David Kittos is a UK-based photographer. He has a Flickr account where he posts some of his work. Here’s a photo he posted on Flickr a few years ago. It’s the photo that was stuck into Donald Trump Jr.’s idiotic racist word salad statement analogizing Skittles and refugees.
xThis image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016The photographer David Kittos is pretty furious about the illegal use of his image. Not because he wasn’t paid for its use (he wasn't) but because the sentiment is anathema to everything he stands for.
"This was not done with my permission, I don't support his politics and I would never take his money to use it," Mr Kittos told the BBC.
"In 1974, when I was six-years old, I was a refugee from the Turkish occupation of Cyprus so I would never approve the use of this image against refugees."
And as he points out, the naked cutthroat sentiment of the tweet is built on a foundation that lacks any decency.
"This isn't about the money for me. They could have just bought a cheap image from a micro stock library. This is pure greed from them. I don't think they care about my feelings. They should not be stealing an image full stop."
Wrigley Americas, who manufactures Skittles, had this to say about being included in the racist meme promoted by the son of the Republican nominee for president:
Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don’t feel it’s an appropriate analogy. We will respectfully refrain from further commentary as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.
Donald Trump Jr: It’s like watching a younger dung beetle roll his first pieces of dung.