Others, who have not used crowbars, have nevertheless ripped the display with labels such as “pornographic” and “offensive.” And while there’s no doubt such labels are well-suited in this case, I believe we miss the greater point if we fail to see the display in light of the fact that it is first and foremost an example of the ongoing cowardice of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

That’s right: the tax-payer subsidized NEA, now basking in the attention it’s receiving from “The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals,” has yet to proudly sponsor a piece of “art” that mis-characterizes Islam or depicts figures of various other religions (outside of Christianity), in a provocative, if not perverted, sexual posture.

What’s up with this feigned bravery? This propounded art-above-all-else mentality that is actually nothing more than an assault directed at the one religion the NEA trusts won’t react violently?

What a bunch of scaredy-cats.

This all reminds me of my October 13th post on Big Hollywood which pointed out the sheer hypocrisy (and cowardice) of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)’s criticism of Vince Vaughn’s line, “electric cars are gay,” in the trailer for the movie The Dilemma. It was hypocritical (and cowardly) because they chose to criticize a line in a comedy but remained completely silent about the fact that Malaysian officials were, at that very time, censoring Adam Lambert’s flamboyant homosexuality by allowing him to perform in their country on the condition that he curtail his sexuality in front of the crowd.

It just made GLAAD look like a paper tiger to hurl harsh criticism at a comic, who clearly didn’t intend to offend gays, while withholding any condemnation of a Muslim community in Malaysia that not only censored Lambert’s homosexuality, but has laws in the books making homosexual behavior punishable by imprisonment in that country.

And just as it appeared GLAAD was choosing their battles from a position of weakness by aligning themselves against an actor who probably wouldn’t threaten bodily harm the way an outraged Jihadist might, so too it appears that the NEA is brave just so long as being brave entails a crucifix in urine or a painting of Mary covered in dung or a lithograph of Jesus Christ in a sexual posture.  (The gutlessness of this is even clearer when you consider that although the various subsidizes the NEA receives will net it approximately $358 million for this fiscal year, the risks they take for art will continue to be directed toward the one religion they trust is marked more by love than by retaliation.)

Call me crazy, but if enough attention can be brought to the blasphemies presented to the public by the NEA, maybe a Senator like Jim DeMint (R-SC) will push to defund them after he’s done defunding National Public Radio (NPR).

I know it’s a long shot, but it would be interesting to see how brave the NEA remained after that.

When I first met Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) in February of this year (full disclosure: we have the same publisher, Fidelis Books) I heard him say something that resonated…”We’ve been duped into believing government alone can solve our country’s problems. I believe often the government is the problem. America’s greatness is found in its people and its values not in its government…with every round of new regulation and increased spending our country slides further away from liberty and closer to socialism. ” He had my attention. 

Apparently I wasn’t the only one recognizing his efforts to put his beliefs into action. The National Journal named him the Senate’s most conservative member and the National Taxpayer Union ranked him the number one senator for responsible tax and spending policies. 

His book “Saving Freedom” was released July 4th. It is his account of the socialist shift Congress is taking to change the very nature of our country. “Saving Freedom” is a primer for understanding the history of our freedoms and could not be more timely. Obviously, the book wasn’t written overnight. He told me he watched this slide for years but knew the new administration would support an even greater incursion at an exaggerated pace. With the government now controlling parts of the auto industry, the financial industry, insurance, and health care it has been a steep slide in a few short months. He acknowledges socialism begins with good intentions but becomes a government by force taking from some to give to others with the unintended consequences of destroying individual responsibility and creating an even greater dependency on the government. 

The book provides interesting insights into the world of politics and the pressures politicians face. One of several examples he provides is the uphill battle he has had with some veterans’ groups. Even though “serving veterans has been a top priority” he has been given an “F” by one national group because he voted against a veterans’ bill. The reasoning for his vote was sound but fodder for the special interests. (As a veteran, with a son in the Marines, I am quick to side with veterans’ groups but must now admit the Senator’s book opened my eyes. Maybe I need to dig deeper before I react.)

The Veterans Administration wanted to “downsize an under-utilized veterans’ hospital in Los Angeles.” By selling off several acres the VA estimated they could add $5 billion (with a “b”) to the veterans’ budget. “But Hollywood friends of the two California Senators wanted to keep the area as a park, so the bill included an ‘earmark’ to prohibit the VA from selling the property.” The money from the sale would have gone to veteran’s health-care. Senator DeMint tried to remove the “earmark” but his amendment failed so he voted against the bill. As a result he was targeted by certain veterans’ groups and now assumes he will spend money at his re-election combating ads attacking him for being against military veterans. 

But the book doesn’t whine about our nation’s problems. He provides an action plan for the nation and the individual to reclaim our freedoms. As Fox News says, “We report, you decide.” I would encourage everyone to take a look. “Saving Freedom” provides knowledge and some practical ways of doing and serving. Become informed and get involved. It is our country but it may not be the country we think we know if we don’t act soon.