www.themarysue.com: The Kennedy Center closed Tuesday, the same day a federal judge blocked the Trump-appointed board’s effort to credit Trump for the building’s restoration by adding his name. U.S. District Judge Christopher “Casey” Cooper wrote in his ruling that the defendants “cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing,” the Associated Press reported. The Justice Department has appealed the decision.
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This article is a simple continuation on the reporting of President Trump acting in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner in many and most situations, specifically recent developments concerning The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center (among other public institutions such as the Smithsonian Museum of American History) has been going through a rough time this Presidential term experiencing a political takeover and makeover where the center has been gutted of performers and performances, and vandalized both physically and verbally.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, a member of the Center’s council, recounts a recent council meeting where The President used derogatory language towards different members of the council, specifically her, while she countered with bringing up recent global political actions of the U.S. Neither are necessary or relevant for the topic of a Performing Arts Center’s meeting. This continues the pattern of President Trump using language that promotes his self-centered image by referring to others (mainly of the Democratic political party) using demeaning vernacular.
As someone who worked an event in the Kennedy Center about a month ago, I had no idea that I would be one of the last people in the building before its closing. That event was also the first time I was in the Kennedy Center, and upon my arrival, I was immediately impressed with the grandeur, beauty, and prestige of the building. I was told there was heighten security on the campus, especially around the giant tarp in the front of the building.
This article highlights truths we already are aware of. I think the most noteworthy bit of information this article shares is the scary reality that the administration might demolish the building if Trump is not formally recognized. As someone who has been to the building and knows people who work at the Kennedy Center, it would be absolutely devastating to the American performing arts if the Kennedy Center is torn down.
I know I kept selecting articles about the Kennedy Center this past week, but I genuinely hope every time that I see one saying there is some good news regarding the center. Why is there no accountability for what is occurring? Why is Trump’s funding the only source available to restore the Kennedy Center? I understand why it is hard for an individual to meet the single donation limit of $1,800, but could we start a GoFundMe or another online charity drive so people can at least contribute what they can to save the center? I have heard about a movement called “Hands off the Arts” that has been protesting outside the Kennedy Center; I might do some more research to see if they are gathering funding to help the center. I know some people do not want to financially support the center because of the controversy of adding Trump’s name to the center, but by contributing now they can keep his name off of the center.
The Kennedy Center needs some restoration, that part seems to not be up for debate. However, I find this whole debacle frustrating and unfortunately reflective of the administration we are currently under. The Trump administration continues to engage with unwanted and unnecessary culture wars boosted by his own ego, and detrimental to the American people. To me it is reminiscent in some ways of the absolutist rule of French King Louis XIV. He understood that if you can control the people's expression and knowledge then you can control the people. Hence why he standardized the French language via dictionary, and created highly centralized state intuitions for Dance, Visual Arts, Music, Architecture, and Literature to name a few. To express yourself under his rule, you had to follow his rules. The problem is, for a while it worked. So while it's frustrating to watch, it's not surprising that the Trump Administration is attacking cultural touch points. Think of the controversy between him and the Library of Congress. Think of the disbandment of the CPB which briefly put PBS and NPR at risk of shutting down. Think of the Administration's threats to cut support to the Smithsonian. These are not independent issues, but rather a spiderweb of connected attacks against the American public as a means to control the country's narrative by targeting pinnacle parts of education and culture.
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