Finally, an interesting story from the state I live in:
From the Providence Journal:
"Jeffrey Eden devised his award-winning project less than 30 minutes after his high-school art teacher asked him to express a thought or two in a three-dimensional way.So, in the wake of last year's polarizing election and the war in Iraq, the 17-year-old built an abstract scene comparing President Bush's war policies with Adolf Hitler's pillage of Europe.The student's diorama-like assemblage juxtaposes Hitler quotes with Bush statements, Nazi swastikas with American flags, desert-colored toy soldiers with olive plastic figures. And so on. Eden said he's trying to point out certain similarities between the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the German blitzkrieg - without actually equating Hitler to Bush."
The article goes on to describe the local uproar that occured when Eden's juvenile attempt at art, was displayed in a local furniture store:
"It's offensive to me," said Paul Lewis, a 34-year-old North Providence man. Lewis asked that Eden's piece be removed and phoned newspapers as well as TV stations. He said he sees zero relationship between the policies of Bush and Hitler."It's a stretch," he said."
Jeffrey's piece was awarded a "silver key" at the Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards.
As a budding leftist artist, young Jeffrey already displays a vital prerequisite for becoming a full-fledged one: an impressive command of intellectual dishonesty:
"Eden said he's trying to point out certain similarities between the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the German blitzkrieg - without actually equating Hitler to Bush. ... Eden thinks the work is comparing Hitler and Bush - not equating them."
The most disturbing aspect of the story is that Eden's teacher, Lynn Norton, gave him an "A" for the project.
If Jeffrey had compared Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler, a valid comparison indeed, would he have won an award or have gotten an "A?"
Ms. Norton clearly agrees with the gist of Eden's attempt at presenting a false comparison as Truth, or she wouldn't have given him the highest possible grade. In doing so, she gave tacit approval to Eden's statement, thereby demonstrating to her other students that Bush-bashing and America-hatred, are commendable pursuits, worthy of reward.
Like Mr. Eden, teacher Norton has effectively spit on the graves of those murdered by Hitler, and deeply insulted living Holocaust survivors and their families.
Had I been Jeffrey Norton's teacher I'd have forbidden him to submit his project. If he insisted on presenting it for grading, I'd have given him an "F," explaining to him, that the role of the artist is to seek Truth, and in that capacity, he'd failed miserably. I'd have also failed him on originality, another mark of true artistic endeavor.
Then, I'd have treated him to a private showing of copious footage of Hitler's death camps, including testimonials from camp survivors. Following that, I'd have solicited someone who'd survived a Nazi concentration camp, to give young Jeffrey a one on one talk about their experiences. As part of his "make-up" work, I'd have instructed him to read Elie Wiesel's "Night."
My "finishing move" would have been to make him sit through an hour of post-liberation death camp videos showing the bodies of Hitler's victims being bulldozed into mass graves.
I'm certain that by the end of such education, Jeffrey Eden would be cured of any propensity to compare an American president to Hitler. As final penance for his callous stupidity and lack of originality, I'd have insisted that he submit an original creation based on what he had learned.
Jeffrey Eden's only 17 years old, and very young men are highly prone to doing thoughtless, impulsive things. It's up to clear-thinking adults to guide them towards responsible behavior.
His teacher, Lynn Norton, has no such excuse for her idiotic decision to reward his actions.
She should be relieved of her teaching duties.
Unfortunately, given the near-monolithic leftist beliefs and attitudes that pervade her profession and rule Rhode Island's public school system, chances of her being disciplined at all, are nil.
