As we learned in last week's unit on the Critical Period, one important development at the Constitutional Conventions was the drafting of the first 10 Amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights. Ultimately, it was the incorporation of these liberties into our nation's legal system that settled disputes between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. In modern American society, the necessity for and interpetations of these secured liberties, particularly those testing the elastic clauses of the 10th amendment are often the causes of political and cultural debate. This weekend's blog asks that you consider the role of the Bill of Rights in modern US society.
Directions: Actively read the following article posted below (also available for view at: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E2D91438F933A15756C0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print)
1. Based in the following NY Times article, summarize Richard Minsky’s (the artists’) view on the Bill of Rights and it’s role in modern US society.
2. Analyze two of his criticisms based on your knowledge of US government and the Bill of Rights.
3. Finally, respond to the following question:Is the Bill of Rights reflected in or distorted in modern US society. Refer to anecdotal (personal stories) or academic evidence to support your answer.
Your blog must be a miniminum of 200 words and include a response to at least one other student's post. Blog due Monday, Nov. 10 at the beginning of class. Remember to also answer the practice AP questions distributed in class on Friday.
For your reference, a copy of the Bill of Rights is available on page and at: http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------May 20, 2002 "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint"
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL'
'I like art that gives you a reality fix,'' says Richard Minsky. A reality he treasures is the Bill of Rights, so Mr. Minsky, 55, a Greenwich Village artist and professional bookbinder, has found a way to exemplify the first 10 amendments to the Constitution as artworks.
For the First Amendment protecting freedom of expression, for example, he burned a copy of Salman Rushdie's ''Satanic Verses'' and sealed up the charred volume in an arabesque windowed reliquary.For the Sixth Amendment guaranteeing a speedy and public trial, he glued a black-leather glove daubed with red onto a copy of Jeffrey Toobin's best seller ''The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson.'' (''I used paint, not real blood,'' Mr. Minsky said, ''not that I haven't, or wouldn't.'')And for the Eighth Amendment, barring cruel and unusual punishment, he took a book on penology, ''Forlorn Hope: The Prison Reform Movement'' by Larry E. Sullivan, a professor of criminal justice, rebound it in stripes and chained it to a little jail. ''You can take the book out for exercise,'' Mr. Minsky said, ''but then it must go back to its cell.''
The 10 works are on display at the Louis K. Meisel Gallery at 141 Prince Street in Soho through June 1. Twenty-five editions of the set are being offered at $18,000 each. (The works are viewable online at www.minsky.com.)Mr. Minsky, who has been exhibiting his art for 30 years and founded the nonprofit Center for Book Arts at 626 Broadway, said he thought long and hard about celebrating the amendments, whatever their consequences. ''While you got them, enjoy them,'' he said.For the Second Amendment on the right to bear arms he chose a book about violent hate groups, ''Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat'' by Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Mr. Minsky depicts the author in the bull's-eye of a target.The Third Amendment, barring the forced quartering of soldiers in private homes, was represented by a reimagined nuclear football -- an attaché case like the one bearing the codes for unleashing atomic war. It contains a copy of ''Seven Days in May'' by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey, a novel about the nation's top military commander seeking to commandeer the White House, and a DVD of the movie with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.For the Fourth Amendment, against unreasonable search and seizure, Mr. Minsky chose a copy of ''Neuromancer,'' William Gibson's 1984 science-fantasy novel presenting cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. He built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card and hot-stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil.
The Fifth Amendment, guaranteeing due process of law for criminal defendants, was exemplified by a novel in the form of an epic poem, ''Branches'' by Mitch Cullin, about a brutal Texas sheriff who takes the law into his own hands. Mr. Minsky bound the book in khaki, affixed a badge -- and peppered the cover with nine-millimeter slugs.For the Seventh Amendment, providing for jury trials in civil cases over $20, he selected ''The Litigation Explosion: What Happened When America Unleashed the Lawsuit'' by Walter K. Olson, and rebound it in mock $20 bills that replaced the image of President Andrew Jackson with that of James Madison, father of the Bill of Rights.For the Ninth Amendment, reserving all unenumerated rights to the people, Mr. Minsky highlighted ''the right to privacy,'' using a book of that name by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy and re-illustrating it with photos of Diana, Princess of Wales, including endpapers depicting her fatal car crash.The 10th Amendment, protecting states' rights, stumped Mr. Minsky for some time. ''I was wracking my brain, and then, out of nowhere, I thought of November-December 2000.''
