Let Art Speak

In response to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s lambasting of Rep. Jim Bates (D-San Diego) for “federally subsidized obscenity,” we should thank him and other congressmen and senators who are willing to stand up and protect our First Amendment rights and the integrity of the National Endowment for the Arts. This is concerning the controversy over the artworks of Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano.

The punitive $45,000 cut in the NEA funding is blatant censorship of the arts through intimidation and threats of withholding of funds for so-called “obscene” art works.

The claim that some or all art should not be subsidized by taxpayers ignores the fact that our tax dollars go to support a variety of government programs, some of which are unpopular.

According to statistics, about $299 billion goes to national defense, bloated by defense industry price-gouging. This would be about $1,200 per person in the United States. In contrast, $171 million is funneled to the NEA to provide grants for art projects, as determined by NEA peer panels, composed of experts in each field. Based on the current U.S. population, this would be about $0.68 per person.

The NEA over the years has stimulated art production and fostered creativity in the arts. The best that government can do is to preserve this process and avoid direct control.

We as individuals may have some difficulty with the photographic imagery of Andres Serrano and Robert Mapplethorpe. However, it is imperative that we protect our First Amendment rights and the rights of artists to free expression. Art is not always pleasant. It may be unpopular, critical and even shocking. Sometimes, it confronts us with problems that plague mankind.

It is also important to consider the intent and the context in which these works are exhibited. Serrano’s intent, according to those familiar with his work, is to protest “financial exploitation of Christian values.”

To censor the arts is to rob society of an opportunity to take a critical look at itself and thus improve its existence.

JENNIFER SPENCER

San Diego