Dentist hits a nerve with letter belittling poetry, arts

The Island Now

In reference to the letter written by Stephen Morris demonizing President Obama, I take major offense at his belittling of college students and especially the study of the arts. 

He questions the validity of a government policy that provides “below interest loans to all students yes even poetry majors.”  

The denigrating of the study of poetry and by implication all arts including literature, dance, music, and the visual arts, is not only offensive, naïve, but thoroughly nauseating and self-serving.  

Mr. Morris is a dentist, a utilitarian profession that fulfills a necessary role in our society.  

Dentistry, however, holds relatively little importance and is supplanted significantly by the contribution that the arts make to our society.  

Where would we be without the gifts bestowed by the likes of Shakespeare, Wilde, Homer, Blake, Hardy, Poe, Frost, Kipling, Wordsworth, Dante, and Chaucer?  

These poets are but a scant handful of the artists and benefactors of the arts that have molded our history.  

Shame on you Stephen Morris; your views are an embarrassment.

Jed Berman

Kensington

Share this Article