He downloaded the United States Supreme Court decision intervening in the Florida-vote controversy and handing the presidential election to George W. Bush. Mr. Minsky bound the docket in brown leather like a law book with the spine title off-center. ''It's a little crooked,'' he said.The works are available only as a set, Mr. Minsky said. ''People ask me, 'Can I get one?''' he said. ''I say, 'The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.' '
'Correction: May 23, 2002, Thursday An article in The Arts on Monday about Richard Minsky, an artist and bookbinder who has created artworks representing the Bill of Rights, gave an outdated address for the Center for Book Arts, a nonprofit group he founded in New York. It is at 28 West 27th Street, third floor
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------May 20, 2002 "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint"
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL'
'I like art that gives you a reality fix,'' says Richard Minsky. A reality he treasures is the Bill of Rights, so Mr. Minsky, 55, a Greenwich Village artist and professional bookbinder, has found a way to exemplify the first 10 amendments to the Constitution as artworks.
For the First Amendment protecting freedom of expression, for example, he burned a copy of Salman Rushdie's ''Satanic Verses'' and sealed up the charred volume in an arabesque windowed reliquary.For the Sixth Amendment guaranteeing a speedy and public trial, he glued a black-leather glove daubed with red onto a copy of Jeffrey Toobin's best seller ''The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson.'' (''I used paint, not real blood,'' Mr. Minsky said, ''not that I haven't, or wouldn't.'')And for the Eighth Amendment, barring cruel and unusual punishment, he took a book on penology, ''Forlorn Hope: The Prison Reform Movement'' by Larry E. Sullivan, a professor of criminal justice, rebound it in stripes and chained it to a little jail. ''You can take the book out for exercise,'' Mr. Minsky said, ''but then it must go back to its cell.''
The 10 works are on display at the Louis K. Meisel Gallery at 141 Prince Street in Soho through June 1. Twenty-five editions of the set are being offered at $18,000 each. (The works are viewable online at www.minsky.com.)Mr. Minsky, who has been exhibiting his art for 30 years and founded the nonprofit Center for Book Arts at 626 Broadway, said he thought long and hard about celebrating the amendments, whatever their consequences. ''While you got them, enjoy them,'' he said.For the Second Amendment on the right to bear arms he chose a book about violent hate groups, ''Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat'' by Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Mr. Minsky depicts the author in the bull's-eye of a target.The Third Amendment, barring the forced quartering of soldiers in private homes, was represented by a reimagined nuclear football -- an attaché case like the one bearing the codes for unleashing atomic war. It contains a copy of ''Seven Days in May'' by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey, a novel about the nation's top military commander seeking to commandeer the White House, and a DVD of the movie with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.For the Fourth Amendment, against unreasonable search and seizure, Mr. Minsky chose a copy of ''Neuromancer,'' William Gibson's 1984 science-fantasy novel presenting cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. He built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card and hot-stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil.
The Fifth Amendment, guaranteeing due process of law for criminal defendants, was exemplified by a novel in the form of an epic poem, ''Branches'' by Mitch Cullin, about a brutal Texas sheriff who takes the law into his own hands. Mr. Minsky bound the book in khaki, affixed a badge -- and peppered the cover with nine-millimeter slugs.For the Seventh Amendment, providing for jury trials in civil cases over $20, he selected ''The Litigation Explosion: What Happened When America Unleashed the Lawsuit'' by Walter K. Olson, and rebound it in mock $20 bills that replaced the image of President Andrew Jackson with that of James Madison, father of the Bill of Rights.For the Ninth Amendment, reserving all unenumerated rights to the people, Mr. Minsky highlighted ''the right to privacy,'' using a book of that name by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy and re-illustrating it with photos of Diana, Princess of Wales, including endpapers depicting her fatal car crash.The 10th Amendment, protecting states' rights, stumped Mr. Minsky for some time. ''I was wracking my brain, and then, out of nowhere, I thought of November-December 2000.''
