Contact info for the Commissioner, Department of Parks and Recreation: http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/maildpr.html
Contact info for Mayor Bloomberg:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
FAX (212) 788-2460
E-MAIL:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html
Z-
I thought of you when I first read this article yesterday. This is a slap in the face to Cuban Americans and all Freedom loving people.
Thanks for the contact info. Are there any protests scheduled that you know of?
It sure is. I don't know of any yet, but I'm trying to find out. I wish I knew someone in New York.
Before you all go off and protest about the statue, I think you should read up on the German artist who created it (Christian Jankowski), who it is really of (a street performer who was dressed as Che), and why (to challenge peoples perception of art, history and reality).
If you still feel like protesting, that is your choice, but be sure who you are protesting against - and why - first.
That's all I wanted to say.
Peace.
Joe;
would you have the same opinion if it was a statue of a street performer dressed like Hitler?
The statue has a Che quote at his base.
I'm an artist myself and I understand about self expression, but Che killed a lot of people and he should not get a statue in the city he wanted to bomb in the first place. I don't care who the artist is. He doesn't have the right to be irresponsible and insensitive to the suffering and the memory of thousands of people who died at the hands of Che.
I repeat, read about the artist and his reasons for the sculpture.
It is not a sculpture of Che, is that so hard to understand?
This is a statue of a street performer, and it meant as a study of this person, and his beliefs, right or wrong. And he is entitled to those beliefs. This sculpture is not espousing Che as a hero or anything else. It is a study of a man who dedicated his life to Che, but it does not support or denounce his views.
Do you protest about paintings of Hitler, just because they are of Hitler? Or do you bother to find out about the artist and his reasons behind his depiction?
Art is meant to challenge. If you try to censor art, you are nothing more than a close-minded dictator, and no better than those you purport to hate.
I understand you reacted in a way that was consistent with your beliefs, and I respect that, but in this case, your reaction was based on the wrong information.
All I ask is that you read up on the artist, and understand he is making no comment on Che as such, but commenting on the street artist he is depicting, and challenging your views on why he might feel like depicting him.
It is meant to provoke discourse, and in this is has succeeded, but to remove it would only remove that discourse, and thus remove what has made us great, which is the ability to discuss people like Che, and his motivations.
Is this really what you want? Censorship? I would have thought as an artist you would understand the need to provoke and challenge. I guess I was wrong.
Peace
Hmm, I'd really like to read up more on this statue, or this "art" as some people call it. I have a friend in Brooklyn that I've called that said she'd check up on this statue when she gets the chance (shes Mexican by the way). Although I am of Mexican Decent, I am surrounded by the Cuban Culture in Sunny Isle Fl. I overheard some people during breakfast talking about this. Although they seemed displeased, they didn't seem to, well, not care...I really can't think of a way to describe it. Maybe indifferent is a better term. But I don't know. I'll post my friends findings later on. Till then...
This is most wonderful article.Thank you,Sayan
So, an artist is dressed up as a murderous butcher, and we're supposed to study the artist and ignore the butcher reference? Can I dress up as the guy that killed the homosexual Matthew Shepard and left him on the side of the road tied to a fence and do a statue of myself dressed up as him and have you respect my freedom of expression?
Freedom of speech, provoking thought, airing out all sides, points of view, tolerating them. Wonderful. Do you feel that people who voted "Yes on 8" should be protested for their beliefs? Should they lose their job over their vote and first amendment rights because of their values?
Just wondering if that first amendment thing and tolerance thing goes in both directions.
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I am so angry, my whole body is shaking!
Che Guevara sent thousands of Cubans to be executed by firing squad, including a 14 years old boy, who he shot himself. A statue of Mass Murderer Che Guevara in New York Central Park Near the Doris C. Freedman Plaza.
I just learned about this on the Babalu Blog-posted by Ziva.
This is a spit on our suffering! Che's victims are still waiting for justice and their murderer gets a statue in the USA! I don't think so!
You have got to be kidding me. Ohhh if only I lived in New York, that statue would be no more. I hope someone destroys that piece of crap soon!
In Venezuela they unveiled a bust of Che and it got beheaded. I predict when enough Cubans and and their friends find out about this, it’s going down.