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Wednesday 11 December 2019

M.T. Liggett – Kansas Highway Artist

Mullinville, Kansas

We’re cruising highway 400 West on the way to Dodge City. “Free Bird” is coming in clear on a Wichita FM station. We come around the curve and see a half-mile of tightly packed spinning windmills, whirligigs, and political caricatures made of abandoned farm equipment, old cars and railroad parts. Mrs. Phred swerves the RV to the shoulder and I grab the camera.


This guy is 73 years old and completely outrageous. He’s been writing an insanely clever political blog in solid steel for at least 20 years.


"Evolution is wrong," one display reads, "Only a miracle from the Almighty could have created the moronic dumb asses on the Kansas State Board of Education." Mrs. Phred points out an "intelligent design" totem with the words upside down. The Kansas Board objected to teaching evolution in 2005.


Hillary Clinton is, "Our Jack-Booted Eva Braun,” Mr. and Mrs. Clinton caricatures are labeled, “Pothead” and “Porkadolf”. Mrs. Clinton is done up with swastikas.


He’s got one that equates Waco with Auschwitz. Janet Reno has her head stuffed up her butt. A right wing Republican has his thumb in the same position. Halliburton is represented by a dark pig’s head.


It’s tough to figure out Liggett’s political position. He seems equally pissed by just about everything and everyone, especially politicians.


We passed a town destroyed by a tornado a few miles back. Liggett devotes quite a few displays to FEMA. “Tornados blow, FEMA sucks!” he proclaims.


Lots of the “totems” are devoted to M.T.’s old girlfriends, who he has immortalized in junk. You have to wonder about his relationships with neighbors. My money says he doesn’t much care much what other people think.


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1 comment:

  1. We stumbled on these about 8 years ago while traveling in vintage Ford trucks from California. We tried to take it all in (for about 45 minutes). Just too much to see in that amount of time, but very fun. Some we did not understand (being from out of the area) but tha is fine. 'Speak your mind'. Very eye catching with much of it moving with a Kansas breeze.

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