Directions: Actively read the following article, "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint" - New York Times, 2002. (also available for view at: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E2D91438F933A15756C0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print)
1. Based on the following NY Times article, "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint", summarize Richard Minsky’s (the artists’) view on the Bill of Rights and it’s role in modern US society.
2. Analyze two of his criticisms based on your knowledge of US government and the Bill of Rights. (Do you agree/ disagree/ relate to his opinion? Explain.)
3. Finally, respond to the following question: Is the Bill of Rights reflected in or distorted in modern US society. Refer to anecdotal (personal stories) or academic evidence to support your answer.
Your blog must be a miniminum of 250 words and include a response to at least one other student's post.
For your reference, a copy of the Bill of Rights is available HERE: http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
I agree with the criticism that Minsky offers on the bill being like an off center book spine, making it look crooked. In a sense the bill is crooked because often for the benefit of law some of the amendments may be tampered with to whatever possible loophole is available. For the most part, this is used to obtain information parallel to the case, but often at the expense of those being tried for a crime or just witnesses in a case. For example the bit about the Texas Sheriff who, like Clint Eastwood in almost every one of his movies, takes the law into his own hands. Despite this questionable method of extraction being used for a push towards supposed justice pertaining to a trial or case, it is not obliging the fifth amendment the way it is written and meant to be interpreted. I wouldn't catergorize the bill as being defaced by modern society in a total way, but it has suffered several infractions relating to its contents and the reach to which they can be trifled with. It has suffered the not always brilliant turns of modern society at best. Minsky sees the bill as serving a foundation for rights to individuals that since its writing has been continually and not always legitimately modified to work around something, which based on resounding evidence appears to be a thing of fact.
ReplyDeletei agree with both Minsky and Mike Jag <3 in the sense that the Bill of Rights as being crooked. over time, rights have been taken away, shorten, or elasticized for the government's (or the law's) use. the government says they are there to protect our rights, but "they are taking them away, one by one." the first amendment for example, says freedom of speech/expression, but we really can't freely express what we want. even simple, minor things, there's a certain extent to what you can express. i took what Minsky made of the first amendment was what we used to have, a reminder and now we must watch what we express. the understanding of the bill of rights is distorted in some ways in modern u.s. society; many interpret as how they see it, not how it is meant.
ReplyDeleteminsky thinks of the bill as a book spine. he believes that while we have our rights we should use them.also many times the bill is tampered with and our rights become less avaiable to us. I agree with minsky because most of the time we dont have our right to say what we need to say, our first amendment is limited because of the government.also the ninth amendment is about the right to privacy, now a days we cant have the privacy of talking on the phone without being recorded for some security reason.i think the bill of rights is distorted in the modern U.S. on the news i hear someone talk about how people are being arrested for saying something about how the government is corrupt, but i think how there just saying what they think.
ReplyDeleteAshley Miller D block
1. Richard Minsky believes the Bill of Rights is being alittle crooked. Minsky is an artist and an professional bookbinder. He found a way to show the first ten amendments as an artistic piece. I believe that is a very intelligent idea. Minksky believes that the ten amendments are very important and that they are still used today. Each world event that happens relates to one of the ten amendments. Not only world events but some personal events too. Sometimes the Bill of Rights become unavailable . One of the rights we have is privacy and our privacy now is not so private. After September 11, 2001, the world has became more protective. We get our phones tapped and sometimes people working for the government listen to our conversations without us even knowing. We must be careful of what we say. Richard Minsky believes our rights are being taken away one by one.
ReplyDelete2. I believe Minsky did a good job showing the first ten amendments through artwork. He helps explain each amendment using novels and documentaries. For example, Amendment Nine; Right to Privacy. Minsky used novel but he put pictures of Princess Diana during the fatal crash. We must becareful of what we say and do, because it can become public. Amendment Six is based on a speedy and public trial. He showed this amendment by glueing a black leather glove daubed with red to represent blood onto a best seller novel about O.J. Simpson.
3. I believe the Bill of Rights is being distored in the modern US society. I agree with Ashley Miller. Some people like to share their opinion, and if they say something wrong but true, they get arrested. Amendment I is based on freedom. We have the right to pick a religion without being discriminated. This also includes, freedom of speech. We have the right to talk and express our thoughts and opinions. But once its about the government, its a whole different story. Once it comes to the government, we have to make it seem like it is perfect, when it is not.
-Rona N. Galicia; A-Block
Richard Minsky’s view on the Bill of Rights is that the government is taking away our rights one by one without us realizing it. It’s as if he’s saying the government finds ways to go around the amendments. For example, instead of doing a search and seizure, the government gains access to cyberspace (emails, face book, myspace, etc.) and digs for information from there. He feels that in modern day the government is sneaky in that they are doing little things that go against the amendments and since they’re so little, people don’t realize what the government is doing. When Minsky says that “The government is trying to take them away one by one,” I do agree with him on that. It seems as if after 9/11 many of our rights have been taken away. Such as freedom of speech and right to privacy. People are not aloud to say “bomb” and also the government taps into phone conversations, has access to email accounts, and social networking accounts. They have access to whatever people do on the computer. I also agree with what he said about cruel and unusual punishment. In jail cells, criminals are not supposed to be treated cruel or unfair. However, based on true stories, documentaries, and movies the people in jail get treated terribly. I think the Bill of Rights is both reflected in and distorted in. As of right now I am aloud to write or say whatever I want. However there are restrictions. Such as I can’t say things that could be referred to as terrorist threats. Not even joking around can anyone say words that could be a terrorist threat to this nation.
ReplyDelete-Priscilla Torres A block-
1. Richard Minsky believes that the Bill of Rights has been tampered with throughout time. As a artist, Minsky used his art to show us how unreliable the bill of rights may sometimes be. Although, the goal of the Bill of Rights was to protect American citizens from a corrupt government, it has been tampered overtime. It has been tampered and changed so that it can validate the actions of the government. Minsky believes that we should enjoy our rights while we have them. The government has been taking away our rights one by one and majority of people do not even realize. We allow the government to suspend our rights out of fear and fro protection.
ReplyDelete2. Minsky believes that our rights are taken away from us one by one. One of the examples he uses that accurately depicts this is the First Amendment. The first amendment protects our freedom of expression. To depict this amendment, Minsky burned a copy of “Satanic Verses” and sealed it in a windowed reliquary. Minsky is basically saying that our right to Freedom of Expression is limited. For example: we cannot yell bomb in a room if there really isn’t. If we were to do that we could get arrested for creating a hazardous atmosphere. Minsky also criticizes our ninth amendment right: Right to Privacy. To depict this he re-illustrated a book with pictures of Princess Diana in a car crash. In Minsky re-vamped picture we see that Diana’s right to privacy is denied since her car accident is shown is a book.
In today society we are also sometimes denied the right to privacy. The government is allowed to tamper our phone calls and regulate personal sites we use online. Going through our private information does not give us a right to privacy. We can no longer say anything on the internet without fearing the government may tamper with it.
ReplyDelete3. The Bill of Rights is reflected in modern society to an extent. On May 5, 2010 five boys who attend Live Oak High School decided to wear a shirt with an American flag on it on Cinco De Mayo. These boys were sent to the principals office and told that they would have to either turn their shirts inside out or go home. According, to the first amendment, Americans are guaranteed freedom of expression. Although, these boys from Oak High School were denied the right to express their patriotism on a certain day of the year. It was said that these boys could not wear an American flag shirt on Cinco De Mayo because it may ignite a riot. In modern day society, are right to freedom of expression may be suspended if it could cause unsafe conditions. I agree with Pricilla that the government does find ways to go around the amendments. Going through our personal things such as email, phone call, text messages and face book is another form of illegal search. If the government were to find something unwarranted than we could be arrested and tried. Not only does this deny our fourth amendment right, but also our ninth amendment right. The government is denying our right to privacy by tampering with our personal files. Everyday, the government is finding new ways to deny us our rights. Minsky is right, we should enjoy our rights while we still have them.
1) Mr. Minsky is an artist. Therefore, he added a creative twist to the orignal Bill of RIghts. Through art, Mr. Minsky reflected on the Bill of Rights. After reading the description of his art it is clear that Mr. Minsky feels the original purpose and meaning of the Bill of RIghts has been forgotten in some ways. He feels that they have changed over time with society. He views the Bill of Rights as a crutch for the government to lean on when they need to back up their own actions. Mister Minsky does not single out one event that changed the meaning of the Bill of Rights but he supports the idea that they are slowly but surely diminishing in the United States for citizens. he strongly feels that the government has control of everything including the rights given to us in the Bill of Rights.
ReplyDelete2) I agree with Minsky's point of view that was portrayed through his artwork. He represents each amendment in a unique way. Specifically, Minsky uses novels and documentaries. Two of Minsky's ideas stood out to me. Amendment nine addresses a person's right to privacy. Minsky used the novel "Right to Privacy" by Ellen Alderman in addition to putting pictures of Princess Diana's fatal car crash. Amendment sex addresses one's right to a public and speedy trial. Minsky glued a black leather glove daubed with red to represent blood onto a novel written about O.J. Simpson. Mr. Minsky believes that the Bill of RIghts may not always be around because of their past loss of importance. I agree with Minsky when he says "while you got them, enjoy them" I feel that the government has a large amount of power over everyone and everything that they use when it helps them. The government finds ways to get around the Bill of Rights.
3) The Bill of Rights is distorted in US society. American citizens have more rights than the citizens of other countries but not all citizens use those rights. People do no realize the voice that they could have in their country. If the Bill of Rights was recognized more by citizens the United States would be a clear reflection of what the Bill of right stands for.
Destiny's comment right above mine stood out to me. The beginning of her comment brought up a point that truly shows how the government has the power to do whatever they please despite the Bill of Rights.
Gina Ianniello, E Block
After reading, The New York Times article, it was clear to see that Minsky does not favor the government too much. Minsky is a bookbinder, who feels that slowly the government is taking away our rights that we are entitled to. He uses books and other various forms of literature to visually express, how the government can sometimes go against the amendments. From the criticism in the article and based on my knowledge of US government, I agree with Minsky and his thoughts. For example, the Ninth Amendment states that we have "the right to privacy", but after September 11th 2001 - the government has found a way to violate this amendment, by phone tapping individual's conversations. Also because of September 11th, our freedom of speech has been restrained . For example, we are not allowed to yell bomb or fire in an enclosed area. So in a way, i agree with Minsky and his thoughts. The government is slowly taking away the rights; they have entitled individuals to. I agree with Priscilla, i feel that the Bill of Rights is both reflected and distorted in. Because you are able to express your rights, but at times they can be limited. Due to the governments need to protect the country and its citizens.
ReplyDeleteIn comparing my personal opinion to the opinion of Minsky, we both agree that the Bill of Rights isn't necessarily a solid foundation for the entitlement of US Citizens. Minsky stated that people should enjoy their rights while the opportunity is still about; this I can concur with. Based on my knowledge of the United States government, there have been times when people's rights have been limited or edited to suit the current circumstance. In the case Schenck v. United States, Charles Schenck did not have the right to print and distribute his leaflets against the draft, due to the Espionage Act of 1917; this act prohibited people from excercising their first amendment right, which is freedom of expression. However, I do agree that the government should do whatever it takes to keep their citizens safe; if that means limiting rights, so be it. In the previous blog, we discussed why it is important to vote, and how voting affects us as individuals; this is a perfect example. America needs trustworthy people in office that will have a valid reason for tampering with our rights, if necessary.
ReplyDeleteThe only comment of Minsky's that I did not agree with is that the Bill of Rights is similar to an off center book spine, crooked and mishaping. Our perception of our government is formed by how much faith we have in it. Our government is composed of people, nothing else; so it isn't entirely correct to say that the document is crooked, but it is possible that the people in control of it might be. Therefore, I agree with Shivanna when she stated that it is the government's responsiblity to protect us; so if there are loopholes and drawbacks within the Bill of Rights, it is simply because the people of our government made it that way.
Kamylah Bennett, D block ;)
1) Reading the article on The Bill of Rights on the New York Times, it is clear that Richard Minsky doesn't agree with the Bill of Rights. Minsky believes the government is trying to take away freedom of the people and natural born rights. Minsky believes in "the right to privacy" and feels the Bill of Rights doesn't really help the people out the way it says it should. Minsky believes the government has full control over the people's freedom.
ReplyDelete2) Minsky created his ideas of the first ten amendments and turned them into artwork. Amendment five, the process of law for criminal defendants, Minsky had a copy of "Branches" which is about an officer who takes the law into his own hands. Minsky showed his opinion of the book by putting nine-millimeter slugs on the cover. Amendment nine, or the "right to privacy", Minsky posted pictures of Princess Diana's car accident, which showed revealing photos of the crash. I agree with Minsky's ideas of right to privacy, because Princess Diana's death had graphic pictures taken of the scene and it should have been kept private so it wouldn't haunt her family or fellow citizens.
3) The Bill of Rights is being distorted. The amendments are for the people, we have our natural born rights such as freedom of speech but people take advantage of natural born rights and have their rights taken away by the government.
Jules DeJesus E Block
Mr. Minsky, a bookbinder, knows that people need their rights. Although we need our rights, he feels that the government is trying to take them. Minsky feels we should be happy to have them while we do. As an n artist he found ways to exemplify each amendment. He makes it clear that we need to realize that the government is taking them from the citizens & people to see this. Mr. Minsky shows how corrupt our amendments are coming to be, because of the government’s role in trying to take them away. The government is gaining control more & more.
