Fellow Listers, I agree wholeheartedly with Jay. The photograph is the final authority and if they wish to have a statue honoring the firefighters and their ethnicity then let them hire a sculptor to develop an appropriate statue. I frankly admit I have had it with changing the facts of history to fit the latest fad in "correctness," political or otherwise. Tim Timothy S. Bottoms Museum Registrar Cape Fear Museum 814 Market Street Wilmington, North Carolina 28401-4731 910.341.4350 x 3011 910.341.4037 (fax) Jay Heuman <[log in to unmask]> To: Sent by: Museum [log in to unmask] discussion list cc: <[log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Bronze statue a LSOFT.COM> moving tribute or PC run amok? 01/13/2002 03:51 PM Please respond to Museum discussion list Hi All: As a member of two different 'minority groups', I find the notion of a so-called "politically correct" version of reality sickening. In many cases, the participants celebrated by a monument are unknown. Most monuments, as another article (by Kimmelman, forwarded by Indigo) indicates, are not erected until long after the event(s) unfolded. By that point, truth gets clouded. That monuments are seldom historically accurate implies, sadly that our society values and chooses to commemorate falsehood over truth. [Should we accept that?] Now is an inappropriate time to debate the 'subjectivity of truth' as, in this case, everyone knows who raised that flag. Let the monument be truthful in representing the three who performed this act. If people are offended by a realistic -- not "politically correct" -- monument, they ought to be shown a photograph of the event. That's undeniably true. Additionally, there will be no negative result to African-American or Hispanic firefighters in representing the truth. Three firefighters, who happen to be Caucasian, performed this patriotic act. It's an open and shut case . . . clouded, as is so often the case, by those who wish to be "politically correct." Sincerely, Jay Heuman, Visitor & Volunteer Services Coordinator Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68102 342-3300 (telephone) 342-2376 (fax) www.joslyn.org -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Piper Severance Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2002 7:33 pm To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Bronze statue a moving tribute or PC run amok? While it is easy to see PC run amok in the creation of this statue, we must remember that images such as this are seldom historically accurate (at least not in that way). The image of the flag raising on Iwo Jima was staged and restaged. It was entered into the popular lexicon and been manipulated endlessly and yet for most Americans it retains an authenticity. While I personally find the reworked statue a bit sickening, it reveals far more about our nation and our society during the time of tragedy then the photo does. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).