Anne McKeown

Waste my beautiful mind
caste cotton and flax with cotton spray pulp sheet
16 x 8 x 8 in.

A long time ago I watched the first telecast of Alex Haley’s “Roots”. I was perplexed when the wives of the slaveholders were criticized for their passivity toward the evils acted on the Africans and their children, who were treated as property. It became important in my life to consider the responsibility of actions taken. I became aware that as a society we are responsible for the treatment of others.

For many years I believed that the good and the strong are responsible. Though today I am less able to draw such a clear distinction, I was shocked by a March 18, 2003 interview with Barbara Bush. The time is post Afghanistan invasion and 2 days before Shock and Awe. On the topic of what her son, George W. Bush’s plans would be for the Iraq invasion; Barbara Bush said” . . . why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, how many, what day it’s gonna happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Or, I mean, it’s, it’s not relevant. So, why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that.”

Refusal to acknowledge reality is still complicity.

© Anne McKeown