There is an online petition with the goal of creating a better world by implementing a Secretary of the Arts position among the others in the President’s Cabinet. The petition is being circulated by Jamie Austria.
When I logged on to read the petition, I found this text:
To: President Barack Obama
Congratulations and thank you for all you do.
Your good friend Quincy Jones said: “…next conversation I have with President Obama is to beg for a Secretary of Arts.” [November 14th 2008 WNYC interview by John Schaefer on "Soundcheck."]
We the undersigned support Quincy Jones’ plea. Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
I’m a bit confused. What is it that The Undersigned are signing? What, exactly, are they supporting? What is the rationale behind the petition? What is the stated need for the requested Cabinet position? If this were a design brief it would fail before the project was even begun. There’s nothing to go on, here.
There’s nothing in this petition to agree with. All it seems to state is that “whatever Quincy Jones wants, I want, too”. I am not adding my name to something so vague.
The opposition petition presented by Paul Marquardt is much more reasonable. It states an actual argument, not an unsupported assertion. I will support this one, not only because I agree with it but because it really is a petition.
