Censorship should not be tolerated

According to Renee Cox, Jesus is a black, naked woman, and when she went to the last supper, she was flanked by 12 black apostles. At least, that is what her photograph "Yo' Mama's Last Supper," now being shown at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, conveys. Cox, a Catholic herself, has inspired plenty of controversy with her piece, especially now that New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani wants to take away her freedom to exhibit it, and the people's right to see it. \nLast week, Giuliani said he was going to appoint a task force to "set decency standards for those institutions that are using your money, the taxpayers' money," according to The New York Times.\nThis includes the city-subsidized Brooklyn Museum of Art. Calling Cox's depiction of the Last Supper "anti-Catholic" and "disgusting," Giuliani said he wants to ensure the public does not have to pay for art they don't like.\nWhat Giuliani doesn't realize is that he is inhibiting the freedom of speech of everyone who would like to see the exhibit, everyone who doesn't think Cox's depiction of the Last Supper is blasphemous. \nIt is insane to think art should be regulated to what the public likes and dislikes. While Mayor Giuliani might despise "Yo' Mama's Last Supper," another person might like the exhibit and hate Pablo Picasso's "Night Fishing at Antibes" and want it taken down from its place in New York's Museum of Modern Art. Art is far too subjective to be regulated by a person's preferences. Too many opinions exist.\nGiuliani wants to make sure taxpayers do not have to fund museums that show art they do not approve of. The Brooklyn Museum of Art receives more than $7 million in a city-subsidiary grant, one-third of its annual budget to stay in business. Having an art museum in Brooklyn brings culture and beauty to the city. If its funding from the city is cut, the residents of Brooklyn and the city of New York might not be able to enjoy the rich culture other exhibits have brought to the city. And, if Giuliani's plan works, what is to stop people from cutting funding to the Metropolitan Museum of Art because they don't like the exhibit of naked women eating fruit? Giuliani is heading down a slippery slope. \nThis is not the first time Giuliani has threatened the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Two years ago, Giuliani froze the Brooklyn Museum's funding after it exhibited the show "Sensation," which included a depiction of the Virgin Mary covered in elephant dung. The Museum sued in federal court and won when a judge ruled that the city violated the Museum's First Amendment right and restored the funding.\nThere is no way Giuliani is going to win the fight against censoring art -- the highest court in the nation has already told him so. Cox has a right to express her religious beliefs any way she wants and the people have a right to see it. And if Giuliani does not want to see the exhibit, he doesn't have to go. But he shouldn't punish a museum because they believe in letting artists express themselves.\nStaff vote: 7-0-0