Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1998)
~ftcjQ^MAs¿pR¡NT_______ Opinion________________ 3 ________________________________ .__________________________________ ■______________________________ ____________ _________ Wednesday, November 18, 1998 Writers respond to "Art... or Arts?" Art defines our culture Vite should not spend the money What's left of culture is the art This is a response to Karl Katzke’s commentary about I would like to sound my agreement with Karl Katzke’s “Shared Destinies.” What does that mean to us? We are buying “Shared Destinies.” opinion article, “Art... or Arts?” linked together, students, faculty and staff in a community, I grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Our most prominent Artwork is great for personal investments, wall decora in a “shared destiny” here at CCC. I am sad that some feel public sculpture was three large missiles pointing upright in tions, and museums, but CCC is an educational institution that purchasing this sculpture is a misuse of funds. Sad be front of of many genres where educational advancement is, or should cause I know that in the not too distant future those who F.E. War be, the primary focus. If the community is willing to con objected will remember it and realize what a magnificent ren Air tribute $16,000+ to the purchase of a statue, should it not piece it is. The scale and use of the medium of steel is re etters to he Force be even more willing to contribute the same to something markable. My personal bent is toward art, but not everyone’s Base, next more useful and profitable, something which would have a is. However, I can remember how painfully difficult it was to the In lasting effect on the advancement of our society’s learning? to understand history, until I looked at it from the perspec terstate That $ 16,000 could be used for scholarships, improvements tive of culture and society through art; that was when I be freeway. in CCC’s computer network, or even the Art Department. gan to grasp the integrity of the two because what was left of They still stand there today as a memorial of the wonderful The pioneering spirit of the art piece, “Shared Destinies,” a culture was the art (i.e. music, dance, theater, architecture days of the Strategic Air Command, missile silos and the is nice, but wouldn’tcontributing, encouraging, and aiding and literature). cold war. the reality be even better? I understand your funding concerns, but do you have the Are these missiles, funded by public money, the monu Shirley Starcher whole story? The college has an opportunity to represent ments I wish to define my culture? Is buying “Shared Desti Student itself to you and the community through this work. The fund nies” a waste? Did you know that the budget for military ing to purchase the sculpture is only partially coming from "Shared bands is three times the budget for the National Endowment the “college.” The balance will be voluntarily provided by Destinies," for the Arts? Devin other benefactors through the work of the Foundation. The Art is not a peripheral, frivolous activity. It is the essence Laurence amount committed by the college is small by comparison to of human activity. When we study the histories of great cul Field's steel the whole. sculpture tures, we study their sculptures, paintings and architecture. The Foundation does fundraising for the entire college stands near the These artifacts are often all that is left to define the accom for scholarships, grants and revenue.. They are a funding Community plishments of a culture. source for much that is not covered in our general budget. Center, waiting “Shared Destinies” is not student art work. It is the work Before you becoming critical of an issue, I recommend that for funding to of a highly accomplished artist with a master’s degree, many a little more research be done. If you did, you would know make it a commissions and years of experience. The artist, Devin the complete story on funding of “Shared Destinies,” as well permanent Laurence Field, donated half the value of the sculpture to the display on our as many of the other buildings, programs and student sup college. This is the kind of art I want to have to define my campus. port funds here at Clackamas through the Foundation. You culture. Another asked us to. use our voice and so here is mine. $16,000 is A quotation from the movie, “Mister Holland’s Opus,” says it very clearly, “when you take away art and music, the- ’ needed for the Mary Lou Rupp ater and dance, you won’t have anything left to write about.”. purchase. Art Dept. Secretary, and artist Rfrk True L t I EdiTOR Art Instructor, CCC. Bigger boundaries of truth Editor's note: The following letter contained typo graphical errors when it was published on Nov 4. We have re-printed it in its correct form. In response to Joel Shempert’s opinion Piece, “Truth or Consequences: In Search of an Absolute”, (Wednesday, Oc tober 28, 1998, Issue 4) I would suggest that even Paul of Tarsus was a moral relativist masquerading as a moral ab- solutist in his day. teers Since I have dis cussed re- 1 i g i o n with Joel in Comparative Religion class and in many other discus sions, he knows of my aversion to simply quoting Bible passages to prove universal truth. But, since his writing opens this door, let me ask if he thinks the following ideas of Paul of Tarsus are absolute or relative: • “May condemnation fall on