tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69155959852713645252024-02-20T07:57:29.521-08:00Rob Cox ArtConversations about artUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915595985271364525.post-301316935624986572010-12-03T15:00:00.000-08:002010-12-03T15:01:57.761-08:00Dear Senator<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Dear Senator McCain,<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Please consider you opposition to the 'Don't ask, don't tell' legislation.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am a veteran, 4 years honorable service in the US Navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was ship’s company aboard the USS Nimitz and served when we attempted to rescue the hostages from Tehran in 1979.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I also served in the South Pacific.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My younger brother is a West Point grad and served 5 years as an Army officer after graduation.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While neither my brother nor I are gay we both served along side fellow soldiers and sailors that were clearly homosexual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There was never any problem with morale, job performance, social interaction or any other negative effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Men and women went about their work, respected each other and bonded in the unique way in which only those of us who serve together can.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have a great deal of respect for you. Had you won the nomination in 2000 you would have received my support. I always thought of you as a man of conviction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But your constant and senseless stance against gays in the military makes you look foolish or worse yet, a puppet of the religious right wing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The top military brass in this country supports this change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All or at least most of our allies already allow gays to serve openly. Stop stonewalling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Otherwise History will record you as a once great man who behaved like an ignorant fool.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There will always be bigots.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There will always be racists and those who are afraid of "others" that are "unlike" them. But all of the people I served along side, ALL of them, may not have all agreed on everything and we all have our different opinions but trust me when I tell you: this is a none issue to the men and women serving in our armed forces.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You recently commented that, “Great leaders lead!”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then Senator, be a Great Leader and lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Let those who want to serve, serve.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Yours sincerely,</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rob Cox</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">USN, 1976-80 (active) 1981-82 (inactive reserve)</p><p class="MsoNormal">Gunners Mate Technician<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>2nd Class</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">US Naval Weapons Station, Guam<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">USS Nimitz CVN68<o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6915595985271364525.post-24746489856953441902010-07-27T13:26:00.000-07:002010-07-27T13:31:33.074-07:00what is good artwhat makes a work of art "good"? is it technical proficiency? is it singular vision? is it an abstract set of criteria?<br /><br />I ponder these questions in my studio, in an art gallery and at the museum. Other than being "subjective" are there any other objective criteria we can assign?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0