Dr. Müller-Straten and List:

Just a few thoughts on this subject...

Speaking as a museum professional, a student of anthropology and history, an American and as someone who now lives in Europe, I want to remind people of the power of culture, religion, moral beliefs and history.

Whether we like it or not, the US IS different from Europe and each has their own history. Not counting our good brothers and sisters--the Native Americans--who have called North and South America home much longer than Europeans, we shouldn't forget that the first Europeans to come to the "New World" came for very specific reasons. Although we Americans today may not like it, our history(ies) and culture(s) have been greately shaped by the Puritans and their ways of seeing, their beliefs, morals, etc. Such ideas and ways of seeing the world are not changed overnight (although it has been several hundred years now).

Families that came to America from Germany, or other European countries, in the 19th century had to find their way in this largely Puritan world. In many ways they were forced to conform to customs and ways of life by those who had come before. Think about how much effort was put forth to stamp out the German beer culture in the US. Even today, the beer and pub culture in Germany is very different than that found in the US- no doubt as a result of intolerance. Up until the 1970s and early 1980s, some states still had what we would today consider to be some pretty silly liquor laws on the books.

Increasingly after the first and second World Wars, in my own community in Iowa, Germans were no longer Germans, but Americans. Their church hymals and newspapers were no longer printed in the German language and their parents learned to speak English to their children. Although it's not meant to be an excuse for merely conforming, we should remember ALL those who had (or have today) their "backbones" broken by people who were intolerant and even violent. Being spat on, tarred and feathered and having your business banned (or worse) is unfortunately a pretty strong force for encouraging assimilation.

In America, perhaps the melting pot melted a bit too much. I think Americans should not be afraid of reinventing themselves and reshaping their traditions.

What does all this have to do with the thread about nudity and art... well it's about culture-- the water we swim in. We "New Americans" have alot to learn-- this is true, however, such issues like nudity and art will have to be negotiated just like all things have to be negotiated in culture. These things take time.

On a similar topic, my American husband visited Dachau in the early 1990s. I remember him telling me how ashamed he was of a group of American high schoolers, particularly boys, who compelety missed the message(s), because they couldn't get over seeing genitals. (I had a similar experience at the Holocaust Museum in Washington two years ago) They were completely blind to the images of starvation, fear and anguish. This is a big problem in my opinion. It's as if we have lost our humanity because we forgot we are human-- genitals and all. This is not only disheartening but also a larger socio-cultural issue that we have to address.

I look forward to hearing more positive commentary on this thread since I know we have alot we can learn from eachother. 

Kind Regards,

Jill Keehner
Germany

"Dr. Christian Müller-Straten" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear List,

I always wonder how the brave new world feels well in an atmosphere of dictatorship, permissions and censorship. Where is your backbone, where is your own mission to enlighten the public?


Best regards


Christian



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