The culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s were sparked by a variety of factors and were predominantly directed towards people of color. Censorship was essentially a coordinated effort to restrict people of color, particularly blacks, from becoming innovative and selling their services and notions, particularly through the media.
Culture wars were so common and visible in the United States that novels and works were created about them. These were essentially barriers between American culture and the rest of the world's cultures. It was, in fact, overwhelmingly racist. The blacks and the Indians for example were seen as inferior and different to the whites. This made the whites feel odd around them since they perceived them similar to animals and slave rather than fellow human beings. These culture wars were fueled by several factors and had several adverse effects. However, these wars actually had positive impacts as well. They brought out various injustices in the society and helped the activists see what was ailing the society. These wars and cultural wrangles demonstrated when the author of Am I Blue shows how the white woman would refer to the blacks as Negroes.1 Additionally, they would go on to express their disgust by stating how much they could not stand them. This is analogous to the story of the horse by the name Blue. The author, Alice Walker, characterized the horse as living in a society of humans without a companion. He is mistreated, which is taken as normal, by being hit on the flanks. Blue is only allowed to see a fellow horse during mating after which the horse leaves. This story brings out the analogy with the blacks and Indians.
Impacts of the Culture Wars
Damage to the people of color and their works. As is seen in the Chicago journals, the work of Richard Serra was destroyed by being moved. The work was titled the arc and was intended to be in situ.2 From this perspective, it would essentially lose value upon being moved. The residents of the area complained and even wrote a petition for the statue to be removed. At this point, it is worth noting that Sierra Richard was born to a father who was a native Spanish individual. The arguments given for moving the sculpture were not particularly compelling. Among the arguments was one which stated that the artwork could deflect explosives towards buildings. This was actually an outrageous claim that did not have a solid base. As can be seen in this example, the works of non-American sculptors was at risk. It was destroyed or defaced despite there being no solid rationale for doing so. These wars that were simply aimed at demonstrating the supremacy and legitimacy of white art while censoring and even destroying the works of nonwhites were the culture wars.
Damage to the Creative Industry as a Whole
It is important to note that regardless of the wars, the damage inflicted on black and Spanish arts was actually damage on the art industry as a whole. It restricted the expansion of the art industry. From this perspective, the only art that would be seen would be the white art. This robs the society o the dynamism that is characteristic of diverse culture. It doesn’t take long before monotony kicks in and people begin to desire change.
Damage to the Reputation of the United States
These culture wars demonstrated the narrow nature of the United States people. A culture that is inflexible to accommodate another culture’s elements and aspects is often undesirable. This narrowness can actually damage the reputation of the country and put it at odds with the countries where the people of color come from.
Contributors to the Culture Wars
The Authorities
The authorities and the media did not help the case. As a matter of fact, the authorities, that is the police the judicial system appeared to be in cohorts with the white majority. The media failed to bring out this as a pertinent issue in the society. They did not highlight the plight of the minority. They instead focused on demands of the majority.
The Minority Status of the People of Color
The very fact that the people who were being discriminated against were the minority made the situation worse. Their voice was small and could be easily muffled. This was made worse by the deaf ears that the police, the media, and the judicial system offered the minority groups of color.
Conclusion
The culture wars were largely between whites and the nonwhites. They resulted in a lot of destruction that went both ways. The whites were hurt and he colored individuals were hurt as well. The whites’ were hurt reputation wise while the people with color were hurt through the destruction of their works. In my opinion, the culture war was necessary to in making the
American society as it is now. It helped to a large extend towards the integration of various cultures in the American culture. It served as a sort of crucible that purified the perspective of the American people toward unity and cultural integration.
Bibliography
Serra Richard, Art, and Censorship, The University of Chicago Press, 1991
Walker Alice, Am I Blue, Warner Bros, Inc, 1929
