WAYNE CREED
Response to ‘Arts Festival Is Essence of Development’
By WAYNE CREED
August 19, 2014
In response to David Kabler’s letter (CLICK), I certainly agree with everything Capt K is saying, especially “establishing our community as a center of the arts and education, improving our reputation and attracting new growth and business to our region.”
However, the deconstructionist in me would be remiss not to point out that textually the narrative always bleeds over and tends to occupy the most important part of the narrative, out in the margins, echoing Guy Debord’s claims that different commodities conflict with each other, preventing the consumer from consuming the whole. Each commodity claims itself as the only existent one:
“Irreconcilable claims jockey for position on the stage of the affluent economy’s unified spectacle, and different star commodities simultaneously promote conflicting social policies.”
What I mean is that as beautiful a celebration of the Arts as Harbor for the Arts was, simultaneously, right across town, in the old school, crews were working to demolish the oldest, most historical stage on the Eastern Shore.
As much as I love and support everyone and everything involved in HFA, it’s still hard to reconcile these “oppositional” events. I guess my ultimate criticism is that the ultimate goal here, as described by Kabler, is economic development; however, this belief is couched in the belief that existence is structured in terms of oppositions (historical significance and social justice or grants for digital cameras) and that these oppositions are hierarchical, with one side of the opposition being more valuable than the other (this is certainly the reality (of the street) that the historically underserved are being expected to accept). The courts certainly seem to agree with this, and insist that we urgently re-inscribe this new hierarchy (devalue social and historical significance and replace it with the “New”: see Hotel Cape Charles) so that we can move ahead with “economic development” as the main driver.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE
As the man once said: Urgency obstructs the horizon of knowledge. As its Greek name suggests, a horizon is both the opening and limit that defines an infinite progress or a period of waiting.”
I don’t mean to pour cold water on all the hard work and beauty, but that’s just me. I always (and the fight over the old school illuminates this) tend to gravitate towards the impossible. Justice for the kids that might have played ball inside the old gymtorium is impossible. Justice is the “impossible,” so, as Kabler suggests, it may be necessary to make justice possible in many different ways.
At least property values seem to be coming up.
Huh? Ho-hum. I haven’t heard any good, practical, workable, sustainable solutions from the opposing camp to address the old high school controversy. If I only knew where to get that information, maybe I’ll vote for it.
Ho hum indeed! Glad to see you have adapted to the Cape Charles status quo, as you’re about 2 1/2 years too late for anything — and there was never a vote to be had, as it was determined that you, as a citizen, do not have standing to say one way or another. That doesn’t mean you can’t kvetch, baby! Had you been to any OSCC meetings, or crab or oyster feasts, or yard sales, or read our proposals, or inquires to the Department of Historic Resources, or been aware of our corporate and political contacts, or just even talked to me, you would have been well aware of the good, practical, workable, sustainable alternatives. It may all be water under the bridge now, but it should be noted that the baseline (your freedom) has shifted right under your feet. Memory is weak; it fades, and each new baseline eventually becomes an eroded version of the last one. As each baselines shifts, we never see how much we’ve lost. In the early days of the Soviet Union, the purges were bloody because people had keen memories of what they had and what they had lost. A few generations later, it was pretty quiet as nobody remembered or knew the difference; they just shut up and drank kvass. While you keep yawning, I’ll keep remembering, trying to envision the old baseline — drinking martinis and kvetching about it!
After reading this submission several times I am at a loss for words. Why would you publish such comments that were not even remotely connected to our wonderful “Harbour for the Arts Festival” but was laced with a hidden agenda. Shameful!
EDITOR’S RESPONSE: We trust that readers understand that comments in the WAVE are the opinions of the writers and not of the newspaper. On occasion we decline to print a comment, such as when a spitting match is developing between commenters. That’s when the real wrath descends on the WAVE with cries of “censorship.”
There’s nothing hidden about this writer’s agenda. He is lamenting what the event could have been had there been some forethought on the part of town leadership. Gratuitous, unreflective cheerleading has as much substance as that kitchy love sign at the beach.
Well I for one was at the center of the fight to save our historic school and make it into a community center, as many readers of the Wave know. The way our elected officials and our paid officials handled the entire thing was disgusting, dirty, and underhanded to say the least. I am ashamed to call Cape Charles my home town most of the time. The only reason we stay here is because this town is where my husband grew up and we have too much invested to just leave. So much could have been done with grants and fundraisers to the school and it would have made a wonderful community center for everyone to enjoy. The town officials promised a new basketball court but I am not sure just where it is. Oh that’s right — they lied about that too. Shame on you all for what you all did to our school.
I was born and raised on the Shore. After high school I left for better job opportunities but I have always kept up with the what is happening on the Eastern Shore. The Wave is one of my sources for that. Ms. Bender I am sure you are a fine lady but the message you are trying to convey gets lost in the anger of your tone. I believe it is time to for you to let it go and enjoy everything that Eastern Shore livin’ has to offer. Do you really think the population as a whole cares if there is a community basketball court?
Amen to that. Move on and move forward.
Hey, Wayne — Go back and read the following post-election commentary:
http://capecharleswave.com/2014/05/commentary-setting-the-registers-to-zero/
And then set your register to zero — Please!
Hey, Ron — Go back and re-read that commentary and please sir, tell me what has changed? I have been to a couple of council meetings and they are clearly not listening to anyone.