ASU West Event Limits Culture to These Four
Other cultures not worth highlighting?
I received an email from ASU West about an event series they will hold this Fall. Here is part of the description:
“The West Valley Film Series is described as “provocative cinema for viewing and discussion” and is curated by an advisory board of New College faculty. We will be offering one film each month, and four will highlight topics from the cultural committees on our campus, including Hispanic Heritage, Native American Heritage, Black History, and Women’s History.
You know from my previous posts about “art” at ASU that it is aimed at just what this event says: provoking the audience into having the response intended by the “artist.” It is not aimed at beauty, or goodness, or moral character. It is aimed at creating radical activists. This one sounds no different. It is “provocative cinema.” If an “artist” has abandoned beauty and thinks political provocation is all that is left to art, shouldn’t there still be a representation of such art from both the political left and right? Why only the radical left?
The next sentence says the quiet part out loud. It lets you know what such professors think. It tells you that ASU has four cultural committees and that the film series will highlight topics from each. These are the only cultural committees. What about the other cultures that ASU serves? Does this, by implication, mean that ASU West does not think other cultures are worthy of being highlighted? Is there such a thing as “white culture,” and is it worthy of being highlighted?
The radical left says, “Silence is complicity.” Is their silence about other cultures complicit in discriminating against those cultures? Why is ASU West limited to these four, and are students from other cultural communities still welcome at ASU West?
You are SO CORRECT, Owen! They’ve decided to focus on the marginal, the minors — even while neglecting the majors — namely the genius of Western, Christian culture.
Marginal cultures often manifest significant psychological frailty — just the opposite of strength. The classical cultures of Greece & Rome were failing as Christ Jesus entered the world. But his church and its culture became the dynamic power of the West — from then until now. Despite all its warts, Christian culture has been the most glorious.
But modern studies show no interest in that significance. They search for any alternative possible. Anything else will do! Philosophically and culturally, none of the alternatives compare, because no one is comparable with Christ Jesus! But modern, secular culture cannot stomach Jesus; even though the world generally accepts him as unique/superior.
R. E. Knodel, Jr. <www.KnodelLifeStyle.com>