Yes. That one.
Artist A gets paid to create the most famous symbol of rampant capitalism. Artist B gets paid to create a statue of a little girl standing in front of Artist A’s bull. Instead of praising B’s artistic/social statement, A files a lawsuit. Artist A instantly hands Artist B. — and the company that commissioned the “Fearless Girl” — a moral victory. Sorry, A. Your artistic Kung Fu is not strong.
Article: Wounded by ‘Fearless Girl,’ Creator of ‘Charging Bull’ Wants Her to Move – The New York Times
Art Cullen, center, editor and co-owner of the Storm Lake Times newspaper, poses for a photo with his son, Tom, left, and brother, John, outside the paper in Storm Lake, Iowa, after Art won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. (Dolores Cullen/Storm Lake Times via Associated Press)
This is thrilling. This classic story is what American journalism is all about: a tiny newspaper — circulation 3,000, printed on actual paper — cranks out fact-based, well-written editorials that stand up to big business, like the Koch Brothers.They’re in a red state, represented by the horrific Steve King, and according to other articles, Art Cullen’s editorials have also helped the immigrant community to feel somewhat safer.
If Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra were still making movies, they’d make this one.
Take a moment to visit the Pulitzer site, where you can read all of Cullen’s submitted editorials. They’re hard-hitting, with a lightly conversational wit. I’ll be working my way through all of them soon.
Eleven years ago, I moved into my current apartment. It’s situated mere blocks from one of the most gang-saturated areas of the U.S. When I first moved in, gunfire could be heard about twice a week.
Eleven years. I don’t have a gun, but I’m still alive.
I have never wanted a gun. I have never needed one. I didn’t even feel an urge to buy a gun after I watched as the drug dealer downstairs popped a couple of rounds into a flower bed next to a guy who was breaking into his car.
I do not fear the criminals. I do not need a gun to make me feel safe or whole. And millions of other people miraculously manage to survive every single day, all around the world, without owning a gun.
If I had a family living here with me, would I want to buy a gun? No. Because I know that the presence of a gun in the household actually increases the likelihood that a family member will be hurt or killed.
I walk down the street here at 3am, and I do not wish I had a gun. I do not live in fear.
Some commenters suggest I study the history of Nazi Germany – the inference being that once any gun law is made, that’s when the government will turn on its citizens, and seize military control over every inch of and every person in the United States.
Do I fear a government takeover? Well… did that happen in Australia? Japan? England?
No, I do not fear a government takeover.
To quote from “Dune” — “Fear is the mind killer.”
In the end, common sense wins over fear.
All we have to do is act on our common sense.
Today’s hero: Gordon Chesterman, head of the careers service at Cambridge University. He recognizes that the lure of money thrown at graduates by large corporations’ recruiters is robbing the world of bright, concerned young people who could make a positive difference if they followed their hearts instead of taking the money-bait.
He told me his service tries to counter the influence of the richest employers. It sends out regular emails telling students “if you don’t want to become a banker, you’re not a failure”, and runs an event called “But I don’t want to work in the City”. It imposes a fee on rich recruiters and uses the money to pay the train fares of nonprofits. He expressed anger about being forced by the government to provide data on graduate starting salaries.
“I think it’s a very blunt and inappropriate means [of comparison], that rings alarm bells in my mind.”