arts and humanities

When the National Endowments for the Arts and for Humanities were created by President Johnson in 1965, the President declared that any advanced civilization must fully value the arts, the humanities and cultural activities.

Today, we took yet another step in announcing our renunciation of being part of an advanced civilization when he proposed a budget eliminating -- let me repeat that word --- ELIMINATING -- both the National Endowments for the Arts and for Humanities. According to the New York Times, the annual budget of both Endowments last year was three hundred million dollars.

We can find anywhere from $12 to $21.6 billion -- that's BILLION dollars -- to build a wall between us and Mexico, a wall that nobody but he seems to want, and we now find out is going to be constructed partially by seizing private property of Americans via eminent domain. Never mind the fact that Mexico is not paying for it -- we are.

But we cannot find three hundred million to funds the arts and humanities.

We can INCREASE the military's budget by $54 billion, forget about what the total budget is...

But we cannot find three hundred million to funds the arts and humanities, just about half a percent of the increase alone of the military's budget.

we can continue to provide billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies for oil companies that are making billions of dollars in profits even without the tax breaks and subsidies.

But we cannot find three hundred million to funds the arts and humanities.

we can offer tax breaks for billionaires at the expense of the health care and well being of our elderly and the poor.

But we cannot find three hundred million to funds the arts and humanities.

Regardless of how this turns out, we may or may not have already lost the arts. At least in Washington, and especially in the White House, we have already lost our humanity, if it ever existed in Washington and this White House in the first place.