Hamlet ran the article: 9/11 Memorial Deemed “Offensive”, Rejected from SL9B.

The world is getting far too Politically Correct. People will be offended by many things. In a free world we are free to offend people. It may not be the smart thing to do, but we are free to do it.

There is no guaranteed right to live one’s life without ever being offended.

The selection of art one wants to allow in their gallery or in this case SL9B is up to those organizing it. We can’t take their freedom away either.

Reacting to small numbers of complaints disrespects the majority.

Art’s acceptability is in the yes of the beholder. So, it is hard to say what is and is not offensive. In San Diego an art exhibit had a stylized cross that looked too much like the tail of an airplane giving the impression of a crashed plane. Since San Diego once had a mid-air collision that flopped into a downtown neighborhood, lots of people were offended. That possibility did not click for the artist or those organizing the exhibit. It did for the citizens of San Diego.

Trying to take on the responsibility of what is or is not offensive is a losing proposition. The more people involved in the process and the more people that have a say, the more likely there will be disagreement. People have to decide if the correct course of action is censorship, which removing the exhibit is, and whether actions infringe rights, which it does in different ways for different sides. It is a strange balancing act figuring out whether we are infringing on a minority or catering to a minority at the expense of the majority.

If avoiding offense infringes on rights, then don’t try to avoid it. Freedom is more important than anyone’s feelings.

Being inconsiderate of others feelings is a freedom. But, remember how much that inconsideration says about who one is.

There are no easy answers when art and people are involved.