He downloaded the United States Supreme Court decision intervening in the Florida-vote controversy and handing the presidential election to George W. Bush. Mr. Minsky bound the docket in brown leather like a law book with the spine title off-center. ''It's a little crooked,'' he said.The works are available only as a set, Mr. Minsky said. ''People ask me, 'Can I get one?''' he said. ''I say, 'The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.' '
'Correction: May 23, 2002, Thursday An article in The Arts on Monday about Richard Minsky, an artist and bookbinder who has created artworks representing the Bill of Rights, gave an outdated address for the Center for Book Arts, a nonprofit group he founded in New York. It is at 28 West 27th Street, third floor
20 comments:
Based on the NY times article about Richard Minsky his view on the bill of rights and its role in modern US society is that we should be enjoy the amendments while we have them. Minsky also felt that he wanted to celebrate the amendments no matter what the consequences are. Within this article there are two criticisms that Mr. Minsky make. One that stood out to me the most was at the end of the article. People have asked Mr. Minsky if they could take one of his pieces of art from the Ten amendments. His reply was “The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.” Personally I felt that Mr. Minsky was trying to tell people that we need to have our amendment rights and were not realizing that the government is taking that away from us one by one. Another not so obvious criticism is when Mr. Minsky talks about the Eighth amendment he says what the book looks like, which was a book with black and white strips bound to a jail cell by a chain, then states “You can take the book out for exercise, but then it must go back to its cell.” This is kind of saying that a prisoner can go and get exercise in a court yard but after his play times up its back to the cell to serve time. Today in modern US society I feel the Bill of rights is distorted as time passes. The reason for this is because we as Americans are given our rights and the first amendment states freedom to speech, press, and religion. Today we try to speak out through newspapers and conferences yet we always have to watch what we say. On the radio and television we cant use or say certain words that inquire profanity. This is were our right has been distorted.
"Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint"
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL is an informative and intresting article about the interpretation Richard Minsky, the artist, gave about the Bill of Rights through arts and books. Minsky, is obviously a man who appreciates the Bill of Rights. He feels that it is a privedge and thinks everyone should take advantage of it. Minsky feels that the Bill of Rights is at favor for the people. This is evident in his six amendment artwork. The six amendment advocates the rights of the acused: " In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense." To express his feelings on the sixth amendment, the artist used a copy of Jeffrey Toobin's best seller ''The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson.'' I think he used this book because O.J Simpson won his case battle with the help of the 6th amendment. Minsky acknolodges that role of the Bill of Rights is to promote freedom, whether it is indivisual or state.
Minsky makes it pretty clear that he feels the fifth amendment is osmewhat often abused. To express his feelings on the fifth amendment he uses ''Branches'' by Mitch Cullin - an epic poem about a brutal Texas sheriff who takes the law into his own hands-. However, by the fifth amendment. he even though a governemental official is still suppose to tried and if guilty prosecuted.Minsky also shows dissaproval in his 10th amendment artwork. Minksy is not a fan of the 2000 Supreme Court decision to intervene in the Florida voting conflict. The 10th amendment is suppose to balance the powere bewteen the national governement and states. The Federal govenment does not have the right to set voting regulations/ rules , the states do.
The Bill of Rights is reflected in U.S society, for the most part. In a country so resisited to difference a million of years ago is now so open- minded, mainly due to the first amendment. We can preach and believe in any thing that we like, well this is only the right of the citizens- the people for the Bill of Rights-.
New York speaking, things seem to be going okay. Hate crimes are taken care of ; govermental leaders are punsihed for whatever crimes they committe and every suspect is exposed to a fair and speedy trial - from what I know.
“Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint" by Ralph Blumenthal position is use your freedoms while you still have them. This article represents how the amendments of America are slowing falling apart and not being followed epically by the leader of our government. For instance Richard Minsky used books and demolished them to show how the first, sixth, and eighth amendments were all being abused by the government. All the books Richard Minsky used were to represent the terrible way in which the amendments have been broken in modern times. Which make you wonder are these amendments right for our new life corrupt style? When you realize that amendments have set killers free, imprisoned the innocent, and limited Americans freedoms; us American must realize its time for a change. I believe that the amendments were perfect for the time frame in which they were created, it was different times, people were different, humans have evolved and our laws have not. The best examples of how the amendments are out dated is the Patriot act, this act completely violets the first amendment in its whole, this shows how government leaders ignored the first amendments and the American people were okay with this. To me this shows how the amendments are out dated in our modern world, they should be up dated so that they are not abused by the exact American who are supposed to en-force them. I agree with Briana were she says “ we should enjoy the amendments while we till have them” I got that same message from this article and that it defiantly was the main-idea of it.
