[NEohioPAL]The latest uproar

[Kim Ceja]

I have been following this latest uproar since it began last night. I am not
so sure Mr. Oravec's comment is as much about bigotry as it is about a
bigger problem in this country. No one wants to read or think anymore. We
live in an instant world where people want instant answers fed to them so
they can jump to a quick and tidy conclusion. Apparently, reading beyond a
headline or researching the substance behind a sound bite is just a little
too taxing for a lot of people these days.

I hadn't realized the enormity of this until the last presidential election.
While going door to door canvassing voters, I repeatedly heard people
quoting inaccurate information they heard in a sound bite or from another
party. "Kerry wants to kill kids," I heard one person tell me. "I served in
the military and I can't vote for a guy who went against our country like
that," an out-of-work veteran told me. "I believe God chooses our leaders
and we have to trust in Him," another mentioned. So did God choose Hitler, I
asked her, which made her think, finally.

Clearly, Mr. Oravec wasn't thinking. Perhaps now he's wishing he had just
taken the time to open that email and read the contents before jumping to a
very wrong conclusion. In the meantime, the arts community can continue the
quest to get people to think by holding events such as "Live Homosexual Acts
on Public Square." Based on the response on this list, it's already working.