SAN ANGELO, TX – The San Angelo City Council has voted to approve the display of PETA's controversial sheep statue, “E(n)d Shearin,” following a debate over First Amendment rights and the city's historical ties to the wool industry.
In a letter dated Dec. 13, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urged Mayor Brenda Gunter and the City Council to overturn the Public Art Commission's rejection of their application.
The statue, fixed with illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss, highlights the plight of sheep in the wool industry.
The Public Art Commission initially dismissed the statue, deeming it "not fit for downtown" and contrary to the city's history.
PETA argued that such a decision would violate their First Amendment rights, leading to an appeal by the City Council and City Manager Daniel Valenzuela.
San Angelo, the "Wool Capital of the World," currently boasts 110 sheep statues across the city.
However, PETA contended that none of these sculptures address the harsh realities of the wool industry, including the mistreatment and violent killing of sheep.
Downtown San Angelo Executive Director Del Velasquez expressed concern over turning the art project into a political or cultural battleground.
Velasquez refused to support placing the controversial statue, stating, "I will not sell them a sheep to desecrate our city."
Velasquez said that the new downtown street-scape has public spaces along it intended for art to be displayed.
He said he recalled that at the first meeting with the PETA representatives, PETA indicated a desire to place their “protest” sheep in front of Texas Angels Boutique, 221 S. Chadbourne St., or across the street from the Plateau Brewery on public right-of-way in front of or near these two downtown businesses.
He did not know if PETA had contacted the business owners at either location to learn if the businesses would support the protest sheep.
In response to the rejection, PETA pointed out that the city already displayed numerous sheep statues and argued that refusing E(n)d Shearin was based on subjective opinions rather than established criteria.
The organization issued a public records request seeking the guidelines used for denial, receiving records that "did not include any such documents or other applicable standards."
This week, the city council's decision to override the commission's rejection signals a victory for PETA, as E(n)d Shearin is set to be part of the Sheep Spectacular in Downtown San Angelo.
The statue that PETA said was to provoke awareness about animal welfare is sort of welcome to join the city's art landscape amid ongoing discussions about freedom of expression and the balance between tradition and progressive values. However, exactly where the protest sheep can be displayed is in question.
City Parks Director Carl White was tasked with finding a suitable location for the sheep. He mentioned a few possibilities, such as city hall, the sculpture garden, or somewhere outside of downtown for a temporary location. What is the duration of a temporary location? Mr. White did not know.
He did say that in behind-the-scenes discussions about the protest sheep, an ordinance was mentioned that rules if the sheep is placed downtown in front of any downtown business that business must be a sponsor of the structure, whether it is a sheep or public work of art. Public rights-of-way for public art were added in the recently completed $22 million downtown Chadbourne Street-scape.
If a protest sheep appears at any business downtown, shoppers can assume that the business endorses the message or expression of the message.
San Angelo LIVE asked White, "Who was the local representative of PETA who petitioned for the protest sheep?"
White named Nanci Cox. White said he has attempted to contact her to discuss options, but so far her cell phone with a Virginia area code goes unanswered.
"The only representative from PETA I have talked to about this issue is a guy in San Francisco," White said.
PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman emphasized the organization's message, stating, "Sheep feel pain and fear, love their flock members, and don’t deserve to be cut to ribbons for wool."
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Poor Peta heads. They know not of what they speak so terribly often. Harvesting wool is actually a kindness to sheep, as they essentially get a haircut, removing pounds of very hot wool in the spring, ensuring they feel much cooler during the summer months, and then are well insulated during the next winter. What rancher would kill his sheep to get it's wool? Idiot brain dead Peta geeks should not be allowed this "protest" sheep.
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PermalinkWhile on the one hand PETA is obviously full of it, it's fun watching them push around the crotchety, local established powers with their histrionics. I suppose the only reason the far Left hasn't already successfully shut down the rodeo is because the event has always, fundamentally, been one huge cultural artifact celebrating same-sex attraction dangling from the shed wall of San Angelo's local traditions.
That being said, the sheep love is strong here, PETA. If you're going to try to take away our ability to interact with naked sheep, you'd better put those rubber and silicone artifacts away and get ready for some brass-knuckle brawling because San Angelo loves sheep in a way you've never known in your entire, miserable, heavily medicated lives.
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