Racism?

[L Verge]

(05-20-2016 11:28 PM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I like Morgan Freeman's spin on this whole mess. And he's said it more than once.

The more pandering and coddling that's done, the worse it gets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3cGfrExozQ

Morgan Freeman is a very wise gentleman.

This mural in question raised more questions for me: Why did the artist feel the need to portray a historical event that happened 200 miles away in a different state (other than to try and say that hatred is universal)? If I were a resident of Elgin, I would resent being painted with the brush of another area's fault.

Why did it take ten years for the mural to raise people's hackles? Did the press pick up on it any earlier? Did they need to fill space that day, or are their sales slumping so they have to reach for something controversial? As many of you know, I am not a fan of the media moguls (either nationally or locally).

The article answered one of my questions - actually the first one that popped into my head (too many museum exhibits in my past). Where was accompanying text (labels or signs) to explain the concept of the art work? Obviously, the artist couldn't stand beside the mural 24/7 to explain his work.

The article on the furor answered that one: “The mural was created as part of a program in which a lead artist was assisted by university students in creating artwork. It was not intended to be a permanent display, but just a part of Elgin’s extensive cultural arts offerings, which may be why signage was never created to provide context,” Rogowski said. In my opinion, many of the controversies that continue to swirl around the world today keep on going because no one stops to examine the historical/artistic/social context.