ReplyDeleteRichard Minsky explains how each amendment in ways the government has changed them. For the 8th amendment, which is barring cruel & unusual punishment, he used a book that explains how people are being hurt in jail. The 8th amendment is violated when prison mates have to endure punishments because of discrimination. The first amendment is violated all the time. People can’t speak their mind about certain touchy topics, without consequences. I agree with Minsky in some ways. The amendments aren’t fully there for the people.
The bill of rights is distorted because so many people take it in their own ways. Its not what it is , its how every different person is taking it in their opinion to suit themselves. I agree with Rona, when were told we have freedom of speech, then when people speak of government, its not following the first amendment.
... stephanie llorca e block .
Richard Minsky is not so cynical as he is all but resigned to the dilapidation of citizen's active awareness and defense of their rights. MInsky himself has thought long and hard on those rights, and reflected on their value and significance in his life and the world around him. He knows that their applications may be controversial, and can even be manipulated against the population they are intended to protect; but they are our only line of self-defense, and their only use as a weapon is when the people wield them.
ReplyDeleteMinsky's incentive to develop his interpretive artworks is to raise the Bell of Rights' profile - because they are fading too fast from public consciousness, and when they're all but a vague memory they'll be snatched without out knowledge.
2.
"While you got them, enjoy them," Minksy says of our rights granted by the Bill of Rights, implying they are fleeting. This is the very reason why he is urging others to evaluate them. And this is the very reason why I disagree with Minsky's judgment: the Bill of Rights is underappreciated, yes, but it has always been and probably will always be. And it is people like Minsky, who understand how crucial those rights are, who will act to bring that knowledge out to others and keep the American tradition of republican democracy alive. I strongly support Kamylah in her assertion that the Bill of Rights will be an active and beneficial presence in American life when interpreted by informed citizens; "In the previous blog, we discussed why it is important to vote, and how voting affects us as individuals; this is a perfect example. America needs trustworthy people in office that will have a valid reason for tampering with our rights, if necessary." Every year there is a struggle to rope in the next generation of voters, but that is life. And so too there will always be a struggle to rope the next generation into appreciating our rights, but it is not an insurmountable one.
Another criticism of Minsky's is that people think too often of their rights as individually granted, rather than an inseparable set. ''People ask me, 'Can I get one?''' he said. ''I say, 'The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.' ''
I am ambivalent on Minsky's criticsm. It is true that each of the rights in our BIll of Rights work together to ensure the constitutional government is wary of personal boundaries, and that no one is more or less valuable than the other. They are all critical, and this is why they were all chosen to tie the consitution more closely to the Founding Fathers' ideals. However, it may be overwhelming for someone to try and face all the amendments at once. I believe people who have never considered the bill of rights seriously should perhaps be introduced to them on a case by case basis, learning about the importance of each one individually, so that them they will be able to see the complex way in which they all support eachother.
3.
The Bill of Rights is both reflected and distorted in today's society. There are pieces of legislation which undeniably circumvent our rights, and executive orders with the potential to unbalance distribution of power and compromise the people's ability to act for themselves. The Patriot Acts are a prime example of amendments like our right to free speech, and even against unwarranted search and seizure - in the form of accessing private information we may not want revealed - being legally stepped around in the name of our 'protection'. This is a situation where the people must decide what their rights mean to them, how far they will go to defend them, and what price they will pay for them. Yet there is no dearth of grassroots revivalism, individuals motivated to reach others with their own passion and concern for preserving the beauty and opportunities of our government when it is well tended, protected from those who would manipulate our rights against us, such as Vote Again 2010.
Richard Minsky is an artist and a professional bookbinder. Being an artist Richard Minsky sees things differently from the way you and I would see it.Mr.Minsky has used art to show us his opinion on how the government abuses the first 10 amendments of the constitution. Minsky feels that people are losing their rights.
ReplyDelete"I like art that gives you a reality fix" says Richard Minsky, and thats exactly what he did with his art. Minsky feels that the government is trying to take our rights away one by one, little by little. In one of his art examples he uses a copy of "Satanic Verses" and sealed it up with arabesque windowed reliquary, to represent the first amendment. Richard Minksy believes that our first amendment freedom of speech and expression is violated by the government. For the Tenth amendment Minsky downloaded the United States Supreme Court decision intervening in the Florida-vote controversy and handing thr presidnetial election to George bush. Minsky then bound the docket in brown leather and put the spine title crooked. He feels that our power of states is violated by the government.
I believe that the Bill of Rights is disorted in mordern US society. Many people have their own opinions or definations of the first 10 amendments. If the people actually read and understood the Bill of Rights they would understand what the Bill of Rights is actually all about.
I agree with Destiny's response. She has perfect responses on how and why our Bill of Rights is violated. I love that she brought up the Cinco de Mayo problem, this was a perfect example of how our freedom of expression is violated.
Nicole Scozzari C Block")
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRichard Minsky's perspective on the bill of rights is that the government is steadily taking away our rights little by little without us even realizing it. He is saying that the government has ways of declining our god given rights. We still have rights, but they are very limited. The goal of the bill of rights was to safeguard our entitled rights. Overtime our rights are slowly being pulled away from us and are being very sneaky. When Minsky says that “The government is trying to take them away one by one,” I do agree with Minsky on that aspect. Ever since September 11, 2001, our rights have been violated, taken, and limited. For example, our freedom of speech (Amendment 1) and our right to privacy (Amendment 4) has been taken away. The government is tapping in to everyone's cell phones, computers, e-mail accounts, and all social networks. We can not even talk about anything relating to terrorism or our opinions on terrorism. We have to be very careful of what we say because the government is watching us constantly, and we can not joke around. People can not say "bomb" in a public area because that is considered a terrorist threat. I think that the bill of rights is reflected and distorted in modern society. As of this moment in society, I have the right to say and write whatever I want. But there are limitations. If America is in a time of danger, our rights will be violated or taken away if necessary.
ReplyDelete1) Based on the article "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World out of Joint", artist Richard Minsky refers the Bill of Rights as a crooked spine. In a artist's standpoint the crooked spine reflects the back bone of the United States. If these rights are being taken away the support of the United States (spine) will become crooked and will not be able to support the Americans its been supporting for hundreds of years. Each part of the 10 Amendments is considered to Mr. Minsky as a combination of America's supporting column like a buildings support column. Together they support the whole frame or the body if you will. Simply taking away one section of the 10 Amendments would be catastrophic to the well-being of America.
ReplyDelete2) By using artwork as a way to represent the Bill of Rights was genius. By doing so you can express yourself in what you believe the true meaning is of each and every amendment. I found that the artwork used in Amendment 9 was the most intriguing. By using the fatal car crash of Princess Diana and highlighting the words "The Right to Privacy" from the title of the novel written by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy Mr. Minsky exemplifies the idea that Americans should always be cautious when talking, posting or even reporting news of great concern. Matters such as the death of Princess Diana should have remained a secret and not blown out of proportion as it was when the public found out. Privacy should be kept at the most important right as people should decide whether or not to release information such as this. I also found the depiction of Amendment 10 very interesting. By using the case of November-December 2000 election of George W. Bush as a depiction of the crookedness of the United States, Minsky exemplifies that the United States government will intervene when they feel the public has chosen the wrong official to run our nation. In the matter, our government gave the position of President to George W. Bush, by doing so the government took away Amendment 10 from the people. Since the electing process is not mentioned in the Constitution, we the people of the state decide. Since the government intervened, they took away our rights as a citizen to choose our president. The sculpture of the crooked spine accurately depicts our government as it is....a crooked spine.
3) In my opinion the United States is distorting the Bill of Rights. We the people of the United States are given the right to freedom of speech...yet when we take about a matter that concerns the government the situation turns from friendly to hostile. It seems that our government is very self conscious about what the people think especially when our government does the wrong thing. In many cases in the past we the people have performed rallies, marches and protest in what we believe to be right regardless of what our government thinks. Though this seems to be treason and going against our government, we are allowed to speak our mind. Its the 1st Amendment, the Freedom of Speech. This is our right to speak our mind, and no person or government has the right to strip us our our freedoms and rights. If our government continues to strip us our rights, eventually this government will be overtaken by the people and reborn as a nation where our rights will never be sacrificed or taken away just because we said something they did not like. It also seems that our government is like a school bully. If they don't like what you say they will beat you up taking away your right to be safe in a educating environment. Overall our government needs to shape up and remember the days in which it was true to the people and respectful and not a person(s) who lies to their people.
Derrick Tam, A-Block
Based on the following NY Times article, "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World out of Joint", Richard Minsky openly mocks the bill of rights. He blatantly points out the how the bill contradicts what goes on in the real world. In his paintings, for each right he draws a picture of a historical event that violated the right that he had chosen. His overall view of the bill of rights is that it’s not valid for the real world because the government doesn’t always follow it and if they do it doesn’t always work in the right way. Richard Minsky has many criticisms of the bill of rights. One is For the Fourth Amendment, against unreasonable search and seizure, I do not agree with Minsky on this point. He says that the government always violates this right, and they do but for a worthy cause. Ever since 9/11 the government should be able to tap our phones and read our blogs and social networks for the sake of that nation’s safety. I can relate to this because I have a facebook that I am sure has been watched before just like everyone else’s. For the Second Amendment on the right to bear arms Minsky criticizes the militia. I also disagree with this point because it is just plain and simply stated in our rights that we are allowed to own a gun and have a militia if we desire. The people of America have lost a lot of power over the years and the government is bigger than ever. In my opinion the government should only increase in power in times of war. I can also relate to this because everyone is affected by the governments power. The bill of rights is distorted in modern society. America today is defiantly not what the founding fathers intended it to be and it doesn’t uphold the bill of rights correctly.
ReplyDeleteBy James Guardino
Richard Minsky's view on the Bill of Rights is that it isn't exactly what it was meant to be. The Bill of Rights has most of our basic rights in check, but over time, the government has taken those rights away from us. However, the ways they take away these rights can be so small that we don't notice them. The Bill of Rights' role is to protect us and make sure we have rights, but sometimes in an effort to protect us, it takes away some rights. Two of Minsky's criticisms are towards freedom of speech and freedom against unreasonable search and seizure. Regarding, freedom of speech, Minsky used a book titled Satanic Verses, burned it and then sealed it. Here, Minsky is saying that if what you say can be seen as a threat to another, you're right to freedom of speech is limited. Regarding protection against unreasonable search and seizure, Minsky speaks about how the government invades our privacy through the internet, as well as other things, such as our phones. I agree with Minsky's opinions, because slowly, the government is taking away our rights, in its attempts to keep us safe. Preventing harmful words from being spoken still prevents freedom of speech, and tracing suspects by invading privacy for our safety, is still search and seizure. The Bill of Rights is indeed distorted in our modern day society. An example would be how America took away countless rights after the events of 9/11. Many of us are more closely monitored and are now unable to travel like we were able to before. The ferry no longer allows cars on it, and planes now have at least twice the amount of security and other precautions that can be very invasive to our privacy.
ReplyDeleteJustin Roa, C-Block
In Richard Minsky’s artwork, he shows ways how the United States is slowly becoming able to suspend the rights given to us by the Bill of rights in the constitution. The government is suspending the rights of the people, and stretching their rights for their own benefit. These pieces of art are just showing how the Bill of Rights is becoming crooked and not entirely true or guaranteed. When Minsky writes how the government is trying to take our rights away, I agree with that. With the little things they keep doing for our “security” by invading our personal space, that’s a little too much. I understand searching people who are suspects in cases and have warrants for search, but when privacy is just invaded. However, it’s not just privacy, Minsky also shows how people are being mistreated and abused in jails, which is violation of the eighth amendment. In modern Untied States society, the bill of rights is somewhat distorted. Most people do not fully understand what each right we are given fully means. Most people think that freedom of speech means they can say whatever they want, whenever they want, and many people see it a chance to be vulgar and ignorant just because they can. I don’t think the writers of the constitution gave us that right. They gave us the right to speak our minds, express our feelings and show off other points of view without penalization by the law. One response that really stuck out was Priscilla’s post. She made an excellent point how there are now restrictions on our first amendment right to free speech. If something could be made into in a terrorist threat, even if it was meant in a joking way.
ReplyDelete-Dylan Luke C-Block
1. Richard Minsky is an artist. He has been working on a series about the Bill of Rights. The article stated that a reality he treasures is the Bill of Rights. Richard Minsky relates to the Bill of Rights as a crooked spine. He believes that the Bill of Rights has been tampered with throughout time. His view on the Bill of Rights plays an important role in modern US society. The government has been taking away our rights. Due to fear and the need for protection, there is nothing we can do other than the government limiting our rights. The main purpose of the Bill of Rights was to protect and give the citizens rights. Minsky strongly feels that since the government is taking away our rights one by one without us realizing, there is no other choice but to live our lives.
ReplyDelete2. Minsky exemplifies the first ten amendments to the Constitution as artworks. He portrays his views of the Bill of Rights through visualization. For the Ninth Amendment, reserving all un-enumerated rights to the people, Minsky highlighted “the right to privacy”, using a book of that name by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy. Also, for the Ninth Amendment, he re-illustrated it with photos of Princess Diana, including endpapers depicting her fatal car crash. Princess Diana’s death should not have been exposed to the public. The book he used expressed the idea that Americans should be alert of what they say or post. I feel that our right to privacy is a right that should not be taken away or suspended from us. In the Fourth Amendment, against unreasonable search and seizure, Minsky chose a copy of “Neuromancer” by William Gibson. This science- fiction novel presented cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. He built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card and hot- stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil. The Fourth Amendment has two protections that are meant to protect privacy against overbroad and unjustified government spying. The United States has a history of Wire-Tapping. When Congress allowed the National Security Agency to decide for itself, without court review and authorization, this led to significant misconduct. The Agency was trying to wiretap a member of Congress, completely violating the Fourth Amendment.
