北美范文新issue

北美范文新issue内容摘要：

oper role of govemment. Admittedly, certain objectives, such as public health and safety, are so essential to the survival of large dries and of nations that government has a duty to ensure that they are met. However, these objectives should not extend tenuously to preserving cultural traditions. Moreover, government cannot possibly play an evenhanded role as cultural patron. Inadequate resources call for restrictions, priorities, and choices. It is unconscionable to relegate normative decisions as to which cities or cultural traditions are more deserving, valuable, or needy to a few legislators, whose notions about culture might be misguided or unrepresentative of those of the general populace. Also, legislators are all too likely to make choices in favor of the cultural agendas of their home towns and states, or of lobbyists with the most money and influence. Secondly, subsidizing cultural traditions is not a necessary role of government. A lack of private funding might justify an exception. However, cultureby which I chiefly mean the fine artshas always depended primarily on the patronage of private individuals and businesses, and not on the government. The Medicis, a powerful banking family of Renaissance Italy, supported artists Michelangelo and Raphael. During the 20th Century the primary sourc e of cultural support were private foundations established by industrial magnates Carnegie, Mellon, Rockefeller and Getty. And tomorrow cultural support will e from our new technology and media mogulsincluding the likes of Ted Turner and Bill Gates. In short, philanthropy is alive and well today, and so government need not intervene to ensure that our cultural traditions are preserved and promoted. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the speaker unfairly suggests that large cities serve as the primary breeding ground and sanctuaries for a nation39。 s cultural traditions. Today a nation39。 s distinct cultural traditionsits folk art, crafts, traditional songs, customs and ceremoniesburgeon instead in small towns and rural regions. Admittedly, our cities do serve as our centers for high art。 big cities are where we deposit, display, and boast the world39。 s preeminent art, arc hitecture, and music. But bigcity culture has little to do any more with one nation39。 s distinct cultural traditions. After all, modern cities are essentially multicultural stew pots。 accordingly, by assisting large cities a government is actually helping to create a global culture as well to subsidize the traditions of other nations39。 cultures. In the final analysis, government cannot philosophically justify assisting large cities for the purpose of either promoting or preserving the nation39。 s cultural traditions。 nor is government assistance necessary toward these ends. Moreover, assisting large cities would have little bearing on our distinct cultural traditions, which abide elsewhere. 1 The wellbeing of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority.： 142： P230 The speaker asserts that when many people question authority society is better off. While I contend that certain forms of disobedience can be harmful to any society, I agree with the speaker otherwise. In fact, I would go further by contending that society39。 s wellbeing depends on challenges to authority, and that when it es to political and legal authority, these challenges must e from many people. Admittedly, when many people question authority some societal harm might result, even if a social cause is worthy. Mass resistance to authority can escalate to violent protest and rioting, during which innocent people are hurt and their property damaged and destroyed. The fallout from the 1992 Los Angeles riots aptly illustrates this point. The authority which the rioters sought to challenge was that of the legal justice system which acquitted police officers in the beating of Rodney King. The means of challenging that authority amounted to flagrant disregard for criminal law on a mass scaleby way of looting, arson, and even deadly assault. This vi olent challenge to authority resulted in a financially crippled munity and, more broadly, a turning back of the clock with respect to racial tensions across America. While violence is rarely justifiable as a means of questioning authority, peaceful challenges to political and legal authority, by many people, are not only justifiable but actually necessary when it es to enhancing and even preserving society39。 s wellbeing. In particular, progress in human rights depends on popular dissension. It is not enough for a charismatic visionary like Gandhi or King to call for change in the name of justice and humanity。 they must have the support of many people in order to effect change. Similarly, in a democracy citizens must respect timeless legal doctrines and principles, yet at the same time question the fairness and relevance of current laws. Otherwise, our laws would not evolve to reflect changing societal values. It is not enough for a handful of legislators to challenge the legal status quo。 ultimately it is up to the electorate at large to call for change when change is needed for the wellbeing of society. Questioning authority is also essential for advances in the sciences. Passive acceptance of prevailing principles quells innovation, invention, and discovery, all of which clearly benefit any society. In fact, the very notion of scientific progress is predicated on rigorous scientific inquiryin other words, questioning of authority. History is replete with scientific discoveries that posed challenges to political, religious, and scientific authority. For example, the theories of a suncentered solar system, of humankind39。 s evolution from other life forms, and of the rdativity of time and space, clearly flew in the face of aut。