Sunday, July 02, 2006

Ars Gratia Artis

Art is a wonderful thing. And not just what you stereotypically think of, artwork, works with a brush, but ALL art. From written works of fiction and poety to all musical forms as well as ballet and play and opera. All those things most people are too busy or too thick headed to appreciate in a proper way.

The arts, especially in public schools (K-12) and beyond should be funded, and well. Children need to leave the steril confines of a classrom and learn to live beyond the words of a text book. Children need to live the stories they read. Express themselves in creative, interesting, and, most of all, unique ways.

Children need to imagine.

They need to sing and write and read and most of all they need to experience more than one point of view.

The arts let that happen. However, and no single person is at fault here, it just isn't happening. Education as a whole is always underfunded and because of it, things deemed "frivolous and unecessary" are removed from cirricula. As such arts are usually the first to go and unfortunately there is usually never enough of an outcry to stop it. It isn't until the "oh so precious" sports and related activies are slowly wiped out. Then the outcry begins.

Does it have be this way? Can't we use and spend money where it needs to be spent, in public education.

Of course it may already be too late, but let us hope it isn't. Today children are too interested in the shiny metal box with the flashy lights and the things you plug into, as well as the shiny metal box that connects to the internet. We are becoming a culture addicted to the less than appealing things. In some ways we seem to cherish stupidity and violence. Search through your tv's channel listings or the websites a random child visits and you'll see.

In some ways we are beginning to tragically mirror the Roman Empire, i say tragically because the Roman Empire fell. I don't want to see that happen here. It is just now that Instead of going to the colloseum to see blood sport we just have to watch some football game, wrestling match or blood sport on 24/7 television. Whether live or replayed. And the internet only makes its easier for anyone to show of their stupidity and self injury.

I apologize for my breif change of subject, but my message still stands. We need to change the way we think, no matter how hard, and fund the arts. Further we need to properly fund the educational system.

=B=

How much hair is too much hair?



This is a gross exxageration of what my hair looks like. I combed it all out and up as opposed to down and over. Scary isn't it.

I don't have a clue

I'm so very tired. It's almost all the time now.