3. The Bill of Rights is distorted in modern US society. The government takes our rights one by one without us knowing. Our rights are being violated and there is nothing we can do. There are many interpretations towards the Bill of Rights. Not everyone understands it the same way. The Bill of Rights are rights we all should be thankful for because people from different countries fight for the rights we have today. The government limits these rights, and I agree with Minsky saying “we should enjoy our rights while we still have them.”
-Haynes Yatco, C Block
1. Richard Minksy believes that the Bill Of Rights are being a little crooked. A little probably isn't the word. Minksy's view on the Bill Of Rights is that the government is slowly but surely taking away our rights without anyone realizing or taking action. He also believes that the government finds ways to meazle their way around amendments. A prime example is The Fourth Amendment; "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." After September 11, 2001, this amendment had limitations. It was understandable considering we were attacked but long atfer the situation occurred, the limitations were still in full effect. The government taps into phone calls, social networks etc and for what? "For Saftey Precautions" but even with these limitations, crimes still occur and are left unresolved. Our First Amendment rights were limited as well. We fought for our rights, we should still have those rights without limitations. Richard Minsky uses many works of art to show the flaws of the government not so much changing the Bill Of Rights, but using it to their advandages to put control over the country. Minsky's arguement is quite impressive. I agree with his arguement because he points out what should be obvious to us with amendments slowly disappearing in society. I agree with what Priscilla points out about restrictions of our First Amendment. However, putting too many restrictions on it will sooner or later cause havoc that is unnecesary considering we have enough issues throughout the country.
ReplyDelete1.Based on the article "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World out of Joint", artist Richard Minsky refers to the Bill of Right's. Minksy does not agree with the Bill of Rights. he refers to many different situations in this article stating how and why the Bill of Rights is unfair to many. Richard Minksky believes that the government is taking away from the freedom us US citizens have as a person. Richard Minsky adds a creative input on the Bill of Rights, which ties into him being an artist. Minsky feels that the main purpose and meaning of the Bill of Rights was forgotten in many different ways.
ReplyDelete2. I do strongly agree with Minksy. His artwork shows that the Bill of Rights i taking away from many. Two of Minsky's ideas stood out to me the most, Amendment nine, which states specifically a persons rights to all privacy. Minsky referred to the book "Rights to Privacy" by Ellen Alderman with Princess Diana's car crash pictures. Another amendment that stood out to me as much as amendment nine would be Amendment six, which is based on "speedy trial and public trial". Minsky refered this amendment by glueing a black leather glove with red to represent the best selling novel of O.J Simpson and his trail.
3.I beliebe the Bill of Right's is distorded in the society today. Americans are given the rights to freedom of speech, but we have a concern as to what the government might say. American citizen's do have more rights then any other country but not every citizenn knows of and uses all there rights to there full advantages. If many more citizens understood there rights and what the Bill of Right's were american's would refer to the Bill of Right's more ofter.
Alexandra Ferrigno E-Block
In this article, the story of Richard Minsky and his views on our government and the bill of rights were explained to us. Minsky is a bookbinder and artist who completed a project that exemplified his views on our government and how the bill of rights is used and acknowledged in today’s world. Through his art, he expressed his opinion of each of the bill of rights and connected it to an example he felt best showed what the bill of rights meant. Because of how Minsky portrays each right that we have, we can tell that he does not approve of how the government is altering our rights and reinterpreting the constitution in order for them to achieve what they want. I agree with Minskys view on our government and rights that he showed through his art. Each example showed what was wrong with how the government today is addressing each of our rights and how they have been changed through the course of United States history. The way Minsky portrayed the 9th and 10th amendment clearly showed me 2 flaws that he found within our government, which I agree with. In his interpretation of the 9th amendment (right to privacy), Minsky gave an example where government did not respect the right to privacy by showing pictures of Diana, Princess of Wales after her fatal car accident. If someone I knew was being displayed to the nation in the condition they were found dead in, I would demand that it was not shown any longer. In some cases, the government completely disregards our right to privacy, which goes against the constitution. Minsky's interpretation of the 10th amendment perfectly exemplified how the amendment works in today’s society. Although the 10th amendment protects state rights, there is always confusion as to how much power that states truly have. By showing this through a book with the spine title off center it shows that our government is not perfect- "it's a little crooked". Today in the United States, the bill of rights is distorted. Every right has been altered to what each politician believes it to be, therefore changing the original meaning of what each right means. If someone commits a crime it is first up to the state powers to handle the punishment of the criminal. Because there is such a fine line between where the state powers stop and the federal powers begin, both powers are trying to rule therefore disturbing balance in society. Currently, the debate involving a Muslim Mosque being built near ground zero is disrupting both federal and state government. The first amendment says that there will be no law prohibiting religious freedom but because of circumstances, this situation in being questioned. An issue that once had to deal with the state of New York is now becoming a nationwide issue as well. This power struggle holds true in various cases relating to other rights that we have as citizens as well but overall our society and government has been altered. Minsky's view on the bill of rights flawlessly describes how each amendment does not hold fully true in our world today so we need to enjoy them while we have them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gina's ideas that she brought up in her blog post. Minsky's interpretation of the eighth amendment really stood out to me as well. We both believe that government today is distorted which made me take into consideration the other interpretation of the bill of rights which she wrote about.
Lisa Borzi; A Block
According to the article, Richard Minsky believes the government slyly tampers with citizen’s rights. Being an artist, Mr. Minsky uses his talent to depict ways in which the first ten amendments have been exemplified. Due to the devious works of the government is seems as though the original meaning of the Bill of Rights has been lost over time. We constantly allow our rights to be withdrawn from us one by one because no one seems to be aware this is even taking place. I have to agree with Richard Minsky in that the government says they do a lot and bend the rules for our security, but at what point can we draw the line and say it is no longer for our security; instead it is a violation of our privacy. Like Pricilla Torres said, to avoid unreasonably searching a citizen in person, the government cyber stalks them, hacking into their personal business. Unreasonably digging though someone’s facebook or e-mail’s is a sneaky way of mending the rules, which should not be allowed. Additionally, I agree with Shivanna Duncan in that our right to privacy is not always given after September 11, 2001. It would really interest me to know how tapping into people’s phone calls is portraying we have a right to privacy. There should not be a written document that states citizens have a right to privacy if privacy can not be granted at all times. Unfortunately, the Bill of Rights had been distorted in US society. From written documents it would seem as though, hands down, US citizens are given more rights; regrettably that does not hold true when you look at how many of those rights are actually taken on a daily basis. Looking around it seems as though more and more people are being punished for lesser offenses such as speaking their minds.
ReplyDeleteJessica Mallozzi
Block E
I agree with Minsky and my fellow Mike (Jagiello), in Minsky’s idea that the Bill of Rights is like a book spine. Book spines are crooked and Minsky believes that so is the Bill of Rights. He thinks that even though we have rights there are still major restrictions. Minsky expresses his ideals through art and books. In the article Minsky shares books that he believes to be relevant to the Bill of Rights. An example of how he relates art to government is what he did to describe the first amendment. He burned “Satanic Verses”, a book about the life of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in order to prove freedom of speech and expression. He wanted to prove that he has the freedom to express himself, even though there are some restrictions to what you can do or say. Another example would be for the Tenth Amendment. Minsky called the Presidential Election of 2000 “crooked” because of the incident in Florida about the recount. I agree with this one-hundred percent. The whole incident was very shady and a lot of people questioned what really happened. I do not believe that the Bill of Rights is corrupt or absolutely not abided by, but I do believe that every person interprets the amendments in their own way and that affects on how they argue for/against their individual rights as a citizen. I do think that this gives off the idea that the Bill of Rights is crooked and I also think that the time in which the Bill of Rights was written is much different than the present and that it should be altered for this generation. In some cases such as the Florida recount, the “law” may seem distorted because of the high standards of the presidential election.
ReplyDelete-Michael Grigoli D-Block
After reading the article, “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint” it is clear that Richard Minsky does not believe that the Bill of Rights is in action as it should be. As an artist, Minsky creates and exhibits his art in a way that truly displays his feelings about the Bill of Rights and the government. Being a bookbinder, Minsky includes certain books in his showcase that portray his opinion on the first ten Amendments. From reading this article, and viewing some of his art, Minsky displays the fact that he thinks the Bill of Rights has been changed secretively, and has been tampered with. Minsky also shows that although each Amendment has certain rights and laws given to people, they are somehow always taken away, or slightly changed. An example of this would be his artwork toward the 9th Amendment. This Amendment deals with the right to privacy, and to show how he feels this was not put into action, Minsky shows princess Diana’s fatal car crash, which was broadcasted for the world to see. If everyone is promised the right to privacy, why wasn’t Princess Diana? To Minsky, the Bill of Rights says one thing, however in reality, there are grey areas that have been disregarded. For this criticism, I do agree with Minsky. Every human being deserves their own privacy and just because someone is famous, or royalty, does not mean their rights should be taken away. I believe Minsky used a good example to show how he feels that the Bill of Rights were not put into action, the day of that horrible tragedy. On Minsky’s decision for the Sixth Amendment, I found it very clever to glue a leather glove with blood onto the book pertaining to O.J Simpson’s trial. This case did stir up some controversy, it is a case that everyone knows about, and I think he definitely got his point across. The Bill of Rights is distorted in Modern U.S society. Like Gina said, American citizens do have more rights then other citizens is different countries. However, most U.S citizens either do not take advantage of their rights, or do not realize what rights they have. Also, in many cases, there can be times when people’s rights can be taken away. The Bill of Rights should be reflected more in modern U.S History, and as American citizens, we can make that happen.
ReplyDeleteBreanna Pizzolo D Block
Based on the NY Times article, “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint.” by Ralph Blumenthal, we learn about the significant beliefs of artist, Richard Minsky. Minsky’s belief is that the Bill of Rights is not being enforced well enough. Minsky portrays his dissatisfaction by creating multiple works of art by using literature as examples of our rights that are being taken away in our modern US societies; “The works are available only as a set, Mr. Minsky said. ''People ask me, 'Can I get one?''' he said. ''I say, 'The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.’” I greatly agree with Minsky’s point of view on the Bill of Rights, and how our government is slowly managing to take our rights away without us even realizing it. The two of his pieces that really stood out to me were on Amendment 9 and Amendment 10. For Amendment 9, Minsky chose to cover his book with pictures of Princess Diana, which stood as an example of how our privacy is slowly becoming diminishing, especially for important public figures. When Princess Diana died, her family should have had the right to keep it a secret and only allow to give out minimal information. However, the press blew the event out of proportion, making the royal family’s private life a public affair. For Amendment 10, Minsky decided to cover his book in a printout of the United States Supreme Court decision intervening in the Florida-vote controversy which concluded in handing the presidential election to George W. Bush. I really appreciated how Minsky chose this as a cover, because even now, I still find it unfair how the government took away our tenth amendment right to choose our own president. By doing this, it is proven how the government and the public do not have a very trustworthy relationship. I believe that, unfortunately, the Bill of Rights is more distorted in today’s society. As evidenced in Minsky’s artwork, and the opinions of my peers, the government seems to be slowly but surely controlling more and more aspects of our lives. With each piece of artwork produced by Minsky, we learn how every single one of our rights have been violated in one way or another. This is incredibly upsetting to me, especially because many US citizens do not even realize this is happening. I feel that in order to bring an end to this corruption, we first, as a country, need to actually learn the rights we are entitled to so that when the time comes, we will know when they are beginning to get taken away.
ReplyDelete---Vanessa Kreytak; D Block
Richard Minsky is a very creative artist who took the first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, into an art form. For each of the ten amendments that exist in the Bill of Rights, Minsky showed a visual representation of what he believes the amendments are. These visual representations are often taken from examples in our society where citizens have had to use their rights in law cases. Minsky treasures the Bill of Rights and believes it to be a very important factor in American’s lives. “While you got them, enjoy them”, states Minsky of the ten amendments, leading readers to believe that Minsky does not trust in the government to uphold their duties in giving Americans their rights. Rather it seems Minsky believes that no matter what our rights as an American are, the government will somehow twist the amendments’ words into something that will benefit them.
ReplyDeleteFor example, when a viewer takes a look at Minsky’s artwork, it is apparent that he believes the Bill of Rights have often led to protecting those who are guilty. As depicted in his artwork, Americans often use their first ten amendments to help win a case. Minsky believes that the Bill of Rights was created to protect the innocent, but in many cases have been used to protect the guilty. This is one of the criticisms depicted in his artwork. Minsky’s portrayal of the sixth amendment, guarantee of a speedy and public trial, shows the trial of O.J Simpson in a book form. This book had a black leather glove with red paint over it glued to the front. The red paint is meant to represent blood. Black leather is often associated with being a rebel, or being bad. In this case, I believe Minsky to have meant black leather to being guilty as it is dipped in blood. The Bill of Rights had granted O.J Simpson a speedy and public trial and he won. I agree with this criticism on Minsky’s part due to the fact that I also believe Simpson was guilty based on what the news has reported. Another criticism Minsky bluntly stated in this article was the fact that the government is quick to take away our rights if needed. I agree with his opinion because our government has shown that they will do just that. For example, the judicial system could be easily bribed by the guilty party and the innocence’s rights will somehow be altered in order for them to be charged guilty.
