[Bcma-l] War Museum
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:07:48 -0700
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You're right about our apathy, Larry. But I don't believe the War =
Museum's right to freely express itself is the key issue. It lies in the =
inadequate way it tackles the topic. I'm writing a brief article on how =
I see it, which I hope will be published in CMA Muse (maybe Roundup, =
too). More later . . . .
Dan Gallacher=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
To: bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:37 PM
Subject: [Bcma-l] War Museum
I believe that BC Museums and CMA should lend what little weight they =
have in support of the War Museums independent ability to present =
history.
The idea of political and single interest groups lobbying in such a =
case is reprehensible, and I believe we should make our views known.
In a land where people died over the issue of free speech, where is =
it, and where is the free [and independent prerogative] in doing our job =
objectively?
Our museum was subjected to such pressure and caved in due to an =
in-camera meeting by our city council, which went on to dictate as to =
what we could or could not exhibit. No members of the public or =
delegations were allowed to debate such an important issue.
To our shame, we accepted their ultimatum in, but it still does not =
destroy the principle and concept of museum independence,.
Our alternative would have been to close the museum.
This is an important issue and I am surprised that I have not heard =
any pronouncements about this by our museum organizations.
Are we too busy planning conferences and workshops and patting =
ourselves on the back to pay attention to such an important issue?
Larry A. Ewashen, Curator & General Manager
The Doukhobor Discovery Centre
112 Heritage Way, Castlegar V1N 4M5
1-250-365-5327
www.Doukhobor-Museum.org
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>You're right about our apathy, Larry. =
But I don't=20
believe the War Museum's right to freely express itself is the key =
issue.=20
It lies in the inadequate way it tackles the topic. I'm writing a =
brief=20
article on how I see it, which I hope will be published in CMA <EM>Muse =
(maybe=20
Roundup, too)</EM>. More later . . . .</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Brush Script MT" size=3D4><STRONG>Dan=20
Gallacher</STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
=
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.b=
c.ca</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dbcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 30, 2007 =
4:37=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bcma-l] War =
Museum</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>I believe =
that BC Museums=20
and CMA should lend what little weight they have in support of the War =
Museums=20
independent ability to present history.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>The idea of =
political and=20
single interest groups lobbying in such a case is reprehensible, and I =
believe=20
we should make our views known.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>In a land =
where people=20
died over the issue of free speech, where is it, and where is the free =
[and=20
independent prerogative] in doing our job objectively?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>Our museum =
was subjected=20
to such pressure and caved in due to an in-camera meeting by our city =
council,=20
which went on to dictate as to what we could or could not exhibit. No =
members=20
of the public or delegations were allowed to debate such an important=20
issue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>To our shame, =
we accepted their ultimatum in, but it still does not =
destroy the=20
principle and concept of museum independence,.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" =
color=3D#008000>Our alternative=20
would have been to close the museum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>This is an =
important=20
issue and I am surprised that I have not heard any pronouncements =
about this=20
by our museum organizations.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>Are we too =
busy planning=20
conferences and workshops and patting ourselves on the back to pay =
attention=20
to such an important issue?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>Larry A. =
Ewashen, Curator=20
& General Manager<BR>The Doukhobor Discovery Centre<BR>112 =
Heritage Way,=20
Castlegar V1N 4M5<BR>1-250-365-5327<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.Doukhobor-Museum.org">www.Doukhobor-Museum.org</A><BR>=
</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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