NEa

Since the early nineties, a debate in Congress over the situation of the National Endowment of the Arts funding has been raging. Opinions on both sides of the argument have been passionate and hotly debated. The issues have divided conservatives and liberals as well as the religious and the secular. This issue is of great importance to the general public because millions of taxpayer’s dollars are at stake in the debate. The argument is also significant because it questions the values and ethics in society as well. What may be passionate art to one individual may be considered offensive and perhaps disgraceful to another. Traditionalists believe that the government funding of art programs is inappropriate and promotes artistic expression in much too vulgar ways. On the other hand, culturalists believe that through government funding, Americans will learn ways of expressing their ideas through artistic excellence, thus preserving and enhancing our nation's diverse cultural heritage. Th...