The Bill of Rights is distorted in modern US society in many ways. There are many ways to interpret the ten amendments. How the government and how a citizen interprets the amendments may be entirely different. For this reason, the government can limit American’s rights due to a technicality. The government can say, our forefathers meant this document in this way, while you or I construe it to mean something else in our favor. Jessica Mallozzi stated, “We constantly allow our rights to be withdrawn from us one by one because no one seems to be aware this is even taking place.” This statement rings true because as Blog #1 stated, one-fifth of our voting population is consisted of the youth, and many of them are not interested in politics which concurs with Jessica’s statement because no one is aware that rights are being taken away because no one pays attention to politics. Gina’s comment about Destiny’s comment also stood out to me, “The beginning of her comment brought up a point that truly shows how the government has the power to do whatever they please despite the Bill of Rights.” This comment means that the government can interpret the Bill of Rights however they please and in this way, take away our rights.
Fanny He; E-Block
Based upon the NY Times Article, Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint, we can see Richard Minsky’s strong conviction on the idea that the rights that we were once guaranteed as American individuals are slowly, yet surely, being dishonored. Not only are these “promised” rights being violated, but they are being violated by the sole government who promised to ensure these rights amongst its people. Minksy attempts to express this conviction in the form of art. In all actuality, he just found a creative way to speak out against the government and portray the danger that can come about if our rights are not ensured properly. With a detailed combination of art and literature he explained each of the Ten Amendments to the Constitution and revealed how these amendments affect our society. Two of his convictions that really stood out to me were those of Amendment 6 and 8. For the Sixth Amendment, Minksy specifically targets the case of O.J. Simpson in which most Americans believed justice was not served. He was tried for two different murders and although most of the evidence led to him as the killer, he was given a verdict of “not-guilty.” The Sixth Amendments gives the right to a speedy and public trial and OJ Simpson’s case is a prime example being that it was a televised trial. For the Eighth Amendment, Minksy took a book about the prison reform movement and depicted the book as a prisoner in a small jail cell. He goes on to ironically state, “You can take the book out for exercise, but then it must go back to its cell.” The idea behind barring cruel and unusual punishment in prisons gives those who jeopardized other’s rights, rights of their own. However, not all these rights and regulations are enforced. I agree with the reasoning behind most of Minsky’s expressions, even if I feel he could have displayed them in a more creative manner. In my opinion, he simply takes advantage of other authors and makes it look more presentable by adding his own artistic sense. Moving forward, I believe that The Bill of Rights is more distorted in American Society than it is reflected. Like Rona mentioned, the government tries to give off this perfect aura, when in reality, society is well aware that our government may very well be the farthest thing from perfect.
ReplyDeleteBy Divina x3 .
With his art, Richard Minsky is trying to say that the Bill of Rights is an important piece of work that holds together the very fabric of American society. Still however, he believes that it seems a bit weird knowing that the government is in charge of protecting the people’s rights, but can take them away in a heartbeat if need be. The literature that he uses as a part of his art all have to do with rights he believes are being taken away. I agree with Brianna on how the media completely infringed upon the privacy of the family of Princess Dianna. Though the US Government is not in charge of protecting the rights of non-US citizens, Minsky is still right in trying to say that similar events are happening on US soil such as phone tapping, and random searches at the airport. I also agree with Minsky on how the election of George W. Bush in 2000 was rather shady. “It’s a little crooked” he said. With that detail, he is trying to say that it should’ve been looked in to more, and he is expressing anguish from the fact that nobody said much to challenge what possibly might’ve been fraud in the Florida electoral system-Clearly an infringement upon States’ rights.
ReplyDeleteAn old saying goes “A government that can give you everything can take away everything” In my opinion, the Government is getting big, but it hasn’t gotten to a point where it can cripple us. Personally; I believe that heavy government influence on the lives of private individual citizens is a bad thing. Still however I believe that the Bill of Rights is somewhat distorted in modern US society. The Patriot Act for example I believe is a necessary precaution, and if a person has nothing to hide, then it’s nothing to worry about. There is no doubt that government is necessary to provide order. It’s a tricky situation rather…It’s hard to find a path for how the government should conduct itself in between the Wild West, and China under martial law, but it’s definitely possible. The government should be there for us to make sure that we do have these rights available to us, and it’s our job to exercise them. It is a responsibility that we must take upon ourselves to realize that we do have rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and best way to make sure you don’t lose them is to use them.
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ReplyDeleteFrom reading the article, “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World out of Joint.” by Ralph Blumenthal, you are given Richard Minsky’s opinion on the bill of rights and how it applies to US society today. Minsky is an artist who has recreated the 10 amendments into artistic representations on what he believes each amendment stands for. His point if view on the bill of rights on modern society is that the government has been secretly changed behind Americas back. That the government has tampered with the bill of rights to make America safer. But in fact they are taking away the rights that were established by our founding fathers in the bill of rights. Since Minsky is also a book binder therefor a lot of his pieces in the show are represented by books. I agree with Minsky’s claim in that the government is taking away some of our natural rights. A great example of that is Minsky’s interpretation of the 9th amendment. Minsky highlighted a book with pictures from the fatal car crash of Princess Diana. Photos of her crash should not have been seen to the public but they were and that violated her 9th amendment. Since 9/11 security has gotten a lot tighter for obvious reasons. An example of this is the USA Patriot Act that was signed in 2001 by President George Bush. It was a month after the 9/11 terrorists attacks and put reduced restrictions on law enforcement agencies right to tap into phones, email and other records. This already was a sneaky way of giving the government more power and there disguise was there claim on how this would make America much safer. And in a way it did but at what cost. The bill of rights in American society today has become distorted through the government taking advantage of there power. I would agree with my fellow classmate James G in the fact that our founding fathers would not want the government to be doing this to their citizens.
ReplyDeleteJames Verdi D block
1) Richard Minsky shows through his art that we as Americans should appreciate the Bill of rights and the opportunities it gives us no matter what the outcome of its presence. Minsky believes that the Bill of Rights may not always prove itself to us and may not carry out the duties that they should, but we should appreciate the fact that we have them. He gives examples of the role the Bill of rights has played in society over time. Sometimes it made situations better and other times it caused the government to interfere in affairs that did not concern them, like our privacy, the internet, and state elections.
ReplyDelete2) In his example of the Fourth Amendment, which protects us against search and seizure, the he used the novel Neuromancer by Will Gibson, which is about the increase in governmental regulation of the internet. Another example he uses is USSC No 00-949 by the Supreme Court of the United States of America in accordance with the Seventh Amendment, where the Federal government interfered in the election of 2000 between Bush and Gore, which is in a state’s jurisdiction. Overall, he is saying we should appreciate the Bill of Rights because we do have it no matter what it has or hasn’t done for us.
3) The Bill of Rights does reflect itself in Americans society, but to a certain extent. For example, about last week, officials from Craigslist attended a hearing on sex trafficking before the House Judiciary Committee. Although the Constitution does state, in Article IV Section 3, that Congress “shall have the Power to dispose of and make all needful rules and Regulations…” However, in the hearing, Craigslist defended that they are not liable for their users actions, but they removed the section containing the offensive sex ads, in support of eliminating sex trafficking. This is a clear example of the how the Bill of Rights plays into society, because Amendment 1 allows freedom of speech. We can see that with time, the Bill of Rights may play different roles than it did years ago, but they are still present.
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ReplyDelete1) Based on the NY Times article, “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint”, Richard Minsky’s has a strong view on the Bill of Rights and firm opinion on its role in modern United States society. Minsky portrays the Bill of Rights as a piece of art that is fixed into reality and the Bill of Rights being a piece of art, Minsky treasures it in his selection of artwork. This selection comes in a whole and must be together; therefore, in order to have one, you must have them all. “The works are available only as a set” Mr.Minsky said. A fine example of a piece of Minsky’s artwork that I found to be intelligent was for the Ninth Amendment, in which Minsky uses a book and highlights the name “the right to privacy” by Ellen Aderman and Caroline Kennedy and re-illustrating it with photos of Princess Diana depicting her fatal car crash. This is a perfect example of irony and how “right to privacy” is misused and abused. This was only one of the many examples of Mr.Minsky’s clever artwork. Also, Minsky describes that the government should have no kind of control over the rights that all citizens of the United States has. Mr.Minsky’s view on the role that the Bill of Rights has in Modern United States society is that the government has an attempt of taking away citizen’s rights one by one; however, he encourages people to keep them all because they are the rights of the people and only the people.
ReplyDelete2) A fine example of a piece of Mr.Minsky’s artwork is for the Tenth Amendment (protecting the states rights) in which Minsky downloaded the United States Supreme Court decision intervening in the Florida-vote controversy and handing the presidential election to George W. Bush. In my opinion, this clearly sets an example of irony by portraying how the government abused the Bill of Rights by “intervening” in the Florida-vote controversy. I agree with Minsky’s opinion because he states “It’s a little crooked” referring to the docket in brown leather with the spine title off-center. I agree with his statement because Minsky is making reference to the government and how the government can be shady and crooked at times; in this case, at the time of one of the most important elections in the United States (presidential election). Another example of a piece of Mr.Minsky’s artwork that I found to be fairly clever is for the Third Amendment, barring the forced quartering of soldiers in private homes. His artwork was represented by a reimagined nuclear football (which was like the codes for unleashing atomic bombs) and it contained a novel of “Seven Days in May” by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey. This novel was about the nation’s top military commander seeking to command the White House and I found this example of Minsky’s artwork to be very intriguing. It is a shame that in the world we live in, people can reach to a high level of importance and recognition, then suddenly want to misuse their power for evil and negativity towards people’s rights.
3) In my opinion, the reflection of the Bill of Rights in the United States has its pros and cons. For instance, people in the US have the full right to the first 10 Amendments listed in the Bill of Rights; however, when these rights are being abused by the government or by any higher power, it is difficult to state these rights are truly reflected in society. I have not yet to personally experience a distortion in the Bill of Rights but I have heard of such incidences in which I am appalled by. The Bill of Rights do cover majority of our rights to the full extent (with its crookedness hidden beneath the clear lines). For instance, as a young citizen in the United States, if I have an opinion about the government or any politics such as this blog post, I have the freedom to post my opinion without having to worry about being arrested or being convicted of anything in such sort. This is defined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights as the freedom of expression. Another example in which the Bill of Rights support me, I had to legally change my name on my birth certificate because there was an error; therefore, in the state of New York I am given the right to have a court case on legally changing my name. This is defined in the Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights as guarantee to a public trial . Being a citizen in this country is also being given important rights that should always be 100% assuring to the people and should never be misused or abused in any way.
ReplyDeleteIn the NY Times article, "Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint" by Ralph Blumenthal we can see Richard Minsky view on the Bill of rights and its current role in modern US society. He believes and it is very clear how he decries, or openly criticizes the government for slowly taking away our rights. It is true that our rights have been altered by the government, and as an artist, Minsky has used his artwork to prove his point. For each of the 10 amendments he has found a way to express his point of view and turn it into artwork. Minsky considers the Bill of Rights to be very important, and suggests we enjoy our rights while we have them. When he mentions that “the works are available as a set” it also refers to our rights listed on the Bill of rights. Just like you can’t have only one of his artworks, you shouldn’t only have one of your rights.
ReplyDeleteMinsky criticizes the government on the Fourth Amendment, which states our right against unreasonable search and seizure. “Mr. Minsky chose a copy of ''Neuromancer,'' William Gibson's 1984 science-fantasy novel presenting cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. He built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card and hot-stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil.” I agree to his view on how the government is pretty much going around the 4th amendment by easily going on the internet to find anything they please. People do not realize that it’s the little things that the government does that eventually end up restraining our rights. This is closely related to the criticism he showed for “the right to privacy” which although there is no direct amendment for it, it mostly falls under the 9th amendment. As a matter of fact, the government can obtain any kind of information from the citizens, which does not give room for “privacy” for example; the government IS allowed to tap into phone lines to listen to conversations without given consent and also access any type of information online.
ReplyDeleteIs the Bill of Rights reflected in or distorted in modern US society? Well I strongly believe it is distorted in many ways. Let’s start with the first amendment; which includes freedom of speech and expression. Like Pricilla said, it is illegal to say “bomb” in public facilities like trains, buses, and especially airplanes. Well, don’t we have the right to say anything we please? This is one way the government has abridged on our rights, but people don’t seem to do anything about it. I absolutely agree with Nicole when she mentions that this situation is all up to the people; if they care enough for their rights, they must do something about it.