those that unsettle you.” (Gal. 5:10) (Boy, if I wished that on anyone that unsettled me...) “Those that trouble you about circumcision should go the whole way and castrate themselves.” (Gal. 5:12) (A reference to whether circumcision was necessary) • “It is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” (ICor, 14:34-35) Does Joel suggest that this is still true today... or was it ethically relevant at the time Paul stated it? • “Slaveowners, deal justly and fairly with your slaves” (Col. 4:1) Today, since we are not relativists in this regard as were the Roman civilizations of Paul’s time we might say, “Slaveowners, free your slaves.” There are many other instances that suggest Paul was speaking a truth that was relative to his time and circum stance. I am not suggesting that there is not a moral abso lute from which humans might contemplate or judge ac tions, I am only suggesting that Joel take care in declaring Absolute Truth’s Parameters. They might be much bigger and more flexible to the evolving human consciousness that a simple perusal of the boundaries of truth might indicate. S JITOR Bill Briare Religion Instructor to t I te TIMOTHY A. BELL/ Clackamas Print Advice to the absolutist An open letter to Joel Shempert: I’m sure I speak on behalf of my colleagues, Bill Briare and James Bryant-Trierise when I say that you do CCC a good service when you write articles about important reli gious and philosophical topics, and that you should keep at it. Here’s some advice on the absolutism/relativism issue that you may or may not find helpful in the future. Determine what your objectors held dear. Suppose they hold dear the following: Women should not be discouraged from speaking their minds; slavery is wrong; cruelty and torture are wrong. Once you determine what views your objectors’ hold dear you then ask them whether they consider them to be ‘abso lute’ or ‘relative. ’ (These terms are not as clear as one would want, but you could at least begin with them). If they say ‘absolute,’ your work is done. If they say ‘relative,’ you ask questions like ‘So I or my group may legitimately discour age women from speaking their minds?’ 'I, or my group, may legitimately enslave people?’ 'Southern slave-holders legitimately enslaved Africans because their morality al lowed it?’ etc... On the point that absolutists eventually wind up impos ing their views on others by force, you may ask the follow ing sorts of questions ‘If I find individuals in my society thinking it's perfectly all right to torture and kill homosexu als, may not I, acting with or through my state, work to stop them, by lethal force, if necessary?’ ‘If some white people take it in their heads to drag black people behind their pick up trucks, and take up arms to defend their right to do this, may not the state oppose them, by lethal force if neces sary?’ etc... A final word: don’t argue history unless you know a lot’, stick to philosophy, where it’s not what you know that counts. Wendell Stephenson Philosophy Instructor The Clackamas Print welcomes letters from Students and Faculty that are 300 words or less. The Deadline for letters is the Friday before Publication. A higher power within morals I have recently read Joel Shempert’s “Truth and Conse quences: In search of an Absolute,” and had mixed feelings on the subject. After hearing Shempert’s thoughts I found myself asking, “Where do morals come from?” I thought of this regarding myself and my morals. My morals were cre ated by me. But then I thought about what created me and everything about me. I would be lying if I said my parents and society did not influence me in any way. So my first conclu sion was that my morals came from cultural values. With some more thought, I decided that there was more to it than just cultural values. There is a higher power within morals. I do not know where this power comes from but it is not just the common thoughts of a society. Our soul, a god, or possibly the pure energy in the universe that makes every thing coexist: these are all things that I thought might have a say in our morals. It is not just a higher power, though. If this was true we would all have the same morals and we all know that differ ences in morals exist. I believe it is a combination of some higher power and an individual person. Everyone is different and that is why morals are different, but there is too much in common with the morals around the world to make it entirely a self decision. Matt Fulop Student Live by the Golden Rule In regards to the editorial “Truth and Consequences: In search of an Absolute,” I just have a few comments. I do be lieve that there is a type of absolute standard for all cultures and people, but I also think it only pertains to the most impor tant matters in life. For example, I would hope that everyone knows that it is wrong to murder someone. I believe that as long as someone is not hurting anyone else then they should be free to have their own belief system. Our country was built as a melting pot of different ideas and cultures and that freedom should not be taken away. Be sides, what is this absolute standard? Is the author referring to the Bible? What if a society is Muslim or Buddhist? Are these people suddenly condemned because they don’t believe in the same god? Instead of an absolute standard, I believe we should live by the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Jana Spain Student