Katie McSherry
11-9-08
The article "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint" is an informative article on how the Bill of Rights can be used. The artist in the article Richard Minsky, seems to show how there are loopholes within Bill of Rights as shown through his artwork. Minsky shows how the Amendments can be used to their fullest extent. In his First Amendment artwork Minsky shows how to use it to it's fullest extent, by burning "Satanic Verses." Minsky did this since, the First Amendment says that there is no law respecting an religious establishment. By burning the verses he is protected by law and cannot be harmed by the government. In his second Amendment artwork he shows a book about hate groups and the author is in a gun's crosshair. (bullseye) This is quite funny in that Minsky shows how anyone can have guns even those who are considered dangerous by the populace. Minsky in my opinion is trying to show how the Bill of Rights is outdated for present times. The Bill of Rights seems to be quite distorted in modern American society. The Bill of Rights was probably best fit in the times when it was written. I agree with Katie with the example of the Patriot Act ignoring the Bill of Rights. An example of a violation in my opinion is in Amendment four where one is secure in their homes from searches. The Patriot Act seems to go against this by allowing federal agents to ask a court for an order to obtain business records which basically seems like they can search without warrants. There by nullifying home, paper and effect security that was given by the fourth Amendment.
Based on the NY Times article, by Richard Minsky’s he views the Bill of Rights as something that means nothing. Minsky uses books or certain things that have happened in the world to represent a certain amendment. For example he uses a glove with fake blood on it and a book about the O.J. Simpson case. This shows that there was blood on O.J.’s hands but he got off not guilty. This is because the sixth amendments the right to a speedy trial. For the ninth amendment, which states that everyone has the right to privacy shows pictures of Princess Diana of Whale and her accident. Her accident was made public not at all kept private. Minsky is proving a point that these amendments are not always followed and he used art to prove it. He used his art to really prove his point that not all of the rules made a long time ago are still followed, although they are still supposed to be. Just now the United States was electing a new president for example and during the campaigning of these elections everything that the runners have ever done is dug up and published. Also in the everyday life of celebrities there are rumors or truth floating around about them, and even paparazzi follow and take pictures of them everywhere the go. In these two cases people are not following part of the ninth amendment the right of privacy. Unless someone is doing something harmful or illegal putting them in the public eye is not necessary or follow the amendment. I don’t agree with anyone else that posted, but everyone views art in a different way.
According to New York Times' Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint by Ralph Blumenthal, Richard Minsky sees the Bill of Rights as a work of art. In order to show this, Mr. Minsky has constructed models for novels that he has read; novels based on how each of the first ten amendments affect today's modern society. Each novel has varying views on whether or not the Bill of Rights are effective. For the eighth amendment, Mr. Minsky decided to use a novel about prison reform, leaving traces of his own view on how the novel relates to the amendment. As Mr. Minsky performs this act, he is showing how these amendments are important to watch over and how they are important in maintaining the free American spirit.
Even though, these amendments are very important in the country today, there have been those who violated these most cherished freedoms. As shown in the article, Mr. Minsky used a novel for every model and interpretation of each amendment, except for the tenth. Instead, Mr. Minsky used the 2000 Presidential Election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, when Florida was undergoing a vote controversy. With no results in sight, the national government (the Supreme Court) intervened the state government and elected George Bush President of the United States, thus violating what's probably the most important amendment of the Bill of Rights. Mr. Minsky believes that the Bill of Rights shouldn't be ignored or violated but cherished.
If I may add, I would like to share one of my views on the violation of another amendment, the eighth, which is the freedom of prisoners from cruel and unusual punishment. There have been statements of cruel and unusual punishment in the terrorist holding facility known to most as Guantanamo Bay. If these statements are true, then this situation must be dealt with immediately and effectively. The Bill of Rights should be upheld because if it weren't for the those ten amendments, we wouldn't be living in the same kind of country we're living in today, with a strong national (central) government and an even distribution of power to the states. Those are the characteristics that truly define our country, "the land of the free."
Response: Brianne, I respect your opinion, but I believe that the opinions that were illustrated in the models were the opinions from the authors of the novels Mr. Minsky read, not Mr. Minsky. He wouldn't view the Bill of Rights of something that means nothing. He says that they're ignored and that the government wishes to take them away. The evidence is in these two quotes:
- "Mr. Minsky, who has been exhibiting his art for 30 years and founded the nonprofit Center for Book Arts at 626 Broadway, said he thought long and hard about celebrating the amendments, whatever their consequences. ''While you got them, enjoy them,'' he said" (Blumenthal, lines 13-14).
- "The works are available only as a set, Mr. Minsky said. ''People ask me, 'Can I get one?''' he said. ''I say, 'The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all' ''"
(Blumenthal, lines 33-34).
