Elijah Lewis: “as the House considers legislation which does not allow a fair and open debate, and vote, on the National Endowment for…”

“as the House considers legislation which does not allow a fair and open debate, and vote, on the National Endowment for the Arts, I urge my colleagues to consider the words of Elliott Levitas, writer, attorney, former member of the Georgia House of Representatives and former United States Congressman representing the Fourth Congressional District of Georgia: Cultural War Rages in America--All Great Civilizations of The Past Have Provided Public Support For The Arts (By Elliott Levitas) Proposals in Congress to abolish the relatively minuscule public funding for the arts, humanities and noncommercial public TV and radio lie at the heart of a cultural war raging in America. In the face of charges of elitism, budget deficits and controversial subject matter, the real issue is whether there is a vital role for government to seed and supplement the private sector in promoting, preserving and transmitting American culture. Every great civilization has provided public support for its arts and culture. Whether it was Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Spanish, French, British or whatever, these towering forebears of our culture all provided essential support for their artists, writers, thinkers, architects and dramatists, in addition to funds made available through private sponsorship by patrons. The great art traditions of China, Japan, India and the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, all derived support and encouragement from the governments.”