The Kids Of Wilton High
I think this story by Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman symbolizes something very dark in the evolving American landscape. Art has always played a crucial role in reflecting the realities of a country, and in some nations it has cost those who have dared to produce art that challenges the status quo their freedom, even their lives.
Obviously the young people of Wilton High School in Connecticut, who performed the play “Voices in Conflict” last night in an off-Broadway theatre, aren’t going to find themselves in Gulags for having the courage not to abandon the production and perform it outside of their High School, where it was banned by the school’s Principal in March. But then again, the silencing of voices, especially those of dissent, commonly begins in the most benign of ways. In a nation whose founding document guarantees the right of freedom of expression, one has to ask why a High School Principal was allowed to usurp it? That, in and of itself, should be the primary focus of this story, not necessarily the content of the play.
As Amy Goodman points out in her article, the performance brought many in the audience to tears, and when the students of Wilton High completed the performance, they received a standing ovation.
We live in a hyper sensitive age, one largely manufactured by the ripple effects of 9/11. The boogie man of our youths no longer resides in our closets or under our beds, but in our State Houses and Legislatures. His face is that of television news personalities, of soulless politicians, of fanatical religious leaders, and those captains of industry that would have us believe that profit is for the betterment of the planet while the only ‘improvement’ of note is the increase of their wealth.
We have been transformed into a people that have become suspicious of those of foreign descent, no matter how long they may have been our neighbours, no matter how many generations of their families have known generations of ours. We have allowed ourselves to be manipulated into thinking that we are losing some intrinsic part of ourselves, our supposed religious foundations even though we inhabit nations that, since their inceptions, have firmly and unequivocally been steeped in the separation of church and state. After the impact of those two planes six years ago, we have willfully and, for the most part, silently embraced the restriction of those principles that we have championed for centuries, that our leaders, to this very day, use as cause to act aggressively around the world.
No, there are no Gulags in the harsh wildernesses of Alaska or the barrens of Labrador. In truth, there need not be. We, without the desire to self sacrifice to protect that which we must either wholly stand for or abandon for all time, have built them within ourselves instead.
Thus, the time has come to either rob the boogie man of the keys or suffer the fate of every ‘great’ civilization that has come before us for millennia. In truth, our downfall is assured no matter, only the aftermath of its implication remains. One would hope, when that moment arrives, that we will be ‘civilized’ enough to act accordingly and not look to our self destruction because we refused to confront our self delusion.
Want to bookmark or share this entry?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 at 1:45 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Much more eloquent than I had written the other day. Must have silver fingers.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I read an article not to long ago about a high school teacher in Michigan who was fired. She was in charge of the school’s newspaper an approved an article written by a student, to be published. The article was promoting tolerance towards gays.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
This is another time where I shake my head and become increasingly disappointed and ashamed with my home state and my country. Then again Connecticut is the birthplace of good ol’ Dubya (sorry Georgie boy but there are no cowboys in New Haven) so it’s somewhat appropriate. Reading the full article just increased my ire at the situation, especially when the Superintendent claimed the play would be too sensational and inappropriate…..what the hell? I wonder if he would feel the same way if the play didn’t include the voices of Iraqis and was filled pro war “yeehaw shoot em up for ole ‘merica” type of rhetoric. Oddly enough what pissed me off the most from the article was the fact that in the History classes at the high school students aren’t allowed to talk about the war. Sad and dirty business indeed but at least it’s good to know some people still have their minds in the right place and a set of balls to say it
June 13th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
A few weeks ago I was told by my father’s friend that I was a bad American because I question the government. I was also told that this is because my generation has a genral mistrust of media outlets. This is true but does it make me a bad American. What this particular person failed to realize is that the reason that my country is/once was great is because we can and we do question and that question is what makes our government function.
That being said there is another aspect of my generation that is perplexing. I forgot where I read this but it makes a lot of sense, to the extent of it’s involvement in national and foreign matters I am unsure. I am of a generation who was told by everyone who cared for me that I was special, that I was the greatest, and that even if I failed it’s good that I tried. Now this group of special people are now being called the “we” generation as Globalization becomes a part of daily life. I am wondering if all of this sensitization that we have received has left us ill equip for a life in which the relative distance between countries is what used to be the relative distance and time between counties just over 70 years ago.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Public shaming and ostracism are more effective than any gulag.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
With the kind of attitude Superintendent Gary Richards has would it not have made more sense for him to do the ever so popular turn a blind eye to the real issue, pat the students on the head whilst saying “how cute” and dismissing the entire play as nothing more than make believe nonesense? That way it would have remained under the radar as opposed to making “news” all over the world. Hmmm, I wonder if the students are allowed to talk about THIS when they discuss current events?
Anyways, I must admit, the principle’s excuse made me laugh. “there was not enough classroom and rehearsal time to ensure it would provide ‘a legitimate instructional experience for our students’.” Because NOT being allowed to talk about the war while discussing current events is such a profound instructional experience. Those damn theatre students are nothing but trouble! The only thing worse? Music students! Hahaha!
June 13th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
I’m glad to see the students were able to find a venue to express themselves, after being blocked. It is rather pathetic that the principal was probably covering his ass, in order to not seem un-American.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
In a related story (coincidentally also by Amy Goodman):
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/22/1435259
“My Name is Rachel Corrie” just closed in Seattle - prior to that it ran in London, but was shut down in Toronto and New York before it ever opened. It’s all very interesting - I’m tempted to dump a lot of links here but anyone who wants to know more can simply google the title.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
[quote post="1128"]But then again, the silencing of voices, especially those of dissent, commonly begins in the most benign of ways.[/quote]
I guess that’s why HRW is condemning Chavez for shutting down RCTV.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:11 am
If I were to do anything to make a difference, I would become a teacher. When I was studying contemporary issues, a couple of students who were also on the teacher track said that they were severely limited in what they could and could not teach their students. I find this whole aspect of social programming to be quite disturbing. I suppose I could always be a teacher and get fired one day……..
June 14th, 2007 at 10:24 am
[...] in the blogosphere, Matthew Good and Aquablog give their perspectives based on Amy Goodman’s review of the Culture Project [...]
June 14th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
[quote post="1128"]The boogie man of our youths no longer resides in our closets or under our beds, but in our State Houses and Legislatures. His face is that of television news personalities, of soulless politicians, of fanatical religious leaders, and those captains of industry that would have us believe that profit is for the betterment of the planet while the only ‘improvement’ of note is the increase of their wealth.[/quote]
Wow, well said