- Michael Appelgate
H block
"Artist Depicts the Bill of A rights in a World Out of Joint" by Ralph Blumethal is an excellent article describing one artists interpretation of the Bill of Rights (BOR). Richard Minsky, 55, is an artist who created the sculptures to show his feelings towards the BOR. 'While you got them, enjoy them,'' he said. Minsky feels that peoples rights are being taken away slowly but surely. The government is taking away from our individual rights. I agree with Briana. Over time our right have been taken away. Our first amendment rights are limited through the media. Speaking out against the government can lead to punishment. Minsky criticizes all ten of the BOR but the first and second amendments are the most obvious. The first amendment guarantees freedom of religion, but does not say that you can disrespect any religious group. By burning the Satanic Vesrses Minsky is protected by the law and cannot be punished in any way by the government. The second amendment guarantees anyone the right to bear arms. Minsky uses a book on hate groups with the artists name in a bulls eye. This goes to show that anyone is allowed to have weapons even if they are a danger to the state. The BOR are being taken away from us, so enjoy the freedoms while you can.
Using a comical and yet realistic approach, artist Richard Minsky interprets his meaning of the Bill of Rights in a creative technique. By revealing his art, Minsky allows people to understand his perspective of how the first ten amendments avoid a solid impact on life in today’s society. For each amendment in the Bill of Rights, Minsky uses a book to represent how these rights have been deprived over the years. Richard Minsky feels that the rights given to America over 200 years ago have been limited to a certain degree. Criticizing how the U.S. government has placed boundaries on the rights that were accustomed to individuals, Minsky’s presentation of the Ten Amendments illustrates the country’s transformation since the late 1700’s. The ideas that James Madison proposed nearly 200 years ago is tremendously contradicting in today’s culture, where citizens are not guaranteed a speedy trial, and where cruel and unusual punishment displays itself on a day to day basis. His interpretation of the Bill of Rights is not entirely to construct a mockery of the amendments; rather Richard Minsky takes off the ingratiating and sugarcoated image that the government uses, and displays it to citizens who need to know the truth. Taking down the false, counterfeit impressions that the United States is a place where justice and liberty exist, Minsky’s artwork is a representation that this country has shifted from its rights established over two centuries ago. For the First Amendment Minsky uses the Satanic Verses to illustrate how this book was deprived of its freedom of speech/expression. The Satanic Verses is a book written by Salman Rushdie, an Indian born British author. Back in 1988 Rushdie wrote the Satanic Verses to explain a story of two victims of terrorist attacks and how the Islamic belief system had corrupted their lives. However, the book was banned in locations worldwide and caused a great deal of controversy as book burnings, bombings, and innocent deaths occurred in countries around the globe. The Satanic Verses were as if another World War were occurring and the blame this time was all because of one man’s decision to write a book based on Islamic beliefs. Many people believed Rushdie was trying to insult the religion of Islam and their prophet Muhammad, they didn’t really consider the idea that Rushdie was trying to express his free will. Minsky also emphasizes the rights to privacy that people are to be entitled to by presenting a book with pictures of Princess Diana. His method is to portray how her privacy including her car incident was made public, even world-renowned. This violates the ninth amendment disregarding the privacy of individuals. The Bill of Rights in many aspects is distorted in today’s society. Many events have occurred that simply infringe the ten amendments. The creation of electric chair and Water boarding have violated the eighth amendment with states “no cruel and unusual punishments”. Individuals are not entitled to the liberties and freedoms that the Founding Fathers instituted, as many have seen in acts occurring in World War II as innocent Japanese Americans were issued to relocate to Internment Camps. This was not only a cruel and unusual punishment, but also took the rights away from people because of the government’s suspicion. As seen in present day society, the issues occurring at Guantanamo Bay are also serious matters that have deprived many of freedom of speech, cruel punishment, and the rights to a fair trial. Agreeing with Ho, society has changed from the time the Ten Amendments were created. In today’s society the Bill of Rights seems to be a little outdated, but that does not give the government the authority to deny civil liberties to its citizens. However, Minsky does have some facts that are misleading. When he mentions the Satanic Verses and the events of Princess Diana he is referring to two individuals that were not born in the United States. Did James Madison only entitle the amendments to those who were American citizens or was it for everyone? No matter what the Ten Amendments is a right that should be guaranteed to everyone no matter who they are. As Minsky stated “The government is trying to take them away one by one: you have to have them all.”
Racquel Wood
The Bill of Rights, also the first ten amendments, were a result of anti-federalist efforts to ensure that the national government would not abuse it power, or harm individuals in the society. Since their existence in the constitution the Bill of Rights have been implemented into the American society and utilized by government institutions and individual people. However, modern artist Richard Minsky tends to accept that the modern society does not with hold the principles established by the Bill of Rights. Moreover, Minsky seems to believe that the modern United States deprives certain people of their rights listed by the ten amendments.
