To some, the image of the holy Virgin Mary juxtaposed with displays of excrements and pornography may seem sacreligious , blasphemous, and in the words of Mayor Rudy Guiliani, "sick" and "disgusting". He is allowed freedom of speech to voice his opinions about this piece of art. The question brought to the table is why can't Ofili, the creator, have his views expressed as he wishes? His vehicle of expression just happens to be art. Regardless, each person should have the right to express themself freely. Guiliani is wrong and unjust in his actions against the Brooklyn Museum, which exhibits this man's work, as well as against the artist's creative expression. I intend to show that Guiliani violated these rights.

Art, as an entity, has always been hard to define. What some may consider art may be garbage to someone else. But no matter the content or color of the work in question, it is a personal expression of one's self. It can express something about the individual, a society, an issue, a controversy, or anything. In this case the artist chose to express his message with religion and sex intertwined, an offensive combination t

One of the issues here is that the public interest and personal claims are not being balanced. Guiliani's personal claim is given more weight than the public's right to see the exhibit. This is an unjust situation that needs to be addressed. To remedy this imbalance, I would attempt to use a Utilitarian approach to this situation. Guiliani is the minority. He represents a tiny fraction of the whole, collective voice of opinions. His views should not be granted while the mass disagrees. It should be the other way around. The mass should have the say over the decision because ultimately, whatever creates the greatest good for the greatest amount of people is the answer to most problems in a Utilitarian framework. Guiliani's views would have to be sacrificed, but as long as it appeased the greater good, it is not immoral to do so.

is being immoral. It also seems he is being affected due to the religious nature and tone of the art. In this case Catholicism is being "attacked". Yet to a Hindu who has never seen the image of the Virgin Mary, this exhibit would not spark the same outrage. Therefore, his basis for disgust is not grounded. He is being influenced perhaps by his o

Some common words found in the essay are:
Virgin Mary, Guiliani Due, Brooklyn Museum, Rudy Guiliani, virgin mary, Expression Essay#1, image virgin mary, virgin mary juxtaposed, free expression, access public resources, taxpayer's money, public resources, money he's, personal expression, voice opinions, image virgin, access public, guiliani violated,
Approximate Word count = 794
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)