Posted by Joe Baker on May 14, 2003 at 10:57:17:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Bad News List posted by Volker on May 13, 2003 at 16:34:52:
With no disrespect whatsoever to MaryAnn (but a healthy dose of disagreement!), it really doesn't take any courage to criticize America in America. Freedom is still cherished by Americans, and while we will debate fiercely, all of our ferocity is directed for or against ideas, not people.
Freedom of speech in America is a part of our Bill of Rights. Commonly misunderstood (even by many Americans who cherish it!) is that this document doesn't GIVE the government power to do things, it LIMITS government's power ("Congress shall make no law..."). One of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, explained why this is so important, when he said, "That government governs best which governs least." The reason for that is that government tends to corrupt whatever it touches. Therefore, many of us want government to touch as little as possible -- and the more important something is to us, the less we want government involved. Well, art is VERY important to me, so I want the government, with its clumsy hands and big muddy boots, as far from it as possible. If there is an art form that no one cares enough about to keep alive, then it SHOULD die. Another art form will rise up to take its place, as long as the government does not interfere. There WAS art before there were orchestras, after all.
Besides, what will you do when the government decides that what people need is -- oh, I don't know -- rap music, or bagpipes, or MIMES for-cryin'-out-loud -- and they're going to by-gosh take YOUR money to pay for it? Governments are not known for their good taste, after all. These kind of arguments must be waged on principal, not on specific cases.
I must also note that, while the enumerated powers clause of the 10th Amendment makes it clear that the FEDERAL government has no business financing art, and while I personally am opposed to ANY level of government doing so, if some state or municipality elects to give money to a local orchestra, museum -- whatever -- that's their business, of course. I just respectfully disagree with the decision.
Joe Baker, who thinks the very best art has always been done by people not under governmental control.