ArtsEdNet Mail for October 1998: Re: NPR/PBS Petition

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Re: NPR/PBS Petition

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]Roseau (mikelr)
Fri, 23 Oct 1998 07:04:40 -0500

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Maybe in reply to: Jonathan Matthies: "NPR/PBS Petition"

>>
>>>>Sorry, I will do everything within my power to kill public funding for the
>>>>arts.
>
>So Mike, this obviously means your not an artist or at least not an
>artist whose work is so creative that you need funding because audiences
>aren't ready for it yet, or that it's on the fringe somehow.
>
>I'm sure I cant sway your opinion, just hope you aren't/won't be elected
>to public office...
>
>Maria

Your instincts are perfectly correct - there are many many reasons why I
shouldn't be elected to public office. On the other hand, I think your
willingness to confiscate people's money to support artists also
disqulaifies you from guarding the nation's piggybank.

An artist freely chooses his vocation and the public has no obligation to
support that choice - no more than if he chose to be, say, a pastry chef.
If he can't make a living as a pastry chef should government steal money
from taxpayers so that he can continue his quest for the perfect bismark?
Hey, maybe he's a lousy chef and that's why he can't cut it in the bakery.
If, however, his bad bismarks are subsidized guess what? We keep getting
bad bismarks!

An artist with an ounce of integrity doesn't participate in the
confiscation of money from unwilling patrons - if the art means anything
the artist will find a way.

And no, I doubt that you will be able to change my mind.

And, yes, I've been an artist all my life. I've never had any other job,
but I've never expected anyone to subsidize my choice. I made the usual
sacrifices, worked the usual long hours, and made the usual complaints
about the unappreciative public, but now that I'm a grown up I try not to
hold my breath and kick my feet if the public doesn't praise my
masterpieces.

Anyway, it is nothing short of theft and tyranny to confiscate tax money to
support individual artists. Frankly, it's a national disgrace.