"Public funding for "self expression," on the other hand, represents. . .
. the public.  "The public" doesn't mean one group or another --  it
means EVERYONE.  In a society that values freedom of expression, it MUST
mean everyone -- or we surrender to the tyranny of the majority --
exactly what the 1st amendment seeks admirably to avoid."

I agree with that, but I look at it from another perspective. I must point
out, first of all, that I am Italian, I live in Italy, but I worked in the
United States and, now that I have graduated in History of Art Criticism, I
am looking for a job in the US and hopefully ( I am keeping my fingers
crossed) I have found it ...:-)) Oh, my grandmother was american and I have
many american relatives.
I have talked about this issue before, last year, when I was in Washington
DC for a holiday. I totally agree with the necessary freedom of any art
expression and I take the sentence above as the perfect synthesis of what I
believe in. "PUBLIC" means "EVERYONE" so, according to me, it should
represent EVERYONE, or respect everyone's feelings, beliefs and opinions. I
have been taught that my liberty ends where the one of another human being
starts. Now I am perfectly aware of the political side of all this question
and I am not completely updated with what Giuliani did specifically, but I
think I am free to express myself, using EVERYONE's money and funds, as long
as my freedom of expression does not "damage" the values of the people who
gave me the chance of expressing myself. I can always try to find PRIVATE
funds to avoid the need of respecting too many "voices". I know it may sound
silly, but to me is like being in charge of buying a gift for a wedding. A
group of friends gives me their money, trusting me. Knowing them, I will buy
something I like, but also considering their taste. If I wanted to be
absolutely free to buy what I want, I would then pay it with my money.

I am 25 five year old, raised in another country, so forgive me if I have
not completely understood the "whole thing" and probably the deep meaning of
the 1st Amendment: I would be grateful if you could explain it to me.

Thank you,
Angelica Daneo
[log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ross Weeks" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, Augu
st 04, 2001 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: NYTimes.com article: Public/Private funding


> Of course, this is an idealistic and impractical way of viewing the
> Guliania/Helms/etc. agenda for the arts.  The Constitution has no
provision
> that encourages government financial support for cultural expression.  The
> decision to provide such support has been, from the start, a political
> initiative (pork barrel in many cases).  It remains political.  Elected
> persons always look after their perceived followers/districts in terms of
> public works and all other discretionary appropriations of taxpayers'
money.
>
>
> Public funding for "self expression," on the other hand, represents. . .
> . the public.  "The public" doesn't mean one group or another --  it
> means EVERYONE.  In a society that values freedom of expression, it MUST
> mean everyone -- or we surrender to the tyranny of the majority --
> exactly what the 1st amendment seeks admirably to avoid.  You cannot
> separate the intent of the 1st Amendment from the responsibility that
> public funding has when it supports the expression of ideas -- they are
> inextricably linked and mutually dependent.  If it is protected by the
> 1st amendment and does not break any existing laws, then it is, defacto,
> decent, no matter how "indecent" it may be.  Giuliani (and most
> politicians who are conservative on this issue) has confused the two
> types of funding, and thinks he can treat money raised from the broad
> outreaches of a melting-pot society as if it were a homogenous private
> foundation.
>
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