Officials at the Grand Junction medical facility in Colorado, a facility run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, are demanding the complete removal of the Confederate battle flag from a mural displayed at the center.
The two-year-old mural depicts military history from the American Revolution to the present day and was done by 72-year-old artist Lee Bowerman.
The section in question features Confederate and Union soldiers staring each other down.
Bowerman thinks the decision to remove the flag is unfortunate, but has agreed to remove the image of the flag, reported The Daily Sentinel.
“I’m going to paint what they want painted because we’re living in a political environment,” said Bowerman.
He still believes the mural is inclusive and should be allowed to stay.
“I got black, brown, white, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, POWs and MIA. I got a mule in there with a gas mask on,” he said.
While initially no one complained about the display of the Confederate flag, things changed after the June 17 shooting in Charleston, S.C. People began complaining that the flag was a symbol of racism and after two months the medical center’s administration decided to take it down.
(h/t Daily Caller)
