From: mildred@sunny.brooks (Aunt Mildred)
Subject: Re: support for the arts in the US
Reply-To: nadeau@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 02:41:40 GMT

In article <1gesthINN9bt@agate.berkeley.edu> curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin) writes:
>
>The difference is that presumably you are old enough now to pay
>for your own artistic voices, and do not have to stick a gun in
>the back of poor Great-Aunt Mildred, who has not read anything
>but TV Guide since 1974 and cannot tell artistic voices from
>the mating calls of plumbing.
>
>Do not automatically assume that you are superior to old bag
>Mildred and thus have a right to take her money; even were the
>former true the latter is not, I think, the sort of precedent
>you want to be setting.

Well, I'm certainly glad Rheal, my nephew, told me about this.  Such an
impertinent young man you are, Mr.  Yarvin!  "Old bag", indeed!  I hope
you enjoy feeling so superior to your elders!

Now, it's true I don't read as much as I used to - my eyes tire so
quickly now, you know.  But really, to suggest that makes me totally
ignorant!  Manners simply aren't what they used to be, let me tell you.

Really, you sound just like my crabby neighbour, Mr.  Neelan.  Such a
crank, you know.  You should hear him:  "Government shouldn't be paying
these baby bonusses - a perfect waste of taxpayers' money.  No one
forces people to have children, so they can damned well support them
themselves."  (I apologize for the language, but it really isn't my job
to clean up Mr. Neelan's language, is it?)

That's easy for an old bachelor like him to say, when no woman was
willing to put up with him.

Then, the other day, he's up in the most frightful temper, because the
government has delayed construction of yet another freeway.  "How is the
business of the nation supposed to take place without proper roads," he
complained.  Well I guess I'm in no position to comment on that, since I
never did learn to drive - my husband would have been most upset if I'd
suggested it, you know, and once he passed away, I simply couldn't be
bothered.  I do wish, though, they'd make it a bit easier for an old
woman to take a bus to the Senior's Centre.

But then Mr. Neelan is always complaining about things.  The CBC, for
example, he just hates the CBC.  "Frightful waste of taxpayers' money",
he says.  "Unfair competition to the private networks."  Well, I think
he's just mad because Hockey Night In Canada doesn't show as many
Toronto Maple Leaf games as they used to.

Well, I'm just an old woman, but I do think it would be sad if that Mr.
Mulroney was to cut funding so the CBC couldn't make those lovely shows
anymore.  I really did love Anne of Green Gables, you know.  And what
would life have been without Tommy Hunter for all those years?

Well, Mr.  Yarvin, I may not be a great art expert, but I did enjoy
visiting the National Gallery last year.  Such a lovely building, you
know, and some lovely paintings in there.  I certainly don't understand
all that modern art, but I even enjoyed that Voice of Fire that caused
such a fuss.  Very pretty, you know, even if it is only three stripes.

And while I don't read much anymore, just Reader's Digest now and then,
I was ever so proud when that young man, I wish I could remember his
name, won that prestigious Booker Prize over in England.  If he ever did
receive any grants from the Canada Council, I would say that was money
well spent, since he brings all of us such honour.  Why, it makes me
wish my eyes didn't tire so quickly, so I could actually read his book;
the fellow on television said it was ever so interesting.

Anyway, Mr. Yarvin, all that talk of sticking guns in my back is
nonsense.  I pay my taxes like a good citizen, and I thank the Lord for
letting me live in a compassionate society like ours.  Of course, I do
think things get frightfully expensive at times, but I really don't see
how cutting a few millions here and there on art would make much of a
difference.  Why, if they really wanted to save money, I think they
would do better to improve the trains and busses so people wouldn't need
to drive everywhere; then they wouldn't need to spend all that money on
those noisy roads.  But please don't tell Mr. Neelan I said that - he
complains enough as it is!

                                           Affectionately yours,

                                           Aunt Mildred
Newsgroups: misc.writing