In a message dated 4/13/2003 10:50:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Reading about the museum looting made me wonder how little connection
there
 was between the museum and the citizens.

 The museum staff that was blaming the soldiers should be blaming themselves
 for doing such a poor job of educating their constituency about the
intrinsic
 value of the artifacts to the nation. The sad fact that no citizens
attempted
 to stop the looting speaks volumes about the failure of the Iraq Museum to
 operate as a relevant institution to its society. So sad... >>

Sorry, but I couldn't let this one go by.  This is a particularly egregious
example of blaming the victim, and adding insult to injury.  No amount of
"educating their constituency about the intrinsic value of the artifacts to
the nation" would have hindered a mob hell-bent on looting and destruction,
especially a mob crazed by poverty and privation, exploding into an anarchic
rage against symbols of authority.  So we should chalk this up to PR failure,
or lack of cutting-edge, "compelling" exhibits, or perhaps an unimaginative
school tour program?  Should the staffs of hospitals which were attacked also
be faulted for inadequately "educating" their "constituency" about the value
of their services?  Surely the mobs appreciate the importance of hospitals,
but did that stop them?

I reject rhetoric which assumes that a museum should be able to convince
everyone of its significance, and that if it doesn't or can't it isn't doing
its job.  (This seems to be an increasingly frequent putdown in the museum
world,)  Expanding an audience of enthusiastic supporters is a worthy goal,
but expecting to make 100% of your "constituency" appreciate your museum so
much that there will be no one left to plunder and vandalize it is absurd.

My heart goes out to the Iraqi curators and museum staff whose efforts to
preserve their cultural heritage were doubly betrayed--by their countrymen
and by those who were in a position to deter the theft and destruction.  They
do not deserve further insult.

David Haberstich

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