Richard Minsky's views on the bill of rights in modern day society feels as though the government is overlooking the rights we are given. He briefly summarized each bill of right followed along with a book that has an opposite outcome/occurrence dealing with past events and decisions that were made in his view. All examples of the interpretation by Richard Minsky have violated or have no complied with the rights we are entitled to. The Bill of Rights just seem like words written on paper, they are not as strongly enforced as before. Amendment I, grants freedom of speech, press, peaceful assembly and establishment of religion. The burning a copy of Salman Rushdie's " Satanic Versus" demonstrates a limit of freedom of press and freedom of speech, it wasn't allowed to be read. In today's society freedom of speech and freedom of press are censored and limited to what others feel is appropriate. We don't have the full rights to speak our minds and share views, bias or unbias. Amendment VI, in criminal prosecution, the accused shall enjoy the right to speedy and public trial, etc... Mr.Minsky uses the book "The Run of His Life: The People versus O.J.Simpson" to interpret his view. Many trials are unfair, some jurors can become bias in trials without truly looking into evidence, choosing a side may be possible and sympathizing with criminals unfairly in some cases can occur. Our rights in today's society aren't as strictly enforced as they use to be back in history. This may be due to the lack of knowledge on the part of the citizen themselves, but also towards the government for taking advantage in this possible issue. Not knowing the rights to which they are entitled to have may expand the opportunity for injustice ruling. If not knowing your amendment rights as a citizen of America there could be a situation in which you can be subjected to punishment without you realizing why or how its possible. Those who understand the rights they have will have an advantage and understand their rights and determine whether somebody is abusing their power in the legal system.
ReplyDeleteBased on the article,"Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint" Richard Minsky relates to the Bill of Rights as a crooked spine.A reality he treasures is the Bill of Rights.He feels that our rights are being tampered and taken away one by one. Richard Minsky is an artist who expresses his feelings towards these rights being taken away from us citizens in the form of art. Through art, he tries to show people how the Ten Amendments to the Constitution has affected the lives of citizens."While you got them, enjoy them",said Minsky. He strongly feels that no matter what rights we have, the government or any type of leader will change around the words and we couldn't do anything about it. Like Divina said, Not only are these "promised"rights being violated, but they are being violated by the government who has promised these rights to the people.
ReplyDeleteMinsky tries to open the eyes of people and make them realize that the Bill of Rights are protecting the guilty, rather than the innocent.
Minsky’s portrayal of the sixth amendment, guarantee of a speedy and public trial, shows the trial of O.J Simpson as an example of the crooked ways of the Bill of Rights. Minsky glued a black-leather glove daubed with red paint onto a copy of Jeffrey Tobin's best seller,"The Run of His Life." I feel that the black glove represents the glove used to kill and was used at his trial. The red paint represents the people killed.The Bill of Rights had granted O.J Simpson a speedy and public trial and he won. I agree with Minsky's criticism on this amendment due to the fact I feel O.J Simpson is guilty. His speedy trial and the Bill of Rights took his side, where the court and everyone else was so caught up in the law that common sense was not thought of properly.
For the Ninth Amendment, reserving all enumerated rights to the people,Minsky highlighted "the right to privacy." We are taken our rights to privacy as well. Computers are being hacked, phones are being tapped, there's so many things that goes on that has taken away our rights.
The Bill of Rights is distorted in modern US society. The Amendments could be read and interpreted by different people. The Bill of Rights could mislead. You may think you have a certain right, but in the end it back fires when someone else could twist the words around better.
BY: Angela Salmos
D-Block
Richard Minsky is a very creative artist. How he uses books along with other materials to convey his ideas is very interesting. Richard Minsky believes that the Bill of Rights were designed to keep the government from growing too powerful and he is right. The Bill of Rights gives us opportunities unheard of in other parts of the world. However, he realizes that they can also be altered to serve the government's will. Basically, Mr. Minsky believes that the Bill of Rights are here for a good cause, but we need to do something before we lose them to the government. One of his more dynamic pieces shows how the 9th Amendment is being lost. The case of Princess Diana dying in the car crash is tragic. This event was made even more tragic by the media trying to get as much information as possible out of the event. The media hounded the crash site trying to get pictures of Diana to sell for their newspapers. I have to agree with Breanna Pizzolo; just because a person has fame or royal blood, doesn't mean they are free from the 9th Amendment protecting their privacy. The second work of art that spoke to me was about the 3rd Amendment. The attaché case with the codes for a nuclear war next to a book about a general who wants to take over the White House is a frightening possibility. The President has the power to override this because he is the commander in chief, but what is to stop him from taking tips from a general to take away our rights? In this day in age, The Bill of Rights does its job, and it does make a difference in our everyday lives, but they are too easily altered. As of right now, the Bill of Rights is distorted. The Patriot Act and the media constantly violate our right to privacy, and we can’t say certain things about certain people without being accused as terrorists. We need to work to keep our rights so the government can’t take them away.
ReplyDeleteRichard Minsky’s view on the Bill of Rights is definitely viewed in a negative way. His selection of books with the art along with them mostly represents how our rights are being violated by the government. It seems that he thinks that the government is violating the rights that we were born with by putting limits on them. Richard is sort of showing us how the Bill of Rights is a contradiction to our modern day society through his art by displaying an amendment with a book and creative piece that reflects his feelings on how the amendment is limited in present day. Richard Minsky’s piece of art for the 5th amendment was a khaki colored cover with a poem called “Branches” by Mitch Cullin with a police badge on the cover and 9 bullet holes on the inside. The poem was about how a sheriff gained too much power and took the law in his own hands. The 5th amendment is a guaranteed due process of law to a criminal defendant. Richard used the poem as an example to how government officials don’t always give criminals time with the jury and automatically just lock them up. Richard Minsky’s creative piece for the 4th amendment included book called “Neuromancer” By William Gibson which was about cyberspace and how the government intrudes into our privacy. The book reflected on Richard’s views on the 4th amendment by criticizing how the government can easily invade our privacy on the internet, phone etc. The Bill of Rights is distorted in modern day society because of certain events (like terrorism) that happened in our country caused the government to put limits on our rights in order to protect us.
ReplyDelete-Michelle Naidoo D Block
1) In the New York Times article, Richard Minsky, a professional artist and bookbinder, believes that the Bill of Rights has become corrupted by government. Richard Minsky exemplifies the violation of this historical document through his controversy masterpieces. Minsky clearly expresses his opinion with his statements about the Bill of Rights and government throughout the article. Minsky initial states, “I like art that give you a reality fix,” signifying his intended purpose in creating his artwork. Minsky believes that his artwork will provide Americans with the truth and show that the government has violated the Bill of Rights in the past. He believes that if Americans become aware of the government corruption, government authority will remain neutralized preventing them from committing future violations. This statement by Minsky clearly shows that he supports the Bill of Rights as he wants Americans to recapture the principles in the document by limiting governments authority in society. Minsky elaborates this argument in his second statement by stating “While you got them, enjoy them.” The statement suggests that Minsky believes that Americans should take advantage of their amendments because they could be relinquished to government in the future. Minsky statements serves as motivation because Americans would not want to relinquish their human rights or liberties without a fight to the government especially. Therefore, these human beings would observe the government with close eyes to ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities and are becoming too powerful. Once again, Minsky statement shows that he clearly support the Bill of Rights as he is preserve its traditional values by motivating Americans to follow in his footsteps. Richard Minsky refers to the 10th Amendment and the Presidential Election between Gore and Bush to refer to the Bill of Rights as, “It’s a little crooked.” Minsky statements signifies that he believes that the traditional values and principles of the Bill of Rights have been already corrupted by government to fulfill their needs. He believes that the Presidential Election was corrupted because the electoral vote outweighed the popular vote. This shows readers that government went against the values of a democracy as the decision of the majority was rejected for the electoral college. Minsky statement also serves as motivation by showing Americans that government has already influenced a presidential election and if they remain untamed, government could influence much more. Minsky believes government has to be contained to ensure that the Bill of Rights remains stabilized and fuels the principles of society.
ReplyDelete2) Richard Minsky criticizes the corruption of the Bill of Rights by the United States government throughout the article. Minsky believes that the government has exemplified that they have violated the first ten amendment in previous history and believes that they have to be contained to further corruption. In the New York Times article, Minsky illustrated the Ninth Amendment, the right to privacy, to demonstrate that government allows news reporters and tabloids to publicize specific individuals without their consent. Minsky uses the example of the Princess Diana and her tragic death to symbolize that the Ninth Amendment is not always granted to individuals. Princess Diana’s death was widely published around the world, although Diana nor her family received any documental request about her right to privacy. The government violated this amendment for personal greed as millions of Americans would become emotionally invested in the situation and would watch television to become informed or purchase a newspaper or purchase a newspaper or magazine to learn about the situation.
- Kevin Conroy (Block D)
Continued...
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Richard Minsky exemplified the Tenth Amendment, protecting states’ rights, to demonstrate the corruption of government. Minsky involved the Presidential Election between Al Gore and George W. Bush because the controversial decision to award the presidency to the candidate with the most electoral votes instead of the popular votes. The United States is a democracy; therefore, the popular vote should be the determining factor in any election because power is derived from the people. The government decision to chose the candidate with the majority of electoral votes goes against a democracy and alternatively violates the Tenth Amendment as the majority is ruled against.
3) Richard Minsky argument about the corruption of the Bill of Rights by government could be observed in modern society. The Ninth Amendment, the Right to Privacy, is violated on a daily basis especially with celebrities and sports athletes. Braylon Edward, a Jets Wide Receiver, was committed of DWI and was sentenced to court. Edwards was harassed by tabloids with his departure from the courtroom and never provided consent for these reporters to photograph, videotape, or record him in any way, shape, or form. Other celebrities are harassed by photographers while trying to complete their daily activities. They are unable to live a normal lifestyle because the Ninth Amendment is not enforced; therefore, tabloid can harass these individuals without any punishment. Also, the First Amendment is violated on a daily basis. Freedom of Religion is a controversy issue as different individuals have conflicting beliefs, customs, and cultures which are often criticized and discriminated against by other human beings. Additionally, human beings of different religions and ethnic groups are more likely to be discriminated against than others. This is especially apparent in security checkpoints as certain human beings are checked more seriously than others because of their appearance, religion, culture, customs, etc. The same could be said about freedom of speech. Americans have the opportunity to express themselves but not always in the way they want. We have to be careful with our word usage because if a statement is said in a wrong way it could become a hate crime or threat which could result in imprisonment. All in all, I believe the Bill of Rights has become distorted in society. Americans are provided human rights and liberties but these rights and liberties are slowly disappearing as our country grows older. Although we are lucky to have these amendments, the government should not have the opportunity to change them without formal revising the amendments.
I believed that Chamika’s statements about the government becoming to large is relevant with the corruption of the Bill of Rights. Although government has enlarged with the emergence of this historical document, the population has expanded even further. I believe the government could sometimes become overwhelmed with their responsibilities in accounting for millions of human beings and could void amendments to control the population and keep it in check.
- Kevin Conroy (Block D)
Richard Minsky's views on the Bill of Rights in modern day society is unfair and misleading. Richard Minsky is an artist expressing his feelings towards the Amendments through art.He has been quite successful as bis art work is being offered $18,000 each. His strong opinion about the Bill of Rights has made wonder about how crooked our rights turned out to be.Minsky clearly states, "While you got them, enjoy them" He feels while we have any type of rights, enjoy them before someone can twist up the words and change the whole meaning. I agree with Angela that Minsky strongly feels that no matter what rights we have, the government or any type of leader will change around the words and we couldn't do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteMinsky criticized the sixth amendment using a comparison to O.J Simpson. For the Sixth Amendment guaranteeing a speedy and public trial, he glued a black-leather glove daubed with red onto a copy of Jeffrey Toobin's best seller "The Run of His Life". I agree to this criticism because O.J Simpson should of been proven guilty, but instead the Bill of Rights helps him out. His speedy trial interfered with everyone's common sense. Everyone was so caught up in the constitution that no one sat and thought about how working around the law makes things so much more difficult when the evidence is right in front of your face. Minsky is trying to portray that instead of our rights helping us as citizens, it helps people who doesn't even deserve these rights.
For the Fourth Amendment, against unreasonable search and seizure, Minsky chose a copy of "Neuromancer," William Gibson's 1984 novel presenting cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. People today abuse technology. Hacking onto sites that shouldn't be seen and death threats are even being made. Minsky is trying to portray that the government will soon eliminate our rights more and more if people don't grow up, yet we have a right to say whatever we want due to freedom of speech. There are so many point of views on our rights out there, from the innocent, to guilty, and to the government.
I feel that the Bill of Rights is very distorted because it could mixed around in so many ways. There will always be someone out there who will change the words and show a different side to the law and what is written. I respect Minsky because I feel he is opening the eyes to people and trying to say to be careful, cause the Bill of Rights could end up being your worst enemy.
Jose Valentin
D-block
1. Richard Minsky views the Bill of Rights as the principles behind our countries laws. He believes that in all trials, actions, and literature the Bill of Rights should be the basic laws to abide by. However, even though some people do not follow the Bill of Rights, Richard is saying the main source of power, the United States government, is weakening the power of the Bill of Rights by not following it in civil cases as well as criminal cases. Moreover, through this article, Richard Minsky points out to novels, trials and illustrations, in which he says the Bill of Rights is ignored and has gone obsolete.
ReplyDelete2. Richard Minsky criticizes the Bill of Rights by using Art. For example, Richard Minsky uses the O.J Simpson trial to show contradiction to the sixth Amendment. The sixth Amendment states a guarantee to a speedy trial. However, the O.J Simpson trial took almost a year. It took a long time for O.J to be proven guilty or non- guilty because the evidence was tampered with and finding new evidence was hard. Evidence of a black glove with O.J’s DNA was found. Nevertheless, O.J was still denied the right to a speedy trial. Richard Minsky also uses the example of Princess Diana to show that the ninth Amendment was denied. After the death of Princess Diana, news broadcasters, and television companies started to broadcast the death of Princess Diana but putting up picture of her fatal car crash. This not only shows disrespect to the Princess of Wales, but also denies the right to privacy. Her family probably was shocked when the pictures of her death were on television and in newspapers. Through the criticisms of the sixth and ninth Amendment, I agree with Richard Minsky that in both instances both people were denied the freedoms mentioned in the Bill of Rights.
