When the Homily is about Immunology

The Ignorance of Fremont (the "bohemian" city)

Ok, I have to admit to my being utterly oblivious to the fact that there has been a statue of Lenin publically displayed in Fremont and sanctioned by the government there for going on close to 10 years now! If this itself weren't enough, the city council of Fremont (now I of course realize that Fremont is not exactly a bastion of conservative political thought, but geez!)has decided that instead of lighting a Christmas tree they are going to light up Lenin: "The monument will be bedecked with garland and lights..."

Frankly I am floored by this. Lenin is himself directly responsible for the deaths of millions of people and furthermore he founded a government that would itself later be responsible for so many deaths so as to make Hitler look like a lousy amatuer in his efforts. I suspect, to many immigrants from former communist states they would likely look upon this statue much like a Jew may look upon one of Hitler.

The city of Fremont lamely and not unexpectedly attempts to call this a work of art that will inspire a range of "valid" emotions, saying that "From an artists standpoint, all points of view are valid and important." But I ask my readers to consider if the same could be said if it were a statue of Hitler? It strikes me as being hilarious that some wealthy (by world standards) American goes to my homeland in Slovakia and finds this statue sitting in a dump heap (Hmmmm...now why would they put that staute, that wonderful work of art, in the trash?) and he mortgages his house to bring that discarded statue back to America. (One man's garbage is another man's treasure.) So, a statue that is tossed into the garbage by the people of Slovakia who suffered under the atheistic regime that it represents is brought to the United States for pretentious art snobs to admire for its art and to inspire deep emotions...I am embarassed. Why didn't he mortgage his house and BUY something from the poor people of Slovakia instead of rummaging through their garbage? And then the city of Fremont (THE CITY...NOT A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL) agrees to take the statue and display it...I am even more ashamed.

Corky Merwin, a member of the Fremont City council is apparently scatterbrained in her attempts to explain the purpose of the statue. At one point in the interview linked above she says: "I don't think putting lights and garland on him is honoring him" but then prior to that statement she says in regards to the Christmas lighting: "I also think it's an interesting time to honor a controversial head of state."

So which is it? A joke at the expense of millions who suffered and died or just an all out honoring of a person and regime at the expense of millions who suffered and died. In my mind, this is further evidence to the moral bankruptcy of the extreme left...if not this, than it is evidence of their ignorance.