A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

1. 

   Bradford
   October 29th, 2009 - 10:25

   Slow news day?

   I frankly must state that this post is ridiculous. I’m hoping that you’re not against the arts, just a perceived abuse, right? If that’s the case, then I still find it crazy that this “story” is a story. The NEA is perhaps the biggest waste of tax dollars? Really…? I’d argue that our ardent support of Israel is. But that’s a different topic for a future day that’ll never come. You don’t want to fund Obama art? That’s cool. I don’t want to fund murder.

   But it’s bigger than Obama art. The NEA is pretty important in my eyes. It provides more than “federal subsidization in order to be an artist.” It’s a large reason why still have art programs around at all, particularly within and around the schools and communities. Underprivileged areas around this nation. This is not an ACORN moment. After the devastation of No Child Left Behind, I challenge you to find an educator who’s happy with the state of our schools, our art programs. In college I initially studied to become an art teacher, but after hearing about the arts demise, I changed my major. These programs are already underfunded and under-emphasized as it is. This Patrick guy perhaps doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Art can be–and is–a service. My dictionary defines service as the act of helping or doing work for someone. That explicitly what Art Therapy is. That’s explicitly what a strong foundation and emphasis on the arts provides….help to children/people/communities. It’s not about some non-objective art piece hanging on a wall in a museum priced at 1 million dollars. It’s expression, it’s about synapse connection, it’s catharsis in motion, it’s reading, writing, painting, and singing. Many students aren’t traditional learners, and the classroom should but rarely adapts, leaving many students behind. There’s a strong connection between the visual arts and autism, and many MOID classes utilize a visual-based curriculum. Check it out. This may sound wishy-washy…but it’s not, because the arts provide a valuable service to people of all ages. And we will do ourselves and our nation a disservice to underestimate how important creative expression is.

   I can only conclude that ignorance is the main culprit. I just hope that this doesn’t snowball into a “kill the arts” movement. Seriously? A waste of tax payer’s dollars….years after NCLB obliterated the arts and replaced them with standardized tests? Where’s the sense of perspective and propriety here? An Obama poster, and a call to shut down the NEA? That’s what I read in the comments from the above link. This feels like a partisan issue, but I’m not sure how. It definitely isn’t.

   And about the administration pushing pro-Obama art…I doubt they would have much pushing to do. To our deity Capitalism–it’s profitable to make Obama art. Many people like him, and artists of all kinds are clamoring over each other to meet demand. My friends are some of these people. Much of what the NEA does is make art accessible in areas where it has been killed and laid slain in the streets for far too long. It provides grants to future artists. It keeps theaters open. I wouldn’t have a problem with this post and Beck’s video if they both didn’t drip of disrespect and ignorance of the importance of art in our culture.

   ——

   And about that last segment at the tail end of the video. This is why I refuse to watch anything on Fox news. It’s as if they refuse to acknowledge diverse perspectives, and as an African American it’s offensive to me that a group of my people getting together to discuss how healthcare and its denial is an extension of the spirit of disenfranchisement, originating from Jim Crow. This has everything to do with class and race. A higher percentage of black people are uninsured, diagnosed with cancer, die from infant morality and the list freakin continues. But no…we can’t address this publically? And if we do, we must have a “SH#& happens” attitude about it, as if people aren’t doing this to other people (If you’re confused, research Margaret Sanger and modern eugenics). But he’s allowed to demonize the message of a respected black figure to appease people willfully ignorant the way of life for millions of people who happen to have brown skin?

   ( http://www.theroot.com/views/10-reasons-african-americans-should-march-washington-about-health-care )
2. 

   Doc Carney
   October 29th, 2009 - 11:08

   Education is one thing, funding artists is another entirely!

   Public education needs art and music curriculum; this is very clear. However, independent artists who need to be funded by the government because they cannot sell their art or make a living any other way are taking taxpayers’ money.

   My father and my brother are both professional artists. My father is also an art teacher. Neither one needs government money to keep on producing art.

   I am not entirely sure how the NEA operates, but the line should stop at education. If artists are good, they will thrive; if they are bad, they will not thrive.

   And comparing Obama to Caesar is an insult to Caesar.
3. 

   Jake
   October 30th, 2009 - 14:47

   Bradford-

   I’m guessing you are an artist? But don’t let facts get in the way of your emotions or anything…
4. 

   admin
   October 30th, 2009 - 15:23

   Bradford-

   I can tell this one strikes close to home and thanks for posting your thoughts. My blog is all about conservatism and libertarian ideas, ideals, and values. Government spending money on art most certainly, in my mind, qualifies as waste. That is story-worthy in my book (and on my blog).

