Just a reminder seen along a country road.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
2.27.07 THE QUESTION
Coming out of the drug store yesterday I came across this piece of performance art sculpture by a student from Virginia Commonwealth University, James Sham. A simple question. I answered, “Yes” and spent 30 minutes in the pillory until my friend Boris came by and agreed to relieve me.
The art project brings up so many good questions about ethics and community. A discussion started in Ursula Le Guin’s short story about the boy of Omelas. Omelas is a small town in which a certain perfection of society has been reached. Everything works well and everyone is happy. But there is a secret. To maintain this state of perfection a price must be paid. A child must be kept chained and locked in a small basement room. Is the success of the society worth the price that must be paid? Is a community willing to SHARE the price of its prosperity?
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