By: A Person Who Still Remembers the Trauma of Cutting Arts Programs in Middle School
Well, folks, the axe has fallen. Again.
The National Endowment for the Arts—our humble little fund that helps support symphonies, community theaters, children’s choirs, and the guy who makes sculptures out of recycled hubcaps—has once again been deemed too dangerous for America.
Apparently, we just can’t afford the existential threat of puppets, poetry, and public murals anymore.
And while we’re at it, PBS and NPR are also on the chopping block. Because nothing screams “enemy of the state” like Mister Rogers, Sesame Street, or All Things Considered. I mean, who needs balanced reporting, thoughtful interviews, or a soothing voice explaining geopolitics when you can have… whatever we’re calling the news now?
Although, credit where it’s due: Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me does align nicely with our third tenet—being funny without punching down.
Clearly, the real problem with this country is the jazz festivals, the documentaries about endangered coral reefs, and those middle school violin recitals where every kid squeaks through “Twinkle, Twinkle” like it’s a hostage situation or a room full of cats getting a bikini wax.
And let’s not forget all those radical ideas NPR’s been pushing—like facts. Imagine funding a network that dares to explain economic inequality with… charts. How dare they.
But don’t worry—we’ve still got plenty of money for tax breaks for billionaires, defense budgets with line items for literal lasers, and yet another commemorative coin program honoring failed banks. Priorities.
The Truth:
Art is infrastructure. Culture is a public good. And if we let these programs wither, we’re not saving money—we’re bankrupting imagination.
So, if you’re tired of watching the creative soul of the country get turned into a line item called “nonessential,” here are a few things you can do:
Support the Arts:
- Donate to the National Endowment for the Arts
- Support local artists, theaters, and community art centers
- Attend performances, even virtually. Applause costs nothing.
- Check out this Substack with 66 Ways to Creatively Resist
Protect Public Broadcasting:
- Give to your local NPR station: Donate to NPR
- Donate to PBS: Donate to PBS
- Share, repost, scream into the void if you must—but don’t be silent.
Because one day soon, you might need a place to escape the chaos—a poem, a puppet, or a perfectly timed piccolo solo—and it’d be a real shame if all we had left was cable news and despair.
If you want, join us at The Cult of Brighter Days, and be kind to one another.
#SaveTheArts #FundCulture #PublicMediaMatters
