We're going to blast away at the culturally challenged and deprived who actually support the protest by Mr. DelVecchio of Shelton (CT) who protested his ten year old daughter's school bus stopping in front of a day care center at Enterprise Corporate Park which just so happens to be where that exact replica of Michelangelo's "David" is located. For two days running it's been on the front page of The Connecticut Post. First the complaint by Mr. DelVecchio and the reaction by the School District to it by moving the bus stop. Better move the day care center early as well. God knows what permanent emotional and psychological damage might be done to those poor impressionable minds.
Since the Connecticut Post doesn't archive it's stories, here's the URL for the today's follow-up: Shelton takes the bus away from 'David'
Grab it fast before it's gone! Sorry. There's no picture. We've scanned in yesterday's photo and put it up on the server. It's here:
Statue of Limitations that also has the part of the front page, above the fold, story.
And we might have to enter the original article by hand so you can read it in all it's shocking amazement.
But just so you have the follow-up story, here's the text:
SHELTON --- Beginning today, a bus carrying grammar school students won't be stopping near a statue one parent says is inappropriate for young children to view. Instead of stopping at Tower One in Enterprise Corporate Park, the school bus will turn around on a side road without entering the area where a reproduction of Michelangelo's "David" stands.
"We have worked the situation out," said acting bus coordinator Timothy Walsh. "The bus will pull into the road and turn around almost immediately."
Mark DelVecchio objected to his 10-year-old daughter, a student at Booth Hill School, seeing the 15-foot-high bronze statue of a naked man and voiced his concerns to school officials Monday.
"That's fine," DelVecchio said of the new arrangement. "It was a quick and effective solution, and I will be checking to see if they stay with it."
DelVecchio said he does not object to the statue itself, which he describes as a work of art, but he doesn't want his daughter looking at it every day.
The bus picks up a student near the office building. The student, whose father works in the building, will now be picked up near the entrance to the complex.
The student's father, who asked not to be identified, said he will be walking the child to and from the new bus stop.
Originally, the bus stop was located at the corner of Corporate Drive and a driveway into the complex, but was moved into the office complex when construction of another office building began at that corner.
Developer Robert Scinto initially didn't want the bus to go into the complex, Walsh said, but agreed because everyone felt it was unsafe to drop the child off at the corner.
"It was a safety issue," Walsh said. "We were thrilled Scinto did what he did to allow us the opportunity to go up the road."
Scinto, an art lover, has placed more than 20 pieces of art around the office complex. He commissioned "David" when he visited Italy.
"We are thrilled he is offering something as culturally positive as this to our community," Walsh said. "This is a cultural coup for the city."
Most people would never have the opportunity to view such a renowned piece of art if not for Scinto's generosity, Walsh said.
Many area residents agreed.
"I am so glad Scinto is sharing his love of art with the people," said Andrea Altieri of Easton, an artist herself.
Focusing on anything but the artistic value of the piece is narrow-minded, said Altieri, who has viewed the original work in Florence twice.
"If adults don't make a big deal about this, neither will the children," she said. "They must take it as a part of life."
Kate Ramunni, who covers Shelton, can be reached at (203) 736-5440.
Now. The only reason we're including the full text of the follow-up article is that the link to it will be a dead link by the time some of you do try to access it, given the time differences around the world.
However, we're not going to let this go. Part and parcel of Apple's desire to bring live streaming video into the classrooms and homes via QuickTime 4 and QuickTime Streaming is to enrich people's lives with "brain on" content. What if during a lesson; whether it's art, history, etc.; someone objects that a live streaming of the Louvre's exhibits "nikked men and wimmen" are shown to their children? What about "Libertie"? That bare breasted woman manning the ramparts of freedom? Can you see where this is going? We're not talking about streaming the latest from Larry Flynt and his ilk, we're talking about classical art and other things that children and others might not otherwise be able to "see."
What follows is Robert Morgan's personal response in a Letter to the Editor that he sent in to The Connecticut Post editorial page. And, he might also submit the same letter to The Huntington Herald, which is the Hometown Publication which serves the Shelton and Huntington areas. This is an outrageous example of culturally challenged and bereft people taking offense where none was intended, and using their fallacious objections and protests to make everyone else go along with them. It's no different than all of the "Politically Correct" garbage that disgusts us.
To the Editor:
It's been a long time since I've felt compelled to write a letter to the editor. Thank you Mr. Delvecchio for rectifying that situation. And I'd also like to thank him for bringing to my family's attention of the existence of an exact replica of Michelangelo's "David" in Shelton. Our family intends to drive over with the children to see it, even though they're under ten years old. Why? Because it's a lot cheaper to drive over to Enterprise Corporate Park than traveling to Europe to see the original. You see, while ours is a "traditional family with values," we also understand the importance of providing a well-rounded classical cultural exposure to our children. And I'm certain there are art teachers who will also desire to take advantage of the unique opportunity to expose their students to the statue.
Secondly. I'd like to offer some observations and advice to those who oppose exposing young children to classical art that might include "nikked men and wimmen." To prevent what you fear, take your children to museums and expose them to the arts lest the outcome you don't want to happen happens. The time to expose them to the arts is at a young age and not their teenage years. The sooner the better. Look at all the rage for exposing young children to Mozart, albeit for craven reasons. Exposing young children to classical art, even "butt nikked men and women," before they become benumbed by popular culture is essential for raising a well-rounded and cultured child. And I will posit that there would be more sniggering, giggling and rude comments if people "wait until they're teenagers." Like the young boys who snip out pictures from their father's "Victoria's Secret" catalogs and pass them around in school? Like they crowd around the copies of "National Geographic" to gawk at the pictures of bare breasted women?
While I'm all in favor of parents protecting their children from inappropriate content by using selective exposure, protecting them from the likes of Michelangelo's "David" is not amongst my chief concerns. From what I observe, on a daily basis, with the: television ratings, videotape and video games sales and rentals, what children talk about seeing, other indicators and the like; them seeing "David" is the least of my worries. "The Simpsons" and "South Park" anyone?
I strongly urge not only Mr. DelVecchio but those who agree with him to take an honest inventory of what content they allow their children to be exposed to on a daily basis. Inventory: television, videos, video and computer games, music, comic books, toys, and the entire gamut. After they conduct that inventory then they can tell me which is worse, "David" or what they allow their children to be exposed to with nary a thought. If they conduct an honest assessment then I'm certain that they will be embarrassed.
Rather than objecting to his daughter being exposed to "David," and thereby denying other children who might have been fascinated and had an interest sparked to learn more, he should have taken the oportunity to initiate his daughter into the wonders of classical art. I guess we might as well put a bikini on "Venus" and a bikini top on "Libertie."
Finally. While I'm someone who is appalled at what has become acceptable in popular culture and the apparent defining down of deviancy, I'm also appalled at incidents like this. I'm not a libertine by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am someone who is appalled by this entire incident and its resolution.
Best Regards.
Robert K. Morgan
