Klarinet Archive - Posting 000718.txt from 2003/06

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] What is Music about?
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 23:56:04 -0400

Matthew, In regards to the comment about "not allowing Communists in" =
we
have a local woman who immigrated here from Germany after WW II. She is =
a
Nazi and recently was allowed to put up a pro-Nazi display in our local
library. Very strange since our town has a 9 foot statue of Jesus on =
the
edge of the city on the main road and some atheist decided to protest =
its
presence, since it was on public land. Another party bought the land =
the
statue was standing on, but a judge said a fence still had to be =
constructed
around the statue. True story. If I find the link to the story I'll =
send
it to you. So, we could have the pro-Nazi display at the public library =
but
we couldn't have the religious statue at the edge of town. So much in =
our
country depends on whether someone has the time, money and inclination =
to
protest something. Our attorneys are living very well if they are good =
at
what they do. The Nazi display was met with expressions of outrage and
astonishment but as we say here, it was this woman's "right" to have her =
say
and there is no law against it.
Lest I be accused of being off topic again I'll simply say that we =
are a
country about as diverse as one can get and just as we maintain strong
personal freedoms of speech, religion, etc... we are not at all limited =
in
the music we play. Someone else mentioned the possibility of an "Osama =
Bin
Laden Symphony" and I have no doubt someone would play it somewhere in =
this
country if it was written and it would be OK, not simply from the =
standpoint
of public opinion but by the laws protecting our freedoms. =20
If music reflects the cultural norms and values of a society as a =
whole,
as well as political events, then our music has drawn us all together =
more
closely as Americans in the past few years. The tremendous outpouring =
of
emotion and unity has come through in our music but we certainly have no
restrictions on the music we choose to listen to or to play-yes =
clarinetists
also. Can't forget us. =20

Christy=20

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