3. The Bill of Rights in the United States today has become partially distorted. Even though courts and justice systems try to give everyone an equal share in a trial, sometimes people’s rights are denied. Because of greed, power, and self consciousness, people in power turn from the greater good for personal profits. For example, the situation with Guantanamo Bay. In Guantanamo Bay, there were innocent and non- innocent people. Even though the overall objective was to keep U.S citizens protected, some U.S citizens were detained in this camp. This meant that the first amendment was violated, since the innocent U.S citizens weren’t able to say they were innocent. Along with the first amendment, the fifth, seventh, and ninth amendments were violated. Even though people try to prevail our rights sometimes their actions violates our rights, which is seen in today’s society.
----KENNY CHO E block
Mr. Minsky has taken the bill of rights and combines it with art using books and history. Mr. Minsky takes each amendment and uses a piece of artwork he creates to show the world what the amendment means in the government eyes. Like for example, he burned a book called " Satanic Verses" by Salman Bushdies in order to show people that not everything about the 1st amendment is protected. I agree with Mr. Minsky because even though people have looked at cases in the past like Brown vs. Board of Ed or Des Moines vs. Tinker and believes that the government protects their right. But not always. Mr. Minsky uses his views and opinions about the bill of rights and how it's being used or interpt by government. Like the first and eighth amendment he uses a burned book claiming that not everyone on society will approve every religion, eapically the government. And for the eighth amendment, Minsky dresses up alittle book like a convict and chains it to a cell. Minsky says" you can take the book out for excerise but it must go back to it's cell". I agree with John about how the government has the will to change the bill of rights. Even though the bill of rights were created to protect our rights, then why are police or government officials at peaceful protests hosing people down? Like the marches Martin Luther King Jr once led. And also I agree with him about the ninth amendment losing it's value about the right of privacy. Remember Roe vs. Wade? Roe wanted and abortion but her privacy was spread around and she sued Wade for violating her ninth amendment. The bill of rights is indeed reflected on our modern history.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Gonzalez D block
Richard Minsky is an artist who uses books to portray his view on The Bill of Rights.Each of the books he uses represents one of the first ten amendments.Minsky is definitely dissapointed on how The Bill of Rights is being ignored in today's society. Minsky uses certain books that correctly depicts how The Bill of Rights is being overlook by society and how our rights are taken away by the government. His art snaps us back to reality and shows us that we aren't being treated as fair as we think we are. His art shows the unfairness, and violation of the government, as well as the ignorance of people. Basically, he is trying to tell us that The Bill of Rights is being ignored and we need to uphold The Bill of Rights and remember how important they are to each and every single citizen in the country.
ReplyDeleteOne of the criticisms about The Bill of Rights that Robert Minsky showed in his art, was about the first amendment. In this art piece, Robert Minsky burned a book called "Satanic Verses". This represented how the government has allowed restrictions to the freedom of speech and expression. It also represented how the government has censored many things and also putting limitations to the first amendment. I agree with his opinion because i feel that the government has wrongfully censored and put limits to many things including internet, television and ads. Another criticism of Robert Minsky in the form of book art is based on the forth amendment. He used the book called "Neuromancer" which was basically an introduction to cyberspace. He used this book to represent how the government does not respect our right to privacy because the government is able to search or e-mails, what web sites we search, and hard drives. I agree with Minsky because whether we like it or not the government does invade our privacy without us even knowing. This is against the fourth amendment but it just shows us how corrupted the government has become.
The Bill of Rights is distorted in modern U.S. society. The government modifies The Bill of Rights to fit their needs and to limit the power of the people. These rights are constantly ignored by the government and the people. Some people don't even know their rights which makes it easier for the government to control and accuse them.
I agree with Tiana because a citizen who does not know their own rights can be punished without knowing why and the person who does know their rights will have the advantage and be able to defend themselves.
-Ariel Leiva C-block
1. Minsky is a creative artist who likes to tie art into reality. Minsky’s appreciation of art comes from his belief that “art that gives you a reality fix”. Through this belief, Minsky is suggesting that art is the only form that doesn’t “candy coat” or distort reality, the way the media does now at days. He believes that art can illustrate the true facet of the Bill of Rights, so no right is misinterpreted; therefore it is art that can stir true emotions because art has the power to unmask the veil from reality. By deciding to dedicate his artwork to the Bill of Rights, Minsky is already asserting his interest of the amendments by further analyzing their role in society. Minsky’s collection is clearly a celebration to the Bill of Rights because he stated “While you got them, enjoy them.” Minsky’s statement suggest that he believes that the ten amendments are a privilege- meaning that if this privilege is taken away then the enjoyment of life will decay. Therefore, the Bill of Rights’ primary role is to protect and reassure the public that justice is not blind by making sure that there’s a balance in society. However through his creations, Minsky doesn’t believe that the Bill of Rights is being enforced properly- instead it has turned into a manipulated piece of paper.
ReplyDelete2. Minsky creatively criticizes the abuse of the government by using the Bill of Rights as an evident proof. In the fourth amendment, against any unreasonable search and seizure, Minsky uses the book “Neuromancer” by William Gibson- which is a 1984 science fantasy novel that presented cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to government intrusion. According to Minsky, Gibson accurately proves his point that the internet is merely a tool so private information is accessible through hacking. This stands true to today because the government is constantly tapping into phones and monitoring cyberspace. Thus the excessiveness of invasion is a clear violation to the fourth amendment because privacy is no longer in control of the owner, but to the public. To illustrate his belief, Minsky built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card and hot-stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil. The imbedded network interface card demonstrates how there are secret devices in which people are unaware of that intrudes our personal rights. In addition, Minsky criticizes the Seventh Amendment, which states that jury trial are provided for cases over twenty dollars, by using the Litigation Explosion as an example of how people are fiscally taking advantage of others. The litigation explosion claims that lawsuits are merely a tactic that robs people of their money because parties spends expensive time meeting with hungry lawyers and fighting with the other side that nothing gets accomplished. This means that America is a litigious society that debates over the minor issues, which concludes that America is fascinated over courtroom drama. For example, a woman would see a newly mopped floor and plans a fall to only run to her attorney to hustle a few bucks. This typical moment is a clear example of how people are abuse the seventh amendment to satisfy their greedy desires. Minsky also wraps the book with what seems to be a collage of twenty dollar bills but closely the cover appears to be artificial as well because Jackson has been replaced by Madison. The switch of the faces represents the ruses that people are using to benefit from the seventh amendment, therefore, Minsky is suggesting that the Bill of Rights is not only abused by the government but by the people as well. I agree with Minsky because the government isn’t the only selfish group in the world, there are also people who exploits their rights to gain advantages.
Jessica Chan
E Block;
3. The Bill of Rights is definitely distorted in modern US history because there are so many different interpretations that it can apply to. I agree with Ariel that the government is guilty of limiting the power of the people as evidence of the excessive use to the elastic clause to twists words around. This also points me to Vanessa’s statement in which she believes that the relationship between the government and the people is losing trust which can serve as a major problem because what’s the use of electing representatives when there’ no trust involved? Without trust, there would just be chaos because everyone will be everyone’s worst enemy. However, I believe the government AND the people are both accountable for misusing the Bill of Rights because people are humans, and human are naturally self-seeking. As humans we also have different way of thinking, which means that there isn’t a direct interpretation of the Bill of Rights because everyone sees/understands in their personal perceptions.
ReplyDeleteJessica Chan
E Block;
In this article “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint” Richard Minsky clearly believes that the government is slowly taking away our rights. This is true because even I present time our rights are being stripped slowly. As an artist Richard Minsky represents the Ten Amendments through pieces of artwork. Minsky said ''While you got them, enjoy them'' meaning enjoy your rights while you have them because in the end they won’t exist. Minsky criticizes the government about the Ninth Amendment that states that we have “the right to privacy”. He criticized the amendment by using a book of that name by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy and re-illustrating it with photos of Diana, Princess of Wales, including endpapers depicting her fatal car crash. I agree with Minsky because after the attacks of 9/11 the government was allowed to phone tap our phones without saying anything to the public. Minsky also criticizes the government on the Fourth Amendment , against unreasonable search and seizure. Mr. Minsky chose a copy of ''Neuromancer,'' William Gibson's 1984 science-fantasy novel presenting cyberspace as a realm vulnerable to governmental intrusion. He built a slipcase with an imbedded network interface card and hot-stamped it with the text of the amendment in hologram foil. I agree with Minsky because the government will literally do anything it takes to get information even if it means going into cyberspace and intruding on certain sites. The Bill of Rights in modern US history is definitely distorted. As citizens we are entitled to these rights but the rights seem to be slowly disappearing. We might try and do something but were going up against the government. So who do you think is going to win?
ReplyDeletejustin castro D-block
ReplyDeleteIn the article Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World out of Joint, artist and professional bookbinder Richard Minsky thinks of the Bill of Rights as a crooked spine. He finds many things wrong with our Rights and connects them relevantly to art. Minsky also feels the ten amendments are very important. With each of the first ten amendments, Minsky Gives us examples through art to show that the Amendments aren’t really protecting us like they should be. Minskys perspective is we are loosing our rights and many of us do not even notice it. For example, our right to privacy has been violated after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 when phones have been tapped, and conversations were listened too and recorded without our knowing. Who knows what other information the government has under their control from us. The government is basically taking away rights in order for more protection. The government find ways around the Amendments in a very sneaky way. Minsky says the government is taking them (our rights) away one by one. I agree with Minsky’s point of views. As stated before for each of the amendments, he cleverly includes novels, documentaries or pictures that work to go along with the amendment. Amendment nine Right to Privacy is illustrated very well. He uses a novel “Right to Privacy” by Ellen Alderman and Carolina Kennedy, and also includes pictures of Diana, Princess of Wales, fatal car crash which took her life. Her death should not have been leaked out for public viewing. Amendment six addresses the right to a speedy trial. Minsky showed this amendment when he glued a glove with red substance on it (representing blood) to the back of a copy of Jeffrey Toobin's best seller ''The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson. Minsky is very intelligent and his way of connecting books and other works to amendments is mind boggling. Minsky says “We should enjoy our rights while we still have them”. This quote proves that the Bill of Rights is distorted in modern society. Our rights are being taken away and there is nothing we can do about it. It seems the government always finds away around our rights to restrict them. Most people don’t even realize our rights are being violated. However in certain circumstances, it could be acceptable to violate some right in order to protect the nation in a crisis. Our freedom of speech has been limited. For example as stated before, we cannot yell bomb or fire in a public area. There are certain things we cannot say even though we are suppose to be able to say what we want.
ReplyDeleteJamir Archer, D-Block
Richard Minsky’s view on the bill of right is that the government is not being fair to the citizens of the United States. He feels that the bill of right is taking away our rights one by one. In the 4th amendment “'The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” ( without a warrant from a judge, nobody can invade the privacy of a us citizen but after September 11th 2001 the united states government overrules the privacy of a citizen by tapping into the phones. I totally agree with Richard Minsky because we are all equal and we all have rights especially the right to have some privacy. The bill of rights in my idea would be distorted and reflected because anybody in this country has freedom of speech but sometimes just why joking around if you say the wrong thing to somebody about terrorist attacks many will belief you or many will just freak out. Everyone was born in this world with natural rights but they can easily be taken away by the government if you say or do the wrong thing. David Innamorato block E <333333333333333333333333333333333333
ReplyDeleteA clear believer of individual liberties, Richard Minsky uses his first amendment right to express his feelings about the Bill of Rights. As an artist, Minsky was able to depict and contradict the ideas behind the first ten amendments. Using literature, DVD's and other creative tools, Richard went about portraying each amendment in a mocking manner. He was very successful in proving that the freedoms that were promised to Americans have all been ignored and over powered at one point or another. The ninth amendment, for example, is supposed to guarantee that any rights not explicitly protected by the bill of rights should not be violated. The right to privacy is one of rights that were not specifically written in the bill of rights, and for that reason cannot be violated. But, Mr.Minsky portrays how this right was stripped from the princess of Wales, by putting pictures and papers of her car accident that ended her life on a book titled "The Right to Privacy." The pictures and papers were obviously out for the public eye to view proving that people's right to privacy has been compromised. Mr.Minsky also accurately expresses how some of the actions of the government completely contradicts the freedom that the tenth amendment is supposed to protect. According to the last amendment in the Bill of Rights, rights not reserved to the federal government are state rights and cannot be violated meanwhile in 2000 the Supreme Court ruled that the a voting dispute that occured in Florida was to conclude with the presidential election being handed to George W Bush. It is clear that federal and state boundaries seem to have faded in that predicament. In recent times, certain freedoms continue to be compromised. Although the majority of the time the Bill of Rights seem to be protecting the citizens of the United States, there are the specific occasions when powers are taken advantage of and liberties are being restrained. Not too long ago, I heard a story in the news about a girl who also suffered fatality in a car crash and gruesome photos of the horrible scene were leaked into the internet where millions of people were able to see the intimate details of her tragic death. Just as Shivanna stated, I feel that although most people are able to agree that their civil liberties are continoulsy protected by the Bill of Rights, they do seem to sometimes be limited or even taken away by the government.
