The National Cultural Center Act included four basic components: it authorized the Center's construction, spelled out an artistic mandate to present a wide variety of both classical and contemporary performances, specified an educational mission for the Center, and stated that the Center was to be an independent facility, self-sustaining and privately funded. As a result of this last stipulation, a mammoth fundraising campaign began immediately following the Act's passage into law.
Two months after President Kennedy's
assassination in November 1963, Congress designated the National
Cultural Center (designed by Edward Durell Stone) as a "living
memorial" to Kennedy, and authorized $23 million to help build
what was now known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts.
While a few years before the Kennedy
Center opening, I had moved to North Carolina to attend college, I
had not yet broken my ties with those that I had grown up with who
still lived in and around Alexandria, Virginia which is about 8 miles
south of Washington, DC just on the other side of the Potomac River.
By keeping in touch with these people,
I was made aware of the fund raising efforts that surrounded the
building of this center and remember quite well many of my friends
and Kennedy supporters, who were also liberal minded politically,
would tell me how this was going to finally benefit not only the
middle class but allow the “common man” to finally be exposed to
the “Arts”.
It was then quite evident, that, we as
Americans, were reaching a very unique milestone in our evolution and
maybe, just maybe, there was hope for us after all. And, we loudly
applauded our leader's efforts to make this happen and create this
new opportunity for equality.
Blah... Blah... Blah...
Much to our surprise, this never
happened... and, from the days that the doors of the Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts first opened and until this day, the day of
this article, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is simply
another showcase FOR THE WEALTHY to once again dress up and pat each
other on the back, reinforcing how wonderful they all are.
Yes... this is sarcastic... and,
yes, I am tired of being mislead and tentatively convinced that this
country of ours really cares about the “have nots,” because after
years and years of experiencing disappointments, I know that it does
not and never will... even though, I know one should never say
never.
I have the money to buy the clothes and
to buy the ticket and to arrange transportation and room and board to
attend events at this Kennedy Center, but that is not the point; and,
neither is the point that the average poor person who does not have
the financial means to do this, probably does not care about the
“arts,” in the first place because he and every one else should
have that opportunity rather than living one's live without that
opportunity and feeling grateful because my country has been taking
care of me.
And, the issue is not really the “arts”
or the Kennedy Center or anything else like that... the issue is
equality and respect for that equality.
I have lived in Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky and while living in those States I
have come to realize that those students who attend county public
school have different opportunities made available to them than those
students who attend city schools because the city schools have bigger
budgets on a per person basis so the argument of population is not
valid.
So... families, who cannot afford to
live inside the city limits are forced to accept that their children
will not have the same level of education as those who can afford and
do live within the city limits.
I may be a little off base here, but
does it not cost us more in tax dollars to support two governments
(city and county) and would it not be cheaper and our tax dollars go
farther if we combined those 2 governments and eliminate that kind of
duplication?
And, it is not just the educational
opportunities but the roads are poorly maintained in the county as
well as less fire protection and less police protection.
But, I tell you what you will see out
in the country... for every 10-15 houses, you will see a Church
Steeple.
If I look at the 2 county area that
comprises where my wife and I currently live, and check the
population data which also includes all cities within those counties,
the total population is about 115,200. And, if I look at the number
of Church also located in those combined geographical areas, I see
that there are just shy of 400.
This calculates out to 288
people/church.
It would appear that there is a lot of
duplication in this areas as well, since most of those churches are
Baptist.
The last area of inequality that needs
to be mentioned which is painfully obvious is that there are 2 sets
of laws in American: one for the poor and one for the wealthy. Of
course, we all know that this is simply not true because the law is
the law is the law... but, not really... if you can afford a “good”
attorney.
We have seen too many “high profile”
court cases in the media to believe that the law works the same for
both the “rich and famous” and the poor. In fact, I specifically
know of one case where a teenager was put in jail for life because he
did not know his passenger had killed someone when they had stopped
for gasoline; yet, OJ Simpson was found not guilty when in all
likelihood... well, you know what I mean.
No matter what society tries to do to
prevent the scenario of “haves” and “have nots,” it will,
sadly enough, never work because of the nature of mankind... let me
put it another way... there will always be Chiefs and there will
always be Indians... and, not only will there always be this separation, this separation will take place at all levels within our society...
.
Within the ranks of Chiefs, some Chiefs will be lesser Chiefs, so they will be considered Indians by the other Chiefs... and the same situation will take place within the ranks of the Indians as some Indians will be considered of a higher position so they will be perceived and exhibit behavior as if they were a Chief not an Indian.
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