History and Identity

     While reading this section I felt a bit torn between my western upbringing and my belief in equality. Why is it that our western views tend to lean toward "civilized" and "better than" when our supposed religious training teaches us to love one another and to do to one another what we would have done to us? Such conflicted ideas! What is civilized, anyway?I find it very uncivilized to judge another culture as less than. I find it very uncivilized to consider anything or anyone "different" as alien or "primitive". What the heck is that? Maybe I am simple minded but to consider any kind of equal exchange as a challenge to relationships is absurd. Now, art, on the other hand, should be a universal exchange of history in my opinion. Why should one source of art be better than another? Again, I am pretty basic in my thinking but if we are ever to appreciate our differences and celebrate our variety of cultures, we need to put all art on the same level.
     I would love to see the Latin American artists given the same opportunities as the western or European artists. Unfortunately, their economic situation and leadership is wanting in that department. I feel they are being held down by their leaders' obsession with power, filling their own bank accounts and taking advantage of their own people.
     There is always hope that people will maintain their culture while mixing with the new. There are many gifts the Latin Americans (and others) offer the world with their art and other talents. I also hope that the west will always hunger for the authentic rather than marginalizing other cultures which squashes artists further. I believe we are all one and by producing art, that reflects our humanity.