Had two revelations today....

[woodsprite]

Now, you guys may think "Why didn't she think this way before?", but it just HIT me today. My son is learning to read and he asked today what words were on our money. I read it to him and then I was ticked that "In God We Trust" is on the money of a country who was supposed to be created to guarantee religious freedom. I know people have mentioned it before and I just kinda blew it off as "it's not that big of a deal...". But it is!

The other thing was I performed in a Memorial Day concert tonight. We did some music of Moses Hogan, an absolutely wonderful contemporary spiritual composer who unfortunately passed away just a year or so ago. Our director was introducing the songs and he was talking about the composer. He introduced him as an American composer....yada yada, but then went back and corrected himself to say African-American composer. I was offended and I wondered how Moses Hogan would feel. Our director didn't say anything about our audience being White Americans, so why did he need to change his wording - we're all Americans.

UGH! Just needed to vent and these revelations hit me like a ton of bricks today. Thought you guys would understand - especially better than my freeper inlaws ;)

[driver8]

1. That is strange. He is an "American Composer" plain and simple.

Why does he have to be an "African American Composer"?

Why do we all have to have labels? Why can't we all just be Americans?

This pisses me off.

[kiraboo]

3. We "have to have labels"

for the same reason that the words on money freak some people out: we recognize that simple words can have tremendous impact, and we want to control that impact.

[HamdenRice]

5. Why do you want to erase his identity?

It's kind of insulting when white people say that a black person should not be identified as an African American composer, or writer or artist. The work of most artists is informed by their identity and culture, and it is perfectly acceptable to identify the artist as such. If this composer is a composer of spiritual music as the OP states, don't you think his music might have been informed by experience in the "black church"? Wouldn't that be central to his music, the way the theology of Cornell West is shaped by being a third generation African American preacher?

Would you call West just an American, not African American theologian? Was Martin Luther King only an American, and not African American leader?

[driver8]

6. Hmmm...I see your point.

You are right -- their music and art is influenced by who they are.

I stand corrected.

[Random_Australian]

2. You noticed the money! That is awesome! Many an atheist is made

decidedly uncomfortable, not so much by the words but the implied sentiment.

:woohoo: :applause:

[JuniperLea]

4. I don't think so

Religious freedom gives Atheists their right to believe there is no god.