Censorship Strikes Yale’s Best Building
When you see an image that offends you, ask yourself, “Why did the artist make this? What are they trying to say?” A closer inspection of reliefs in proximity to this controversial one reveals:
A satirical call to question religion:
Bible Pusher who is obviously very unhappy with his own life.
A satirical call to question our criminal justice systems:
Man puts another in leg chains; obviously a cruel and unusual punishment.
A satirical call to question sin and crime:
Drunken gambler wallows in sorrow; Ostracized from his church community.
A satirical call to question teachers and authority:
Front door juxtaposition of bad students with a sleeping teacher and sleeping students with a bad teacher.
A satirical call to not study too hard:
Man reads books until cobwebs form. His head hurts.
And yes, a satirical call to question the motives and justice of our own history… now censored:
All these reliefs compel us to question those who would teach us and what they are teaching. These reliefs on the law school buildings, of all buildings, openly criticize our criminal justice system and the educational institutions that perpetuate it. To censor these images is an abysmal crime.
I was deeply saddened to see this vandalism.
- The relief should not have been vandalized.
- The 2016 version made the viewer feel compassion for the Native American, but the 2017 censored revision now fails; the piece is now solely about censorship.
- I am concerned for the other reliefs on this building. Will they also be destroyed?