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Fri, 27 Jan 1995 20:23:07 -0500 |
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Peter,
I know of an exhibit I saw at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond,
Virginia in December. It was on the public display of Confederate Flags. I
thought it treated two sides of the issue pretty fairly, giving voice to groups
such as the Sons of the Confederacy who do not see the flag as a symbol of
racism but of the Old South, and the
civil rights groups who see it very much as an emblem of a nation created
to perpetuate slavery. There is a third side, of course, which is of those
who are racist and use the flag as a symbol, and I think the exhibit
rightly explains their views, without condoning them.
Franklin Headley
[log in to unmask]
> Does anyone know of any museum where a controversial display has been
> presented by showing *both* sides of an issue and letting the public draw
> conclusions from the contrast? One might, for instance, discuss the
> Aboriginal land rights issue in Australia. One side of the display takes
> the viewpoint of the Aboriginals without compromise, and the other side
> that of the white settlers. Think of it as a debate between showcases.
>
> The general reaction I get to this idea runs along the lines of expected
> riots and bomb threats :-) However, it seems to me that it's just another
> approach to balancing viewpoints. If you can't stand on the pivot point,
> then you can get the same result by putting equal weight on both pans.
>
> Peter Volk
> Social History
> Queensland Museum
> Australia
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
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