ReplyDeleteCaileen Gonzalez E-Block
The article “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint,” pin points Richard Minsky's views of the Bill of Rights. Minsky's comparison of the Bill of Rights being like a crooked spine fascinates me in how well it can be connected to the United States without Amendments. This in which Minsky details throughout the entire article. Minsky is 100% correct in his opinion of the United States being out of place if there were no amendments. Without the amendments, this country would be insane, well MADLY insane being that it is already a bit crazy. But the point is, rules are needed everywhere to keep order PERIOD. Sure, this is a free country, but every freedom has its limits. The Bill of Rights can sometimes be compromised or set aside when the country is withholding a crisis. Minsky mentions freedom of speech and freedom of privacy that which can be endangered, but only to ensure safety among US citizens. If a random person runs around yelling about a bomb going off, obviously they will be arrested or questioned by authority to keep the citizens of the United States around them sane and calm.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Bill of Rights is never set completely aside. It is however, compromised in necessary terms. I for one, do not have any sort of issue with Congress limiting my rights for my own safety. Limiting, as in not eliminating my rights..
Based on the article, i would hazard a guess that this artist believes our constitutional rights are infringed too often and our government is trying to take them away from us. Almost as if this document written to ensure our liberties has been corrupted by the very government that created it.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note, I would agree with the artist's criticisms of the 10nth and 9nth amendments. The Artist brings to focus a very valid point. Our media did publicize the tragic death of Princess Diana of Wales unconstitutionally. Surely even a princess from another country doesn't need to have her death unethically shown to all Americans on CNN. It is simply unconstitutional. As for Amendment 10,everybody knows that bush being elected in th 2000 election was "a bit crooked". The Supreme Court intervened with the people's word, the very fabric of this nation's ideals. A little bit crooked seems to be fitting for this case and the bill of rights in my opinion.
Finally, it is my personal belief that, as evidenced by the author, the bill of rights is Distorted and "crooked" in todays society. The instances showcased in the art make that explicitly clear. The reason i believe this is so, other than the government trying to take them from us, is the amount of interpretations of this document. This blog would be a good example, there are a lot of different ways of thinking in this country. It would only make sense for there to be two sides to each coin so to speak. Meaning this senator may interpret the right to free speech a shade differently than Mr Brown from Ohio.
Travis Knight D Block
1. All artists have creative minds and view things in a variety of ways compared to typical people. Mr. Richard Minsky, artistically, interpreted the Bill of Rights. To interpret first amendment, Mr. Minsky, burned a book. For the second amendment, Mr. Minsky decided to make a bulls-eye on a novel entitled, “Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat.” Richard Minsky interpreted the third amendment by featuring a movie where a commander in the armed forces is trying to become the commander in the white house. The interpretation I found funniest was Mr. Minsky’s sixth amendment interpretation. I agree with Gina that the sixth amendment stood out. This interpretation stood out because it featured a black leather glove splattered with red paint. This glove was then attached to a book about O.J. Simpson. For the Bill of Rights, Mr. Minsky, was very witty when he interpreted the amendments.
ReplyDelete2. One of the criticisms I agree with is the sixth amendment. Honestly, I laughed out loud. I found it funny that he would use a leather glove dipped/splattered with red paint to represent a fair trial. In my opinion, like Richard’s, feel O.J. did murder the victim. Another criticism I agree with is the criticism of the fifth amendment which is the right of due process. Due process is the protection of an individual from the state. I feel with Mr. Minsky’s copy of the Mitch Cullin’s poem, “Branches,” depicts that individuals aren’t protected by the government. Like Richard Minsky, I feel the same. Also, the deputy badge, khakis, and bullet shells, depict that the state abuses due process. This is how I and Mr. Minsky are similar in our political views.
3. Personally, I feel that our Bill of Rights is distorted in modern U.S. society. Our first amendment seems to be violated most often. For example, the first amendment states we have the freedom of speech and religion. However, certain people are discriminated based on their religions. In the news, I often read about religious discrimination. Also, we are guaranteed the right to be innocent until proven guilty. However, if you’re accused of committing a crime you are placed in a holding cell until your trial. If we are innocent until proven guilty, there is no reason for someone to be in a holding cell. Apparently, we are guilty until proven innocent. These are two ways that our Bill of Rights is distorted in modern U.S. society.
GLENN KUGELMAN
C-BLOCK
I agree with Alessandra in that even though we live in a free country with rights, there's always a limit on them to ensure our safety. It makes sense that if someone is screaming "I HAVE A BOMB" in the middle of Times Square then they are obviously going to get taking in for questioning by government officials. I don't mind having my rights being limited as long as the government keeps our country stable and protect us from harm.
ReplyDelete-Michelle Naidoo D Block
1) Richard Minsky's view on the bill of rights is that american government and the document tend to contradict each-other. In Minsky's point of view the government isn't holding up their part of the bargin. The role of the bill of rights in society has fallen incredibly from something that the american live by to something that the government just keeps as a peice of paper to ignore.
ReplyDelete2) One of Minsky's art projects is his sculpture based on the amendment that states that a person"has a right to a quick and speedy trial" the peice includes the book "the run of his life the people vs OJ SIMPSON". On the cover of the book Minsky glued a leather glove dipped in red paint to represent blood. the ironic symbolism of this work of art is that is states Oj Simpson did not have quick and speedy trial. i agree with this unwritten statement because the OJ Simpson case was unusally long.
3) i Agree with Michelle and Alessandra. though our American society has more freedom than most countrys, we still do have occasional limits that concern our well being. but i do disagree because there have been more denial of our right just so the government gets it's way.
henna Tariq
F-block
This article was about artist Richard Minsky who practices a concept completely new to me; book art. Basically, he created visual displays using different books to represent each of our ten amendments which he believe s the government is slowly but subtly trying to take from us.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite of his displays were definitely the sixth amendment representation (which guarantees a speedy public trial) because it was related to OJ Simpson’s case. I viewed it on the website for his display and I really do agree with him when he says the government is trying to take away our amendments. Slowly and through excuses like “its for your protection” this horrible accusation might just become a reality.
I think that the bill of rights isn’t too effective in our society. For example, during school and other places of the same nature, our freedom of speech, religion, and press is limited. Also, during wartime or other hectic times, our freedom and privacy is limited and/pr taken away. I totally agree with Priscilla in that the government finds loop holes and ways around the rules to get to us.
Irmak Karakelle D Block
Richard Minsky is a talented artist with an interesting perspective on the Bill of Rights. He created ten pieces of work that showed the irony of the first ten amendments. He choose ten different books that contradicted each of the ten amendments. Through Minskys' art pieces, he displays his opinion of how the Bill of Rights are slowly being altered by the government. Each book that Richard chose was an example of how the Bill of Rights were not fully guanrenteed and in some way have been altered. Minsky's tenth piece was based on Florida-vote controversy in which the Supreme Court got inovloved. The tenth amendment guarentees that states' rights are to be protected, but the government intervined in Florida's state problem. This is just one of the many cases that exemplified how the Bill of Rights are slowly being changed. Just like Priscilla stated, the government are finding ways to get around the rights that are promised to us, and convert it into a way for them to gain more control.
ReplyDeleteKenya Williams
D-block
in this article richard minsky talks about how the ten amendements are like art work and how you can view them differently. well he shows them as books and the stories that the books tell relate to the amendements.2 for me i dont agree with his ideas cause the books might no in full describe the meaning and point of the amendements and book sentece by sentece wont macth with the amendement this is notaccurate at all.3 to me the bill rights is not reflected in society all the time in the media people well speak there mind and people well criticize you and shun you and basically removed from popular society this is not really a reflection of the amendements
ReplyDeleteIn the article, “Artist Depicts the Bill of Rights in a World Out of Joint”, Richard Minsky explained his views on the Bill of Rights and his view of the government. Since he is an artist and bookbinder, his art portray his feelings that our rights are being messed with. He feels as if the government changes the Bill of Rights consistently and the people don’t have the rights that they should have. Minksy uses the term ‘crooked’, he means that people have their rights, but most of the time the government can go against it and take those rights away. I agree with Richard Minsky’s point of view on how the government changes our Bill of Rights so the government is satisfied. His unique idea using art, each of his ideas involve pictures or known novels. Denying our right to privacy, he used a book Right to Privacy by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy and re-illustrating it with photos of the Princess of Wales, Diana including endpapers representing her horrible car crash. Many of my classmates used September 11, 2001, as an example of how our rights are taken from us. We do not have our freedom of speech anymore, nor do we have our right to privacy. I agree with Ashley Miller on how it is not fair that the government suspend these rights. Whether it is phone calls, emails, and even text messages, they can view everything to make sure our country is safe, along with the government. It’s not fair that we have the Bill of Rights to guarantee our rights, but the government can come in and tamper with it to protect themselves.
ReplyDeleteBased on this article, Richard Minsky's view on the Bill of Rights and it's role in modern US society seems clear. Minsky feels as is our human rights are always being violated. He shows in his work that as humans, we all have rights but the government in different ways tries to interfere with them. For example, for the eighth amendment Minsky took a book on penology, rebounded the book in stripes and chained it to a small jail cell. He states, "You can take the book our for exercise, but then it must go back to it's cell." I agree with his interpretation of the eighth amendment because if a person goes to jail for an unproven reason, they will stay there unless proven not guilty. Minsky's ninth amendment interpretation was genius. He highlighted, "the right to privacy" with re-illustrated photos of Princess Diana with papers talking about her car crash. I totally agree with this as well because as humans we lack so much privacy and in some cases our lack of privacy even with it being an amendment can lead to death. The bill of rights is certainly distorted in modern US society. Irmak stated that our right of speech, religion and press is limited which is completely true. In places where people should be able to speak there minds we are limited. As a society we are aware of what we absolutely cannot say in public but what was ever wrong with stating an opinion? Sometimes even our opinions get us in trouble. Even when we are not guilty we are put in jail, our conversations are listened to even when we are not criminals. I just see it getting worse.
ReplyDeleteBased on the NY times article i think richard minskey veiws the bill of rights as something that needs to be corrected. he sees the bill of rights as being "crooked" and like priscilla said i also beleive minskey beleives the government is taking away out rights one by one without us realizing it. being an artist helped richard minskey depict how he felt about the constitution.he made abook with different pictures for each ammendment to represent his interpretation. he sees the government trying to take them one by one but he say" you have to have them all." i think he means we need all of the bill of rights to actuualy be a demcratic government. i cant say i agree with minskeys critiscisms because i dont understand any of his idea's. fot amendment six, the right to bear arms, he put the face of author Morris Dees in a bulls eye target. morris wrote the book "gathering storm: america's militia threat". is minskey trying to say that anyone who believes in the right to bear arms should be targeted ? if he does, i dont not agree. for the 1st amendment, the protection of freedom of religion,speech,expresion,ect he burned a copy opf "satanic verses." i tryed to understand what he was say but i couldn't. is he tryin to sat peoples words cant be protected? or is he saying since satanic verses can be burned so easily why cant anyone else's ? im just so lost, but if thats what he is saying ,once again i disagree. The Bill of Rights is distorted in US society. American citizens have more rights than the citizens of other countries but not all citizens use those rights. People do no realize the voice that they could have in their country. If the Bill of Rights was recognized more by citizens the United States would be a clear reflection of what the Bill of right stands for.
ReplyDeletetalon turner
c-block
Richard Minsky’s view of the Bill of Rights is that it’s something that we should cherish and celebrate. He even states himself “while you got them, enjoy them”. He demonstrates his appreciation for the Bill of Rights by giving each of the 1 through 10 amendments an artistic symbol that reflects the meaning and objective of the amendment. Minsky is demonstrating to the reader that parts of the Bill of rights can be found in our modern day American culture by doing so.
ReplyDeleteMr. Minsky view of the 2nd amendment, the right to bearing arms, I believe is that he isn’t against it but he understands the consequences of it and is showing these consequences through his symbolic example the “Gathering Storm: America’s Militia Threat “by Morris Dees. In this book, it discusses all of the hate crimes, tortures, fights and killings that have occurred in American history. My personal opinion is that yes, it is great that we have the right to bear arms but it isn’t great that there are people who are using their liberty as a way to do bodily harm to others. His view of the 9th amendment, reserving all unemunerated rights to the people, this view is contradicting as he shows it because yes, we have the right to privacy, but it shows now even though we have it privacy is still invaded. For example, the Princess of Wales Diana is used as his example and this is a good example because it is so easy to get a hold of the pictures of her fatal accident and he shows this by getting a hold of them and putting them in his exhibit.
I Believe that his whole exhibit shows how the Bill of rights is active in the modern American society but in a distorted way. The reason for this is that Mr. Minsky was able to find evidence of each amendment but a lot of the evidence was contradictory to the amendments themselves. This also brings out the issue to me, of how it is hard for a society to progress and still remain 100% faithful to their old rules and morals, I believe that the early congress members knew this and this is why we have the elastic clause.lol
Daelina Lockhart Block-A
Minsky’s thoughts are of one who has been brought down by society and has come to the realization that the government is overbearing us with rules and regulations that they think we will never notice, as they take peaces from our bill of rights and in time we will become the slaves in a dictatorship society. Minsky is saying that the Bill of Rights is one document; it doesn’t have every possible fact in it. There are loopholes and cracks that these corrupt members of our government can wean us over and slowly turn our society into a terrible lie. He is not directly stating what exactly is happening but he is giving us the realization/awakening that our society as a whole is changing slowly, but still changing. His art does depict that the government has changed our bill of rights given to us in some way or another.
