The United States Justice Department has something to hide — literally.
Apparently, certain government officials feel uncomfortable or embarrassed being photographed or filmed giving speeches in front of the department’s “Spirit of Justice” statue. The embarrassment stems from the fact that the historic female statue wears a toga and exposes one breast.
To solve the problem, the Department of Justice recently spent $8,000 for curtains to conceal the partially nude sculpture. The curtains will close in front of the statue, concealing it completely from press photographers and cameras during news conferences. The curtain will also conceal “The Majesty of Law,” an adjacent male statue, which is clothed from the waist down. The decision to cover up the statues is ridiculous and shows both a stunning bit of misplaced Republican modesty and a lack of art appreciation. The Justice Department claims the curtains were placed in front of the statues for “aesthetic” reasons. But what could be more aesthetic than art? Certainly not a pair of plain curtains. The department stated that U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft wasn’t even aware the curtains were being ordered because Ashcroft had “better things to do” than worry about statues.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the “Spirit of Justice” has been standing in the department’s Great Hall for 70 years, but no one noticed the statue’s supposed lack of aesthetic value until Ashcroft began appearing in front of it. Or maybe it’s not a coincidence.
The bottom line is that we shouldn’t have to cover up a valuable piece of art — and waste $8,000 doing it. If prudish Department of Justice speakers can’t get over their blushing, immature reaction to a metal breast, an easier and cheaper alternative would be to simply move the podium.