumbs down up there around Trump or something but I don’t like waking up to the Nazi signs.”
- As for Fiorito, this wasn’t the first time for her to attempt voicing opinions with imagery — she has been doing this for a while.
- The artist shared her signboard on Twitter where she was both appreciated and criticized for her work.