ReplyDeleteMinskys point of view through his artwork, make sense and yes I do agree with his models and paintings. Minsky uses mainly novels and documentaries to represent his work. “For the First Amendment protecting freedom of expression, for example, he burned a copy of Salman Rushdie's ''Satanic Verses'' and sealed up the charred volume in an arabesque windowed reliquary.” The first amendment is violated every day, we are unable to speak our minds without having the consequences of saying the wrong word in a public place or having these bearing limitations. “For the Seventh Amendment, providing for jury trials in civil cases over $20, he selected ''The Litigation Explosion: What Happened When America Unleashed the Lawsuit'' by Walter K. Olson, and rebound it in mock $20 bills that replaced the image of President Andrew Jackson with that of James Madison, father of the Bill of Rights”. In this you can tell people can be pushed out as well as our rights. There are always limitations that we must follow and we will always have to deal with system and must deal with the pressures of the faulty cracks that people must win and try to get over.
The Bill of Rights is distorted in today’s U.S society. Foreigners in our country know more about their rights here then we do ourselves. People should realize the voice they have in our society and as a whole we can make a difference instead of letting the government push us down the cracks. We must all realize what the Bill of Rights stands for, for the U.S, for us.
Teddy Thompson
A-Block
1)Richard Minsky’s view on the Bill of Rights and its role in modern US society is one of great importance to him. Minsky believes that art is a quick reality fix and has found a way in doing so by embodying the Bill of Rights in a series of books as a way to exemplify the message that each Amendment is saying.This is a great way to convey his feelings about the Bill of Rights and how it has turned into a piece of paper that is slowly being taken back by the government, amendment by amendment. When asked by a customer wishing to purchase one of his books he merely stated, “ The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.” Minsky feels that his art has a purpose- to stimulate people and open their eyes about what is going on around them and that it important to take hold of the freedoms we were granted, before they get taken away. He analyzes their role in society and insists that there must be an equilibrium in order for us to function properly as a nation. It is Minsky’s art that is here to serve as a wake up call for us and an important reminder that we need to take action given these rights were to be taken away. Without them we just wouldn’t be the “land of the free, and the home of the brave.”
ReplyDeleteThrough his work, Minsky criticizes the government and how they abuse the Bill of Rights. Working his way through each of the amendments, Minsky finds a flaw that both the people and government take advantage of and exploits it onto the cover of the books he is using. For the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees a speedy and public trial, he dips a black glove in red paint (resembling blood) and then glues it onto Jeffrey Toobin’s “ The Run of HIs Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson.” Although the Simpson trial was a speedy one, it was one of the most watched trials in history as well as the one most criticized. Known for his famous line “ If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit” Simpson denied having murdered his ex wife and her friend even though there was clear evidence that supported he did. To add to the matter, he was involved in a high speed car chase after refusing to turn himself in for the murder. The jury found him innocent but the entire nation didn’t. How he got away with it, nobody knows for sure, but many speculate that it was race, money, lack of evidence and other such things. Because nobody wanted to take their time ,O.J was found innocent and walked the streets of America even though everyone else knew he was guilty. Another Amendment Minsky decided to illustrate was the Eight Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishment. He decided to rebind in stripes, a book by Larry E. Sullivan on prison reform and then chained it to a jail cell. This exemplifies hypocrisy because of the Guantanamo Bay situation we had just not too long ago. Suspected terrorists were being brought to a detainment facility on an island in Cuba run by the US Military. Suspects, some being guilty and others innocent, were being subjected to cruel punishments like waterboarding, sleep deprivation, beatings along with many others. These may not be US citizens but they still are human beings, especially ones with not enough facts about them to prove they are guilty. Most of the people there were simply found at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Bill of Rights is now shown as being abused by both parties-the government and the people. It seems that everyone needs a refresher on why these rights are here exactly because too many people are taking advantage of them.
3)The Bill of Rights is completely distorted in modern US society simply because everyone fends for themselves and does what they please. I completely agree with Fanny on how our judicial system can be easily bribed by the guilty party and the innocent’s rights will be therefore altered.This rings true on a daily basis and can be seen firsthand when looking at the O.J Simpson trial. It is sad to think that what started out to be a fair nation, is now becoming one where money can buy anything...literally. This also makes me think about other nation’s governments and how they seem less corrupt. On my travels to Switzerland, I was fascinated with their type of government which involved picking leaders that worked together but then every single issue that had to be decided upon, was done so by the people. I admire this type of rule because it seems to work really well. Switzerland is still today a rich country not plagued by debt or a down-trodden economy. Personally, I think it would be wise to follow a few of their examples and use them in our government.
ReplyDeletePaulina Plata
E-Block
I'm so sorry! I thought due Thurs meant that we can still complete it on Thurs, it won't happen again.
Richard Minsky is a clever artist who articulates his perspective and believes about the American government and 10 Amendments through the discussion pieces that he creates. He speculates the laws and freedoms we have and understands the government to be just as faulty and perverse as some of the citizens living under its control. I believe that on some level, Minsky has the right to feel the way he does because the government is not always dependable or upholding honor. However, I also believe that true equality and perfection will never exist. There will always be people who defy the rules they make, individuals who are better qualified for leadership positions that they will never be chosen for and those few criminals who create chaos and never pay for their consequences. The world is flawed. I think that the American government has its blemish’s and definitely isn’t always right, but for the massive extent of work it needs to perform and enormous amounts of complaint and judgment it receives, in comparison to other countries I feel that living under the United States government is a privilege. Although the effectiveness of our democracy is controversial, it is still “For the people and by the people.”
ReplyDeleteIf somebody desires anything enough to struggle and fight for it, eventually... most likely, they will do whatever it takes and obtain it. Fortunately, in politics it is not as simple to get what you want if it does not abide with the law. An amendment process is necessary and extremely difficult to accomplish. Therefore, today the Bill of Rights is still intact and reflected in modern US society. Despite the riots and picketing, a law is a law and cannot be changed unless a substantial amount of the population is in approval.
In response to Jules,
I disagree people express their freedom of speech daily, America will never acclimate itself so much so that we lose our voice.
Sarah Corso E block
Richard Minsky way of showing his perspective on the first ten amendments and bill of rights was very original/creative. Minsky has very strong opinion and i agree with him. We need to take advantage of being able to have these rights when others don't. Sometimes this affects us in a good way and bad but either way it is beneficial to all. Minsky's showing us by using novels that the government is ignoring the bill of rights and sooner or later those rights will no longer be there because they are being violated. on the criticism of the tenth amendment "protecting states rights," i most definite agree with Minsky' the government intervening in Florida's states controversy which is pretty cynical and "crooked" as Minsky says. I think the Bill of Rights is Distorted in modern vs society.we the people supposedly have many rights that most of us don't pay to be and slowly these right will no longer be there. Our rights are being taken away from us and we don't do anything about it because it now feels like the government is somewhat over powering us. But like what most of my peers have said before and what Minsky said “we should enjoy our rights while we still have them."
ReplyDeleteYarelin Iglesias E-block <3
Richard Minsky views the Bill of Rights as a crook. He feels that the government is taking our rights away one at a time without us even realizing it's happening. We are one of the most freest countries in the world but it seems like day by day that's all changing. One of our biggest rights that we as human could have would be freedom of speech. Our freedom of speech is very limited so why call it freedom of speech? I do believe that the government restricts certain laws for our safety but I also agree with Minsky that there disreguarding our rights without us even realizing. When Minsky talks about the right to a speedy trial as untrue I agree because there's people sitting in jail for years for a crime they did not commit. I feel the bill of rights may be a little distorted because of how are rights are being portrayed. I agree with Pricilla when she stated the law is going against our right to privacy by using the cyberworld. Chelsea Cruz - A Block
ReplyDeleteRichard Minsky believes the Bill of Rights is being crooked. Richard uses his artistic abilities to relate to the ten amendments still today. The governemnt sadly is trying to take the amendments away "one by one" and Minsky isnt having it. I absoloutley agree with Minsky because the government is slowly taking away all of our rights. It seems this started after the 9/11 attack in 2001. "while you got them, enjoy them" Richard Minsky says because they soon will no longer exist, and he's right. The Bill of Rights is reflected in modern U.S society. This wont change by itself. We the people will have to go through dramatic challenges and changes to the higher people so we can convince them of our rights. The Bill of Rights is to strict and limited in our society right now. In school, we no longer have our freedom of speech or religion. People need to remmeber that we are the voice of the world and if we all stick together to get something accomplished, it can be done.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Casale
D Block <3
Richard Minsky thinks that the Bill of Rights has been mess with over time. Minsky used his art to show us how the bill of rights may not be protected. The Bill of Rights was to protect American citizens from a corrupt government. Minsky criticized the 6th amendment by talking about the OJ Simpson trial. The 6th amendment speaks about the right to a speedy and public trail meanwhile the OJ Simpson trial was public but not speedy. Minsky criticized the first amendment saying it was tampered with which is somewhat true. For example gay marriage is not allowed in most states, which limits their freedoms. The bill of rights is distorted in our society. One of the examples in today's society is the building of the mosaic by the world trade center remains. There is a lot of debate whether or not they should build it because of the religion and that religion supposedly caused the accident. This distorted the first amendment because they are having their freedom of religion somewhat limited.
ReplyDeleteSamantha DiMarco
Block C
(sorry for lateness)
ReplyDeleteMr.Minsky thinks that our constitution is being slowly taken away from us. He thinks the government is replacing the bill of rights with their own rules to "adapt" to modern society. While the bill of rights were suppoused to protect us from an overpowerful government, the government is overpowering the bill of rights. for example, he says how the 3rd amendment is like a novel "Seven Days in May" by Fletcher Knebel about a top military commander taking over the white house. or how the second amendment is like a book "gathering storm: Americas milita threat" by Morris Dees, depicting that the author is in a bulls eye. I think the bill of rights is distorted in U.S. society because for me and my family being supporters of the second amendment, we are disapointed to see so many people against the right to bear arms.
1. Richard Minsky is an artist and also a bookbinder. Using his artistic and creative imagination is how he shows the first 10 amendments. I agree with Minsky's way of representation. He feels that the first 10 amendments are very crucial and important to the society today. The 6th amendment had stood out to me the most as it did to Gina and Glenn! In Minsky's 6th amendment interpretation he showed his sense of humor which I think others enjoyed as well. Overall, Richard Minsky considers the first 10 amendments to be very important in the society and I agree with him.
ReplyDelete2. I most definitely agree with Richard Minsky's opinion. Richard Minsky makes his opinion very loud and clear to all people with his way of representation. His interpretation of the ninth amendment stood out to me as well. The "Right To Privacy" is represented with late Princess Diana because her death had been caused by the paparazzi who had been invading her privacy. Being aware of that, Richard Minsky uses her as an example for the amendment. As said in answer one, the 6th amendment had stood out to me the most. The speedy and quick trial involving OJ Simpson had been humorous and interesting because by glueing the glove to the book, Minksy shows true meaning.
3. I believe that the Bill Of Rights still stands for something today. Whether people view it differently or change their outlook on it, the Bill Of Rights still stands strong for something. Everyone has a different mind and different imagination. I believe that deep down people and society understand and believe in the Bill Of Rights but in a different way. To make it clearer for them, people play with their imaginations like Richard Minsky.
Mariam Airapetian C Block :]
Richard Minsky believes that the bill of rights is being taken away in America.
ReplyDeleteMinsk is an artist who found a way to show the amendments in an artistic way. For example, the first amendment, which is freedom expression, he burned a coy of salmon Rushdie’s satanic verses and sealed up the charred volume in a arabesque windowed reliquary. For the eighth amendment, which is barring cruel and unusual punishment he took a book on penology forlorn hope the prison reform movement by Larry e., Sullivan rebound it in strips and chained it to a little jail.
I agree with minsky because it like our rights are being taken away one by one for ex the government is allow to hack our phones conventions to see what we are talking about I agree with Priscilla because we not allow to scream bomb in a crowd place or anywhere we would be sent to jail for screaming it.
i agree with Mr. minsky , the government finds ways of takeing away our rights , and saying "its for the better good" and we just abide by their rules like bunch of mindless zombies.I really like the way minsky uses artwork to describe our rights, my most favorite thing he says in the article is,''People ask me, 'Can I get one?''' he said. ''I say, 'The government is trying to take them away one by one; you have to have them all.' ''
ReplyDeletericky vega
Based on the article thatI have just read, Richard Minsky relates the bill of rights to a variety of books and each book tells its own story relationg to the bill of rights. He calls this art and it is very different, I have never seen any comparison like this and it makes alot of sense why he would do this. This can give people a better understanding of what the bill of rights really is and examples. This article proves to us that very slowly but surely our rights are being taken away.Richard shows that we are so lucky to have the bill of rights and we should enjoy them while we have them, the way he does this is a way that will be able to touch everyone, through art.These references that Minsky makes to the books reveal the importance of the bill of rights and the huge impact it has on people and society. These rights were promised to us by the government and now they are being taken away which is not fair at all and we deserve to sustain them.In some cases the bill of rights may seem to favor the guilty but in fact everyone does deserve the same rights whether they are innocent or guilty and everyone has the right to be treated as equal American citizens. No matter what happens, if society improves or not we are still going to need the rights we are entitled to to keep a good civilization so therefore they should not be tampered with at all
ReplyDelete