The National Endowment for the Arts gave $20,000 to a self-described "socialist theater group" to put on a musical about a mentally ill lesbian illegal alien who falls in love with a female ICE agent.

If you think it can only go uphill from there, you're mistaken.

Washington Free Beacon:

The musical is entitled "WALLS!" and stars a "bad hombre," mocking a phrase used by Trump to describe criminal illegal aliens during a presidential debate.

The musical does not only address issues of immigration, but a host of other liberal and political topics.

"Using the Mime Troupe's signature style of broad, physical theater, the work will explore immigration, gun violence, the opioid epidemic, depression, the public education system, and racial tensions, and how they relate to societal health," according to the grant for the project. "Portions of the work will be developed through playmaking workshops in California's Central Valley with low-income youth, inmates, and migrant workers."

"WALLS asks the question: How can a nation of immigrants declare war on immigration? The answer: FEAR!" the San Francisco Mime Troupe states on their website.

The lead character is Zaniyah, a criminal illegal alien and lesbian struggling with mental health issues.

"Zaniyah is a criminal, an illegal, a ‘bad hombre,'" the theater group said. "What part of herself will this American give up to pass as ‘American?' Will she? Can she? Should she? Can someone leave part of themselves behind without losing their mind? And is it better or worse that she crossed the border to find Agent L. Mary Jones – the woman she loves?"

A trailer for the play features actors yelling "Fox News!" and discussing how immigration is a "huge issues" in the current "political climate."

The score includes the song "On My Watch," which features ICE agent Mary Jones feeling guilty about her job to enforce immigration laws, which the character describes as "keeping these migrant workers on the run."

The San Francisco Mime Troupe received previous grants under the Obama administration for political plays.

The group received a $20,000 grant last year for the musical "Freedomland," which follows the story of a grandson of an ex-Black Panther who returns from fighting in Afghanistan to find "another war zone at home" where "young Black men … are in the crosshairs!"

"Unarmed black men being killed by the cops and they can just get away with it," said one actor when describing the play.

The San Francisco Mime Troupe put on Black Panther puppet shows in the 1960s, and performed the musical 1600 Transylvania Avenue, which decries "corporate bloodsuckers" and capitalism as the "personification of greed."

The Troupe can perform any piece of socialist trash it wants to.  Its right to do so is guaranteed by the Constitution. 

What is not guaranteed is that the American taxpayer support them.

The case against NEA and other government funding agencies like the National Endowment for Humanities and public television is self-evident.  Artistic expression can often be subversive, even repellent.  But why should the government pay for it?  If the Troupe is talented enough and able to serve the community in vital ways, it should be able to raise the money on its own.  Of course, that takes effort – something these left-wing artsy groups don't want to make.  Why should they when government will fund their propaganda without question?

The amount of money in this case is minuscule when placed in the context of a $4-trillion budget.  But that's not the point, is it?  If we were to take that attitude about all federal spending, nothing would be cut, and government would continue to find ways to spend more and more money.  At some point, you have to make a statement about our values being trashed at our own expense.

The republic will not fall if we eliminate the kind of propaganda being promulgated by groups like the NEA and NEH.