Minsky’s series of art pieces that represent the Bill of Rights in the 21st century portray his unique perspective towards the current existence of those rights. For example, Minsky’s “Reliquary for the Ashes of Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses” represents how the first amendment rights, especially the right to “free religion”, is violated. This book after being published was burned by some countries, and labeled illegal in several countries as well. Censorship which some believe is limited among press proves to exist in the 21st century, based on the artwork. Minsky makes the burning popular and emphasizes the lack of obedience to the Bill of Rights.
Another example includes Minsky’s “The Run of His Life : The People vs. O.J. Simpson”, which depicts how factors like race do not allow for a fair trial, which is granted by the sixth amendment. Minsky uses O.J. Simpson’s case to illustrate his view.
Minsky’s work is fascinating because he reveals modern evidence, and events that clearly show how the first ten amendments are not thoroughly followed. The fact that immigrants and minors in the U.S. do not receive the benefits of the Bill of Rights, also supports Minsky’s visual criticism of the current regime. Moreover, in today’s political climate, many of these civil liberties are under attack as the Patriot Act puts an end to privileges enjoyed by United States citizens. Although the Patriot Act was designed to protect against terrorists, American freedoms are affected.
Individual privacy is also at stake in the modern world, as the authorities are able to, and allowed to listen to phone conversations, emails, and other personal information. Despite the necessity to deprive rights in order to ensure safety of the people, this goal can exceed its boundaries.
Brianne Hannefay seems to misunderstand the message Minsky intends to convey though artwork when stating “Based on the NY Times article, by Richard Minsky’s he views the Bill of Rights as something that means nothing”. Minsky appears to respect and importune the Bill of Rights, but attempts to exemplify the violations of the enumerated rights in recent history.
Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint by Ralph Blumenthal is an article that focuses on Richard Minsky’s perspective of the Bill of Rights. Richard Minsky was an artist and the Bill of Rights is something that he must have felt was a significant topic to convey into art work. Minsky must have felt that the Bill of Rights played a tremendous roll in U.S society because it prevented citizens from intruding into the space of the government or other U.S citizens. “For the Fourth Amendment, against unreasonable search and seizure, Mr. Minsky chose a copy of “Neuromancer,” William Gibson’s 1984 science-fantasy novel presenting cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. He built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card hot-stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil.” This quote is a perfect way to prove that Minsky simply took the fourth amendment and made a piece of art work that was supposed to portray the message that the amendment was preventing citizens from intruding in on governmental issues. He made a piece of art work for each amendment.
The second amendment was gives the right to bear arms. Minsky choose a book about violent hate groups and took a photo of the author and placed it in the middle of a bulls eye. This shows that violence was tolerated to a certain extent, but threats, like in the title of the book, were prohibited. Unfortunately not all of Minsky’s messages were positive and showed citizens the exact meanings, but often the complete opposite.
The Bill of Rights is frequently reflected on in U.S society today. The first amendment being reflected on the most perhaps. Freedom of speech, press, religion, mainly anything that had to do with personal expression is all part of the first amendment, which can also sometimes be distorted. Being a part of the school news paper, this greatly shows how freedom of speech and press come into play. This may be a complete contradiction, but often the first amendment if more distorted than reflected on. Students part of the journalism crew are able to write articles about international news, local new, school news etc., but there are limitations to what can actually be published in the newspapers final copy. There is a fine line that is drawn between invading a persons privacy and a persons rights. Freedom of speech and press, I would say those rights are not vague but rather clear. My assumption would be that press could release any information about any topic, but that is rather wrong. Publishing anything could offend a person possibly just by words used in an article or just the mood in the article in general. Although, most things are often allowed to be published. It is unfortunate but there is an even amount of reflection and distortion on the amendments in U.S society today.
The Bill of Rights has been distorted in modern US society. The government has made attempts to limit the rights of Americans. The government censors the media for content. Police officers have used unnecessary brutality against innocent people and got away with because their job is to keep order. Individuals have been given unfair trials in court. Celebrities such as OJ Simpson and Robert Blake get away with murder while the average American is given the maximum penalty for that same crime.
Richard Minsky is an artist who feels the Bill of Rights is distorted. Minsky uses subliminal messages to explain how he feels about this topic. He takes books that relate to each of the Ten Amendments and turns them into pieces of art using methods such as burning and gunfire to show how they have been distorted. Then he creates new bindings for the books to prove his point even further. Minsky also criticizes the government for allowing the Bill of Rights to be violated.
