Public Officials in Reading PA endorse Censorship over Haring Exhibit?
It’s official. I’m taking at least part of the day off Monday, President’s Day, so I can see the Keith Haring Exhibit before anyone has a chance to CENSOR it. The exhibit is at the Reading Public Museum today through August 6th, but after Monday the show might not be as complete as it is right now. Apparently Reading School Board member Keith Stamm and Berks County Commissioner Mark Scott, both elected officials, have been very vocal against a few of the more controversial pieces of art in the exhibit and have suggested that the way to deal with this issue is to STOMP on the constitutional right of free speech and pull the “offending” pieces out of the show before school children can see them.
Though I do understand that the Reading Public Museum is owned by the Reading School District and there are certain sensibilities and considerations, teaching our children that it is okay for elected officials to ignore the Constitution of the United States is not the way to deal with this. If it’s truly an issue of concern, rehang or recurate the show so the pieces in question are in a separate area and clearly marked as such so that school groups and Fundamentalist Christians can avoid having their minds polluted with amazing artwork from a different Point Of View.
So anyway, I’m now driving to Reading on Monday. Anyone interested in seeing the uncensored show can meet me on the Museum steps at noon. Feel welcome to bring signboards protesting censorship . . .
Technorati Tags: Keith Haring Exhibit, Reading School Board member Keith Stamm, Berks County Commissioner Mark Scott, Reading Public Museum, Reading School District, Constitution of the United States, censorship
February 19th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
After reviewing the Keith Haring Web page for his artwork, I can see why some folks would have been objectionable to allowing some of the content to be readily viewed by schoolchildren.
However, based on the very fact that I can go on the Web and view his artwork (as could any school kid with access to a computer), I wonder what the hoopla is about as well, Kickass.
The more people protest an art exhibit, the more attention that exhibit usually gets. So, perhaps the two folks who are “protesting” parts of the exhibit have really been hired by the public relations’ people for the Haring exhibit to stir-up controversy, eh?
February 19th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Hmmm. Bill, you may be on the right track there. Considering the implications, it’s probably a good thing bj’s headed for “town hall” on Monday!
February 19th, 2006 at 8:13 pm
Though it’s a possibility, most people in central PA just aren’t that devious (except right in Harrisburg) and tend to be what used to be referred to as “The Moral Majority” which makes censorship a more likely possibility. I don’t live in Berks County and don’t keep track of the politicos there nor the elections, but maybe someone thought they could make some political hay out of this. I’m hoping that if that’s the case that it backfires. The press does pay attention to the blogosphere and if election time rolls around and they google those two names I hope the reporters find their way here and do some further digging into the actions of those two um, er . . . gentlemen.
Meanwhile, since no one can make it Monday, I’m going with my son and his girlfriend on Wednesday. Hopefully we get to see the whole exhibit. And that gives me two whole days to find some appropriate pinback buttons to wear while I’m there. “Censorship Sucks” would be my choice but I doubt I’ll get that lucky.