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What do I mean by Culture?
I mean a society’s pursuit, desire, and support for a high level of creative expression in all arenas of society. What I don’t mean is an exclusionary or elite culture that feels itself to be superior or better than another one.
Why do I believe this high level of culture means less anger and violence? Because a high culture is one a society is proud of and invested in. That means they don’t want it destroyed. They don’t want it diminished. They don’t want it to disappear. They have created something that brings joy, interest, wonder, humor, fun, discovery. Something that makes one think and allows for a thinking response. They learn and grow from it. In other words, they love it.
I do not believe we, as an overall society, have a culture like that at this time.
Why not?
Well, it’s like the very true variation on the old quote. “Grass is always greener…where you water it.” The truth is we ourselves are responsible for the cultural grass being dry and dead. How so?
- We contribute to it by not buying real art from real artists.
- We contribute to it when we are more interested in judging creative expression than we are in understanding it.
- We contribute to it by not speaking up when ugly buildings are built and when streets are filled with chain store after chain restaurant.
- We contribute to it by not caring or being involved in city and town planning.
- We contribute to it when we agree to the cutting of arts budgets from public schools.
- We contribute to it by watching violence and mayhem as entertainment again and again and again.
- We contribute to it by decrying any use of public funds for creative endeavors.
- We contribute to it by not reading.
- We contribute to it by not being interested in other cultures.
In other words, to use a variation on another famous quote, “For culture to disappear, all it takes is for good people to do nothing.”
Drawing and commentary © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
Quote by Johanne Wolfgang Von Goethe, 1749 – 1832, German writer
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe In The Country – by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
Adore everything about this post and its message and your illustrations truly captivate me
Thank you Melissa!
Amen. That’s all I can really say.
Thanks Fadra. I will take that amen and awomen you back!
What a powerful quote to end your post about today’s incredible art work! There are many things that need to be fixed by good people and I worry that some feel completely overwhelmed with where to start. As a parent, I know my responsibility is to raise good humans who will be proud and invested in a society that they love. I like to think I’m a good person who doesn’t sit by and do nothing but instead, models the kind of behavior society expects from the next generation of good people.
So True Leticia! That is exactly where it HAS to start!
i always love your illustrations!!!
thank you Bryce!