I agree with Simit that modern society does not follow the principles of the Bill of Rights. The government has no right to censor the media because the Bill of Rights gives Americans freedom of speech and freedom of the press. I feel the Patriot Act should not allow the government to keep Americans under surveillance with out them knowing. Finally, I also agree that Richard Minsky defends the Bill of Rights and uses art to express how he feels when the Bill of Rights is violated.
Briana - G: Thoughtful post which reflects direct interaction with the text. For a higher score, add more outside political detail/ references to history.
Artist Depicts of the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint by Ralph Blumenthal is an enthusiastic article about Richard Minsky’s perspective of the Bill of Rights. Richard Minsky thought that the Bill of Rights portrayed artwork in a distorted way. According to the article, Mr. Minsky “has found a way to exemplify the first 10 amendments to the Constitution as artworks.” For each amendment in the Constitution, he showed in his own artwork of his views on the Bill of Rights. When someone had asked Mr. Minsky for a set of the Bill of Rights he replied with saying, “The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.” By Mr. Minsky saying this, he might have meant that in order for our country to be civilized we must have these Bills of Rights and always remember them for what they value today. Since in modern day the government is in control of everything, people are not realizing that our rights are being slowly taken away.
One criticism that Mr. Minsky mentioned is the eighth amendment. He viewed this amendment, which is about cruel and harsh punishment, by taking a book known as ''Forlorn Hope: The Prison Reform Movement'' by Larry E. Sullivan. With this book, he created a piece of artwork in which this book was in prison surrounded by chains. Another criticism that Mr. Minsky mentioned is the first amendment. The first amendment is about freedom of speech, press, and religion. In his artwork, he “burned a copy of Salman Rushdie's ''Satanic Verses''” and covered it in an arabesque reliquary.
The Bill of Rights is reflected in today’s society throughout America. We, the citizens of this country, are able to express our freedom and own rights. For the first amendment, as an example, all different cultures and religions have the ability to voice their opinions in speech or in writing. If we look at the elections, as another example, America is making history because we have Barack Obama as our new president.
As all art, Richard Minsky's creative bookbinding representing the Bill of Rights can be interpreted in various ways. Though it is undeniable that Minsky respected the purposes and goals of the first 10 amendments, his artwork portrays his skepticism in the rationality and current effectiveness of them. In my opinion, his main goal in presenting such an exhibition was to bring awareness to the faults of the system and recognize the amendments' own contradictories.
The books he chose to bind appear to have represented the original purpose of the amendment (such as Gibson's "Neuromancer", a book about a cyberspace vulnerable to government intrusion, which represented the Fourth Amendment). He creatively bound them in modern material that showed the current disregard or ineffectiveness of the amendment (such as decorating his Ninth Amendment with many photos of Princess Diana's fatal crash). Whether he did so for humor or to convey a message, Minsky chose to regard the Amendments in a manner that revealed their hypocrisy in modern society.
Minsky's message through his artwork could also be seen as mockery of the American citizen who truly believed he or she was entitled to complete freedom. If you think about it, journalists are people and are therefore given the freedom of speech. They write about other people, which violates their right to "all enumerated rights", particularly the right to privacy. He also mentions the controversy of the third amendment, which gives us the supposed “right to bear arms”. If we look at modern society, bearing arms might sometimes help to prevent violence. However, more often than not, it is the weapons that create the violence in the first place. There is, I believe, no rationality of an amendment that helps prevent something that it itself causes. The amendments, as all binding documents, should not be strictly followed or seriously taken. They are merely guidance. Perhaps this was Minsky's message?
Is the Bill of Rights reflected in or distorted in modern United States society? It is undoubtedly distorted, though such a Bill of Rights has probably caused more lawsuits than should ever exist. With a literal interpretation, the Bill of Rights cannot possibly be effective or even stable in their meaning. They should be interpreted loosely, as complying with common sense and rationality. In modern society, I believe this has been portrayed. Take the good, alter the iffy, and forget the ineffective. Michael said, “The Bill of Rights should be upheld because if it weren't for the those ten amendments, we wouldn't be living in the same kind of country we're living in today, with a strong national (central) government and an even distribution of power to the states.” In my opinion, the Bill of Rights may have formed the free society we live in today but they are not fit to lead us into a new age. As time passes, needs of people change. If a written document exists, it should represents current society, not the society of centuries ago.
Aleksandra Makowska
(Sorry it's late, I had trouble getting all of this into words... which I think is obvious)
Brianna- G
Katie - G
Khadijat: E-
Michael: E: Insightful responses to your peers' work and interaction with the assigned texts
Ho- G: Interesting references to the Patriot Act, get more in depth for a higher grade
Laurel - G: Gopod start, write more!
