Freedom, Genocide, What's The Difference?

From reader Dan:

Youth defends prize-winning Bush/Hitler art

Jeffrey Eden devised his award-winning project less than 30 minutes after his high school art teacher asked him to express a thought or two in a three-dimensional way.

So, in the wake of last year's polarizing election [ed: as opposed to the elections won by B.J. Clinton with less than 50% of the popular vote, or the Iraqi elections where people of Iraq literally risked their lives in the name of freedom] and the war in Iraq, the 17-year-old built an abstract scene comparing President Bush's war policies with Adolf Hitler's pillage of Europe.

Ah yes, the similarities are glaring.

The student's diorama-like assemblage juxtaposes Hitler quotes with statements by Mr. Bush, Nazi swastikas with American flags, desert-colored toy soldiers with olive plastic figures. And so on.

Eden said he's trying to point out certain similarities between the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the German blitzkrieg -- without actually equating Hitler to President Bush.

Um, sure, whatever you say, kid. Our tax dollars once again hard at work in our public schools.

In this, the success of his project is debatable.

Nonetheless, it has earned the Charlestown student a silver key at the Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards.

It has also tested the contest's commitment to an overriding principle: that students should be encouraged to express their own thoughts through art.

The piece, titled "Bush/Hitler and How History Repeats Itself," triggered a complaint soon after it was displayed with other award-winning entries at Alperts Furniture Showplace in Seekonk last week.

But he's not equating Bush to Hitler, mind you. He's only equating Bush's ideology, words, and actions with those of Hitler. Well, thanks for clearing that up, kid.

"It's offensive to me," said Paul Lewis, a 34-year-old North Providence man.

Lewis asked Alperts to remove Eden's piece and phoned area newspapers as well as Channel 10 and Channel 6.

He said he sees zero relationship between the policies of President Bush and Hitler.

"It's a stretch," he said.

Gee, ya think?

Lewis said the piece poorly conveys what Eden told The Journal he was trying to convey because it leaves too much to interpretation. Someone might think the artist believes the president is as evil as Hitler, he said.

"I believe he should have been a lot more clear in putting those two things together," Lewis said.

Alperts refused to remove the exhibit, but the store did attach a disclaimer.

The views of the artist do not represent the store, it said.

"We don't censor art," said the store's owner, Hershel Alpert. "We're not in the business of censoring art."

Eden hopes to study art after he graduates from Chariho Regional High School next year.

Eden said that although he supports U.S. soldiers, he believes the invasion of Iraq was unjustified.

The recent election in Iraq has not changed his views.

No shit. The election in Iraq reflected favorably on the policies of the Bush administration. I wouldn't expect it to bring about any change in the way members of the Rabid Bush Haters Society feel. If they were to allow rational discourse to influence their opinions (God forbid), they'd become independent thinkers and have their RBHS membership privileges revoked.

"At the time we invaded we did not have the justification nor the intelligence to take him [Saddam Hussein] out the way we did," he said.

If you're referring to the fact that we took him alive, I might be inclined to agree with you on this one.

Figures of President Bush and Hitler, drawn on Popsicle sticks, are at the focal point of Eden's work. Each is addressing his own army of plastic soldiers.

On a backdrop, Eden has pasted statements of Hitler. He has penned a few of his own sentiments, too.

He hopes people will read them.

"Hitler's own justification was his own hatred," said one slogan.

Yeah, all Bush had to back up his plans were a laundry list of violated UN resolutions, the approval of the United States Congress, and the support of allies across the globe - flimsy.

"Treatment of the prisoners was unspeakable [concentration camps]," said another.

But did Hitler put panties on their heads before breaking out the Zyklon-B? Because THAT would have been just AWFUL.

To the right of President Bush, Eden's handwriting said "No justification" and "Saddam had no affiliation with the Taliban and there are no weapons of mass destruction."

Eden said the written messages are as important as the visual ones.

He thinks they show that the work is comparing Hitler and President Bush -- not equating them.

Well, I'll be crystal-clear, Jeffrey. I'm not comparing you to an uneducated, ignorant, leftist asshat, I'm equating you to one.

"I felt I was clear about what I was trying to get across," he said. "I believe those who misconstrued the artwork didn't take the time to really read into it."

His teacher, Lynn Norton, believed he got his point across. She gave him an A.

An "A"? Content and controversy aside, this thing's a piece of junk. I can crap better art than this.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin has more.