   I think part of the reason for your negative reaction to all of this is because in your mind you’ve completely intertwined the government having to run something like an art program and the desire to have an art program. No one deserves money for art or art schools or art programs or anything of the sort. It is unnecessary because art takes place on its own with private dollars. You sound worried that the culture in this country largely doesn’t care enough about art. That is a COMPLETELY legitimate position to hold. I probably even agree with you, and I enjoy (some) art, but all of this is entirely subjective. The differences in the preferences for what art each of us may like is subjective.

   What I’m trying to get at is that we can have a discussion that includes the premise that art needs to be more of a focus in this country. But then we need another one over who should fund such an effort? I contend that the federal government should have almost no involvement in paying for art whatsoever. Paying a teacher at a public school to teach art is one thing. Subsidizing artists is something different altogether.

   You are an artist and that is important to you. It’s not to most people. Not in the way you are talking about. People love art, but not their tax dollars going to fund people who could not make it on their own in the free marketplace of ideas and talent. If someone is good at art, chances are they will be able to use that to provide for themselves and share it with others and help cultivate an appreciation for art in the culture at large.

   Just to let you know where I’m coming from…I don’t think the government should have as big a role in education as it does right now. So funding the NEA, especially in light of stories like this (which has been reported on by every major news network and periodical and paper), is the last on a long list of things I think we should be spending on.

   One last thing I will say is that your gut-reaction to dismiss anything Fox News (or conservatives in general) say will not serve you well the rest of your life. Just some friendly advice. I don’t believe that every word out of the mouth of someone on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC, CBS, and ABC is propaganda and racist against white people.
5. 

   Chuck T
   October 30th, 2009 - 18:02

   Bradford-

   Not trying to dump on you here, but you sound like someone who has all the best intentions, and a decent head on your shoulders, but who is missing the point here. The government (NEA is an arm of the federal govt) held teleconferences with artists from across the spectrum of mediums you references and told them to push Obama’s agenda using tax dollars. The administration essentially got rid of the people in question. This should, in some small way, point to the fact that they knew it was at least partly wrong what they were doing. Tax dollars were spent to promote the person who is currently the government’s CEO in effect, and that someone (Obama) believes in increasing the size and scope of government. These are antithetical not only to conservative beliefs, but I believe to American ones as well. If you disagree with that, then we just disagree about how pertinent a story like this is.

   Also, you said the deity known as Capitalism…It sounds like you don’t like capitalism all that much. Neither does the news media. And academia. Or the current administration. Or the leadership in congress currently. So who are all these people deifying a system that we dont even really have right now. There is no perfect free market system, but what we’ve had in the last 10 years (yes, even under Bush) could hardly be called capitalism. Capitalism and free markets are nothing but terms given to express what we all do every day and do instinctively: work, trade, compete, and produce. I would highly suggest that you spend a little time perhaps reading (or watching) Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose”. RJ has posted a few of the videos from that series in the early 80’s. I’m not suggesting you read/watch Friedman’s stuff just to be indoctrinated or whatever…and the videos include 20 minutes each time of debate among people who seem to share your view of how society and the economy ought to be run.

   Do yourself a favor and watch a few of these and when RJ writes his Mere Conservatism piece on Economics in the next few weeks, or posts other articles and essays and what not on what exactly we conservative mean when we say “Free Markets”, you can challenge him (and us) on the aspects of it you SPECIFICALLY do not care for.

   I personally think a huge problem is that people are blaming everything on something (capitalism) that we don’t even really practice to a proper extent.

   Thanks for your time, sir. Look forward to future discussions.
6. 

   Bradford
   November 3rd, 2009 - 08:24

   I was checking CNN today, and I was surprised to see this video. The speaker is succinct and dead on in his contention about the devaluing of creative expression, particularly within the classroom. The video is a little lengthy–but highly interesting. Robby, the reason why I decided to post on this topic is because I saw a genuine disregard for the Arts and their importance. As I stated above, we can agree upon the scandals of pro-Obama artists being paid. I will make that concession. But that to me isn’t as important as the devastating effect of a witch hunt here…and as many opponents of the NEA have suggested, the deconstruction of the organization.

   Please check this video out, guys.

   http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2009/11/02/ted.sir.ken.robinson.ted

Leave a comment

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

( Cancel )

CAPTCHA Code