This summer, the “Annual Student Art Exhibition” at California State University, San Bernardino (a publically-funded school) was on display. Among the student art was a grotesque example of anti-Christianity.
This year the exhibition featured the work of Humberto Reynoso, a student in desperate need of attention, as well as in desperate need of professional counseling. Reynoso’s ceramic figure, “Self Portrait,” depicted a man lying on his back with a red cross inserted in his anus. This figure was displayed from June 15 through the end of July.
A “WARNING” sign was posted at the exhibit in the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art that housed this “art.” It said, “This exhibition contains explicit adult content and works that may be disturbing to some. Viewer discretion is advised.” It’s not hard to figure out who wouldn’t be disturbed.
What was most telling about all of this was the statement below the “WARNING” sign: “Art is about many things, including—and especially—ideas; and a university is precisely the place for the free expression of ideas, especially controversial ones. CSUSB supports students’ rights to free expression.” (Italics in the original.)
When asked about this statement, Bill Donohue said: “It is factually incorrect. The university is not about ‘the free expression of ideas’: it is about the pursuit of truth. Those who believe the earth is flat, or deny the existence of the Holocaust, should not be welcome at any college or university: such ideas have been fully discredited. Thus, to give their proponents a platform in higher education is to say that the pursuit of truth no longer matters. Should such crackpots be censored from speaking? Not at all—they belong in a public park, or in a private venue, for example, an arena known for hosting the circus.”
It would have been interesting if the campus newspaper had asked Mr. Reynoso why he decided to choose a cross rather than choosing to insert a Star of David or crescent and star.