Raquel- E : compelling assertion of "liberty and justice for all!"
Simit: E: Well done, detailed. Brianne is entitled to her opionion, seems to me she just sees things differently on this topic.
Brianne: G: Unique ideas, but more detail and text based references are needed for a higher grade
Rob - G: The ideas are all right-on but I'd like to see more examples, text-references and historical details
According to Richard Minsky, his view of the Bill of Rights is somewhat humourous, but sort of unrespectful at the same time. Yes, it is made clear that Mr. Minsky does in fact want to celebrate the Amendments "no matter the consequences", but does he know when to say when? Richard Minsky states that the Amendments should be "enjoyed while we have them", which hints that he speaks of the Historic doctrines freely, and outspokenly, a carefree voice to the audience. Quite obviously then, it is clear that Richard Minsky does not worship the Amendments, but actually takes them lightly, which is fine to some, but personally speaking, Mr. Minsky goes just a tad too far into the realm of democracy, liberty, and freedom.
One of the first of Richard Minsky's to stand out was the criticizing ways to the eight Amendment, which is the right to forbid cruel and unusual punishment. The whole idea of Richard's surrealism is to create a piece of real-life, literal but downgraded version of the Amendments, and Mr. Minsky's piece was a book called "Forlorn Hope: The Prison Reform Movement by Larry E. Sullivan" and bound it in stripes and chained the end product to a miniature jail cell. Commented on the funny piece of work, Mr. Minsky says " You can take the book out for exercise, but then it must go back in it's cell". This piece of work symbolizes the ironic way Richard punishes a book, which of course refers to people. The quote given by Mr. Minsky was probably said entirely of sarcasm, though. Quite a funny character Mr. Minsky is, but there is another piece of his work that caught my eye, and needs to be told about, which is about the tenth Amendment, which is about protecting States Rights. Richard Minsky, the quismacal character he is, downloaded the United States Supreme Court decision involving the Florida-vote controversy with the Gore-Bush elections of 2000. Then a picture of Bush being handed the Florida-vote controversy document was leather bound (just like a law book). In addition, Richard took the spine title and took it off center. The commenting Minsky quotes "It's a little crooked". Understandingly, George Bush might not find this funny, but I do. Richard Minsky accurately depicts the corrupt law system when it comes down to the protection of individual States. In this scenario, Minsky describes the corrupt and unjust results of the decisions dealing with the Florida-vote controversy. Richard uses the words "it's a little crooked" to refer to the case of the Florida-vote controversy as 'rigged'. Unmistakenly, Richard Minsky is trying to tell the people of America though artful crafts that the government is slyly and slowly taking away our Rights, depicting that the people must have them all, not just the ones that matter the least in modern society or the ones government don't need at the time being. Minsky reflects this facts by stating “ The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all”.
With all due respect, the Bill of Rights is in fact distorted in modern time. As seen countless times on the news, government officials violate various Amendments, and the only response they give to the public for their outrageous behavior is that they were "protecting the safety of others", and "following protocol as seen fit". For example, in our very own school, Mrs. Kaplan discussed with a class the violation of the First Amendment, which involved a group of activists attempting to put up billboards of worn out soldiers in Iraq on the highways. The owner of the billboards, who is responsible of any mess-up, denied the group the space, because they generally say that people should not have to look at such a "work of art" while going sixty on a highway, because the figures have ghostly faces displayed. The problem here is that others are not allowed to say how others are supposed to judge anything, in this case a billboard of American soldiers. This is a total violation of the First Amendment as seen by the people, but government officials have their ways, and some innocent pedestrians are injured, literally. This gives hint that the Bill of Rights is truly being distorted to it's righteous meanings. Also for historically accurate reasons, the Patriotic Act is a complete one eighty in the ways of modern society.
I am in total agreement with Katie McSherry, as she explains how the government violated the First Amendment, and the people did not really care too much about it.
Student Response: Aleksandra, I do agree that the Bill of Rights is outdated, and is in need of a fix up, but I do not agree with how you mention the documents which created the foundation of America centuries ago to be laid down as just antiques. You state " If a written document exists, it should represent current society, not the society of centuries ago". As I said before, the Bill of Right do need a bit of a touch up, but that does not mean to throw them away, as you generally speak. The historical doctrines are the roots of the Democratic tree. If a sudden mix up of the Amendments were to take place, Democracy would be no more, and anarchy would follow. The compromise for us both would be to still follow the basic and primary rules of the Bill of Right, but to also give them a modern upgrade to fit with the daily lives of Americans everywhere.
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