You’re probably right. They could’ve handled it better—they should’ve done more to get extra support. I just don’t think you’re gonna win in court if you sue on those grounds.

Maybe... but 1) Ferguson is a suburb of a much larger city—so there was a local police force there to “assist”. And 2) Ferguson’s response was insanely disproportionate. It could be that Charlottesville (if they had the option of getting extra support from the state or other communities) was trying to avoid that sort…

Ferguson is a suburb of St. Louis. Charlottesville isn’t a suburb of a larger city. Obviously there’s a discrepancy in the responses at these two incidents—and that’s most likely because Ferguson’s reaction was insanely over the top and based solely on racism. Maybe Charlottesville’s reaction was biased—or maybe the…

I don’t think he has a good case against the city here. The city does, in fact, have to give a permit to the Nazis (they can’t deny a permit on the grounds of who is applying or what they’re protesting—that’s a violation of the Constitution).

Preach. The problem that I run into with plus sized clothing is that there’s no middle ground. There’s nothing with a nice, stylish cut that isn’t SUPER trendy (or just plain hideous), off-the-shoulder, rhinestoned, picture of a zebra on it. I hate that old school Lane Bryant crap—and I’m too old for this type of…

Do you really not understand what he’s saying? He’s not COMMANDING—he’s begging. It literally says that in the write up. He’s saying that the experience of his image as a badass becoming less important than his desire to save his relationship and be vulnerable was new to him—that the experience of vulnerability was…

He had history of domestic violence. But still eligible to buy assault rifles!

Yeah.... the police started shooting back. Those are the exact people who should be able to shoot back—and look! The system can work!

I think this characterization of him as a “Russian agent” really misses the point. He may not knowingly be an agent. But that doesn’t mean that Russia didn’t put him in place—so that their bonafide agents could work through him—and so that they could manipulate him (either directly or through the agents they had put…

As an Austinite, I look forward to this boycott. Please, MRA trolls, please boycott Austin.

No, it’s not. This is not a story about being oppressed; it’s a story about oppressing others (or, really, it’s a story about government-sanctioned killing, which is far more complicated than the idea of genocide or persecution)—and it doesn’t belong exclusively to any one group.

Oh for Chrissakes. I didn’t say “American history”—I said “American identity.” When used to refer to PEOPLE, “American” means, specifically, US citizens, and it is the proper adjective to use when referring to human beings. This is accepted by most style guides that I know of. I’m an editor at an educational…

I didn’t bring up the KKK as a point of legal comparison, but of moral comparison. We, as Americans, can hate the KKK, but we shouldn’t strive to silence them. Same as we shouldn’t strive to silence artists who make us uncomfortable.

Well... I agree that the voice of the Dakota should be heard in the conversation—and I think the museum could’ve done a better job of including them and accommodating their message. But the principles of free speech are, in fact, more important than any one group’s feelings or interpretations. (I mean, we all think…

No, I think what’s being explored is that we benefit from from the killing carried out in the name of the US government—and that we’re typically oblivious to the harm it has caused. It’s exploring how some deaths may seem pretty easy to rationalize (Saddam Hussein), but that those are carried out in the same way and…

Word.

No humvees. The blockade thing was a metaphor. The federal and state gov’ts will cut off funding. There won’t be new grant money (so, whatever’s already been alotted will be distributed—unless the state has latitude over how to distribute it—so cities may have been counting on getting their “fair share”—but the…

Absolutely art isn’t always intended to last (tons of installations—this one, too, I imagine, are temporary). And while I think this conversation is important—I think taking down the installation effectively silences one half of the conversation.

I actually think that adds to it. The statement it makes is that a carefree life (children frolicking) is existing in spite of or because of all the blood spilled. They play on the gallows. That’s chilling.

You’re right—the artist and museum are making a mistake by capitulating to some pressure. They shouldn’t be agreeing with you. It’s bad for art in general for them to remove the installation.