On Opera and Outrage…

“In non-news today, Muslims are outraged. Also, the sun rose at its usual time, and the Earth continued to turn on its axis in the customary fashion.” – Kathleen Parker/Washington Post Writers Group

http://www.nwherald.com/MainSection/local/291120244694037.php


In an effort to curb Muslim outrage, Berlin's Deutsche Opera recently cancelled its production of “Idomeneo.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060927/ts_nm/arts_religion_dc_3

According to the article, “The controversy centered on a scene in which King Idomeneo is shown on stage with the severed heads of Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad and the sea god Poseidon.” They figure if they go on with this production, they will offend Muslims who will, in turn, blow stuff up.

For some reason, they are not concerned about offending Buddhists, Pagans and Christians …

Oh, maybe that’s because Buddhists don’t blow stuff up and Christians rarely blow stuff up, but instead, they unleash televangelist talking-heads on the world. This may be worse then blowing stuff up, but I’m not sure. And Pagans? Well, they were pretty much wiped out by the Christians…

I’m no fan of opera, but even I see the value of artistic license and hate to see this sort of censorship. Score one point for the bullies. Yeah, bullies… that’s really it, isn’t it? “Terrorist” is an unfortunate moniker. These folks are just bullies in the world playground and we’d rather hand over our lunch money than stand up to them.

The problem extends beyond religion and art, however. The Yahoo article also points out, “Some analysts fear a climate is developing in which people are afraid to speak out publicly. In a speech to the annual conference of think-tank Oxford Analytica last week, its head, David Young, said political correctness posed a threat to free expression for journalists, politicians and academics alike.”

I say a climate has already developed in which people are afraid to speak out publicly. It doesn’t take “analysts” in "think tanks" to figure this out. Voices are silenced by violence, money, name-calling, social isolation, litigation, etc. Everyone can play the victim card and effectively end all other discourse. We have become very good at shutting each other up.

I love a good debate (much to the dismay of my friends), but this is a lost art. Everyone is too defensive, too quick to anger, too quick to dismiss the person posing the questions… It’s so much easier to call somebody a liberal, a conservative, a racist, a sexist…or to categorically blame figureheads…or to blow up stuff… than to engage in the details. People have strong beliefs but little accurate information; media bites and propaganda are weak fodder for arguments and generally crumble upon inspection. Also, it’s difficult to debate when issues are taken so personally; when emotions outweigh logic.

Mr. Spock, where are you?

So…solutions. I’m all out of them, sorry to say. But I bet we could find them somewhere… in Canada maybe, eh?