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Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Bravo, Brava...

...to the students at SUNY Binghamton, who, faced with a couple of philistine professors who demand that a campus art exhibit which includes photos (taken in the 1950's) of unclothed African women be shut down (it isn't a "positive representation" -- it "systemically devalues" Africa), have responded most forcefully indeed.

Here in America, we have what we at [this newspaper] like to refer to as 'freedoms.' You know, there are a whole bunch of them promised to us in that Constitution-thingy, like freedom of speech, freedom of expression and (our personal favorite) freedom of the press.... [I]t's doubly hypocritical that professors, the people who are supposed to be helping students grow as people and thinkers, are the ones leading the charge to censor the exhibit. In fact, you could almost call it betrayal.


No one should be surprised that, in these twisted times, students are lecturing professors on their business; but to send them packing in style like this ... It's an unexpected pleasure.