Bigots Hold Us Back
The picture of Amanda Mayes, co-chair of the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati, in Porkopolis (issue of Dec. 12-18) was quite possibly one of the most disgusting and nonsensical images of hatred I've ever seen. The sign Mayes was holding stated that "Jews killed Jesus, had black slaves, stole our black identities!!!"
If Mayes were any kind of Christian at all, she would know that Christ's death was the only reason for his birth. Jesus was sent to Earth to die for the sins of our world so that mankind could be reborn, thereby making the identity of His killers irrelevant. Persecuting Jews for the death of Jesus is downright ludicrous.
Mayes also says that Jews had black slaves. Again, her point is entirely moot, as plenty of "decent, God-fearing Christians" had black slaves whom they treated like animals.
Finally, Mayes says that Jews stole the identities of the black community. While one could certainly argue that American blacks have been robbed of their cultures and identities, it's unfair to lay the blame for those crimes solely on Jewish people. Perhaps Mayes should take a trip to the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. and see with her own eyes the horrors inflicted upon European Jews before whining that hers is the only culture that's been tragically robbed of its past.
Unfortunately, the placement of a menorah in Fountain Square might very well lead to the Klan placing a cross there in the near future. For every ounce of good, there will always be an ounce of evil. But it's vitally important to prevent the evils of the world from forcing those who work for peace and love to cloak themselves in darkness and hope that they and their nemeses are both forgotten.
In closing, I can only warn that Cincinnati will never be able to move forward as a city so long as bigots like Mayes continue to hold positions of importance while at the same time having their heads firmly lodged up their asses.
-- Michael S. Cody, Price Hill
Speak out Against Hate Speech
Growing up in Sri Lanka, I experienced the ethnic conflict between the Sinhala and the Tamil communities. Born to the Sinhala community, I heard hate speech against the Tamils. I spoke up against that hate speech.
As a late teen, I lived in the United Kingdom. I heard hate speech against African, Irish and South Asian immigrants. I spoke up against that hate speech.
After emigrating to the United States of America, I was introduced to Womynsit and Feminist thought. I started to recognize hate speech against womyn. I spoke up against that hate speech.
After the April 2001 uprising, I heard hate speech against African Americans. I spoke up against that hate speech. I also joined the boycott movement as a means of working for justice in Cincinnati.
On Dec. 4, a leader I had admired, a person I had stood in solidarity with, espoused hate speech against Jews (Porkopolis, issue of Dec. 12-18). As an immigrant of color, it was painful to speak out against an African-American leader. However painful, I had to speak against that hate speech.
I will continue to work for justice in Cincinnati using the boycott as a means.
-- Suhith Wickrema, Mount Auburn
You Ruined My Lunch
I always enjoy Kathy Y. Wilson's insights when I read the paper at Burrito Joe's. In my typical daily interactions, I rarely hear viewpoints such as hers and appreciate them as a bit of a learning experience.
Her column (Cincinnati UpSouth) and the Porkopolis item (both issue of Dec. 12-18) ruined an intended tranquil, solitary lunch and tripled my blood pressure. Even if I were not Jewish, I'd find Amanda Mayes incredibly dangerous and operating way, way outside of any range of acceptable or even excusable behavior. What if whites carried signs such as this? Heck, what if anyone did?
I go to my death supporting Mayes' right to speak, but she's as bad as they come. Thanks to Wilson, and thanks to the paper. Now to settle down!
-- Harvey Jay Cohen, Downtown
Damned If You Do
Why do I bother picking up this rag when I know somewhere in it I will find something that irritates the hell out of me? You forced my hand.
If Steve Ramos and the self-infatuated, self-absorbed "artists" he claims to speak for (Art Isn't a Crime, issue of Dec. 5-11) would turn their pretty little faces from the mirror of narcism and at least ponder for one minute who is affected by Thomas Condon's photographs, perhaps they can come to understand, and at least respect, if not agree with, why others don't feel as they do.
Try this on for size: You're a parent; your little girl has just died; you're no longer a parent. You're devastated. You're in agony. The next thing you know, someone has turned your daughter's corpse into a peep show.
Yes, that's the other side of the story on which Ramos editorialized. Of course, I can see why he declined to discuss this perspective. Doing so and still championing the cause of freedom of expression in the Condon case would cause too many ripples in the pool of narcism into which Ramos and Condon gaze. The ripples would grossly distort the "pleasant" view Ramos and his "artists" have of themselves.
By doing what he did, and extolling what he did, Condon and Ramos show the familiar contempt that politically correct elites of the art world have for riff-raff such as mewho don't buy your "freedom of expression at all costs" argument. People already mourning the deaths of their loved ones were hurt by Condon's actions. And he didn't care. And Ramos doesn't care.
What are they to you, then, I ask? Pond scum? Are their emotions so base as to be not worthy of your respect? Not even worthy of mention in the column?
Ramos is irritated that few if any in Cincinnati have bothered to take up Condon's cause. Maybe it's because we're closer to the story than the New York-based National Coalition Against Censorship who, in knee-jerk fashion, criticizes the courts here and withholds any condemnation of Condon's insensitive actions as it relates to those in mourning. Again, doing so detracts from the argument.
