The ruling by U.S. District Judge John Woodcock in the case of the Department of Labor mural should have laid the removal controversy to rest for the time being.

Unfortunately, columnist M.D. Harmon could not resist firing off one more of his sarcasm-laced salvos at all those “outraged” critics of Gov. LePage’s action in his March 30 column.

Since Harmon has chosen to prolong this discussion, I must say I am still puzzled that one of Gov. LePage’s first acts in office was to remove the “liberal Democratic pro-labor propaganda” from the walls of a government office.

This removal of the mural by the Republican governor made it a political issue in the first place.

One might ask our governor how many jobs have been created by the business community now that they are no longer offended by Judy Taylor’s artwork.

In spite of incurring Harmon’s extreme displeasure, critics of the governor’s “legal” but decidedly immoral action had every right to protest his decision. Harmon did not voice any objection when LePage insulted these good citizens by calling them “idiots.”

Harmon’s description of the mural as “a piece of minimally talented hackery in the service of one particular point of view” was unworthy even for one of his biased perspective.

On the other hand, his proposal (designed to annoy Democrats as much as possible) that banners honoring Republican heroes be unfurled from the four sides of the State House is an inspired concept. As he so aptly stated, “Art is art after all — and fair is fair.”

But why stop there? Why not erect an “artistic” statue of. Gov. LePage on the Capitol lawn? That would really infuriate the liberals.

Let this be the last mention of the mural until the next gubernatorial election, when a grievous wrong hopefully will be righted.

Phyllis Kamin is a resident of Cumberland.