Tim Marshall:

   "America was built on the principle of free will?"  Maybe you mean
   the principle of free expression? Free will is considerably more
   problematic, and I'm not sure that the founding principles of this
   country were not more along the lines of "we are in God's hands/How
   free we seem, how fetter'd fast we are." It could just as easily be
   argued (a classic weasel phrase, sorry) that America was built on the
   principle of slavery, or extirpation of native people, or exploitation
   of immigrant labor, or the principle of free land.

   Anyway, I certainly weigh in with those who think it's extreme to
   accuse Dial of censorship because they chose to pull their support
   from this exhibition.  Corporations are under no obligation to fund
   diverse perspectives, or even to condone them.

   But Tim's post is a good example of why exhibits (oops exhibitions)
   which present the complexity of viewpoints are valuable: a phrase like
   "America was built on the principle of free will" deserves challenge.

   Iconoclasm is fun, healthy, and should not just be a spectator sport.

   Eric Siegel
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