Someday, I imagine Ramos will suggest that yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater is a really cool thing to do if "performed" by an "artist." Hopefully, that suggestion will be in an edition of CityBeat I passed by.
Damned If You Don't
Steve Ramos' implicit shot at me and the Campaign Against Censorship in the Arts for "not taking a leadership role on behalf of (Thomas) Condon" while some "New York City-based organization" does so instead (Art Isn't A Crime issue of Dec. 5-11) is as disappointingly uninformed and unfair as it is unsurprising.
I was extremely gratified that the National Coalition Against Censorship wanted to get involved in the Condon issue. The list of mainstream, national, professional, religious and social action organizations which make up the NCAC is impressive and should shame many of their local affiliates or equivalents, too often afraid to act similarly. Its Arts Advocacy Project is the last remaining national office dedicated to arts censorship, outlasting programs of the ACLU, People for the American Way and the entirety of the National Campaign Against Censorship (whose final acting director was a former Cincinnatian, Michelle Coffey). I've been an NCAC member for a decade.
NCAC Arts Advocacy Project Coordinator Svetlana Mintcheva and I first met a couple years ago in New York at a panel discussion on censorship at the annual conference of the USA section of the International Arts Critics' Association (AICA), which I served as Midwest representative. We've been in contact by e-mail and phone since the NCAC became involved in the Condon case. It was a measure of their commitment and the issue's importance that Svetlana considered it their "number 1 priority."
The Campaign was the first organization to sign the initial letter prepared by NCAC, followed shortly by AICA-USA's decision to sign (for which I lobbied). CityBeat should publish the letter in full, so everyone -- including Condon's appeal judges -- may read it.
In fall 2001, I attended the annual Oracle meetings of international photography curators in San Diego, co-chaired a session on censorship and alerted the membership to Condon's situation (the CAC's Charles Desmarais used to be a participant). Last month, I traveled to Germany for the 2002 meetings to obtain the signatures of American curators and museum directors in attendance. Svetlana and I are planning a local symposium on censorship in Cincinnati for early next year.
CityBeat readers know nothing of this activity because Ramos chooses neither to inform himself of it nor inform them of it, as has been his policy -- making CityBeat no different than The Enquirer in this respect. In all these years of governmental and other forms of locally repressive censorial conduct and CACA anti-censorship activity, he has not contacted me for a quote, information, clarification or to alert me about a situation.
Ours is a city which needs help desperately. It's my home, to which I returned nearly 20 years ago to try to make a positive difference, after 20 years working in other cities and countries. But finally I have become sufficiently discouraged to start sending job applications again to other parts of the planet where I hope to be more participant. And despite a handful of recent and potentially significant journalistic contributions, so acclimated it is to our peculiarly warped normalcy, CityBeat often seems more part of the problem than part of the solution.
While here, I'll continue doing what I can to improve things, individually and through several organizations, but I'll try harder to keep my name out of these efforts, in the hope that CityBeat will chose to inform its readers about them, while actively seeking a more productive role somewhere else. There'll be a lot of things here I'll miss, but one will not be CityBeat.
-- William Messer, Campaign Against Censorship in the Arts
Support the Creative People
Much has been written in recent weeks about the creativity existent in Cincinnati. Letter after letter has been penned in response to CityBeat's cover story "Why We Left Cincinnati (issue of Oct. 31-Nov. 6). I now add mine to the list.
I would like to make clear that my purpose in writing this is to shine some light on that major artistic force that enticed me to stay in this city for the past two and a half years -- the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. A Classical musician and teacher myself, I feel blessed to have a world-class orchestra conducted by a world-class conductor and comprised of world-class musicians right down the street.
But there's something that worries me, and that is the attendance of young people, people my age, at CSO concerts. There are some, no doubt, but not enough! The average age of listener/patrons at these concerts, I venture to guess, is 45.
Moreover, it worries me that this city is home to a major music conservatory, many of whose students seem hard-pressed to make the exodus from their practice rooms to Music Hall on Friday and Saturday nights. Students, musicianship is just as much about listening as it is about practicing your tail off. I know. I've been there. But where are you?
Why wouldn't you want to hear the CSO under Maestro Paavo Järvi every chance you get? Why does it seem that you and a lot of Classical music lovers in Cincinnati make the trip downtown only to hear the warhorses and not the more obscure contemporary works that, with your encouraging feedback, might eventually find their place in the canon alongside the symphonies of Beethoven and Mahler?
I hope I'm exaggerating the problem, but I don't think I am. I can't help but feel embarrassed when Järvi comes out on stage to acknowledge a house not even half full. I know, I know, Music Hall is a big place and hard to fill. But, for God's sake, lets make the effort!
Classical music is for everyone. Yes, its acceptance requires patience. Yes, its acceptance requires a heart willing to overcome the prejudice that it's music reserved for some faux elite group of people.
But give it a try, students and lovers of music, and maybe more of the creative talent in this city will find a reason to stay.
-- Richard J. Floeckher, Clifton
Blame Game
If all these creative types who are leaving were really so creative, they'd find a way to make a living doing what they want in Cincinnati. Others have. It's a poor artist who blames the audience for his or her failures.
-- Johnny Schott, Cincinnati
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