When the National Endowment for the Arts recently took away funding from actors, musicians, authors, filmmakers, and more, it wasn’t just an attack on creativity, but an attack on our democracy as well.

Allow me to explain.

The National Endowment for the Arts pledged millions of dollars to organizations across the country to fund numerous and varied artistic endeavors. The money was to be used to reimburse these groups for money spent out of pocket.

But late one recent Friday night, an email was sent informing these groups that the money that was already promised was now being taken away.

It’s not that the money for the National Endowment for the Arts was going away, but rather the money the foundation had was going to be spent differently. According to the email, the money that was going to organizations across the country, including local groups like the Great Plains Theater Commons, Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival, and others, was now going to be spent to “reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.”

That’s right, from now on, any arts subsidized by the government must now please the artistic tastes of our fearless and glorious leader. Perhaps the money will now go to supplement the WWE.

Valid arguments can be made about whether or not it’s the government’s job to fund the arts in the first place. The United States is trillions of dollars in debt, and cuts in government spending do need to be made. But the promises made need to be kept as well.

The National Endowment for the Arts is set up by Congress and obligated to disperse funds to groups that meet certain criteria. If Congress wants to disband the NEA, cut their budget, or change the criteria for future funding, that would be how democracy works. But to take away money due to the whims of an oligarch is not what our Founding Fathers envisioned.

These recent cuts aren’t the only attacks on the arts this administration has taken. The President has ousted the leadership of the Kennedy Center, appointed the board of trustees with his supporters, and proclaimed that he had been unanimously elected the board’s chair.

Many artists who had been scheduled to appear at the Kennedy Center cancelled their events in protest of those developments. But not Conan O’Brien. He had been scheduled to receive the Mark Twain award for comedy, and they decided the show must go on.

The show went on to speak out for the arts and against the current administration’s attacks. It was funny but important. The awards ceremony is now available on Netflix. If you are a fan of Conan, you’ll enjoy watching the event. If you are not a fan, please fast forward and just watch his acceptance speech. I won’t do it justice by posting a random quote or two here. His speech focused on the importance of the arts in society. It focuses on the relevance of Mark Twain today. It’s a moving speech about humanity, with a touch of humor.

If you think I’m being hyperbolic when I say that the change in funding is an attack on our democracy, think again. I did a Google search and asked, “How do authoritarians treat the arts and culture. Here was Google AI’s response…

“Authoritarians often view arts and culture as a means of control, often suppressing artistic freedom and promoting propaganda that reinforces their narrative. They may censor or ban art that challenges the status quo while promoting art that aligns with their ideology. This control can manifest as censorship, manipulation of cultural institutions, and even targeting or silencing artists who express dissent.”

The line from the email that the National Endowment for the Arts put out, cancelling the already promised funding, blatantly pointed out that’s exactly what they are planning on doing.

Whether you are talking about books, plays, paintings, country, rock, jazz, classical, or rap music, all forms of art are an expression of free speech. All variations should be available for the public to decide. It shouldn’t be decided by the whims of any single administration. If the government should continue to help fund these endeavors, it should be a decision for Congress and not any President, regardless of party.

As the saying goes, “I may not know art, but I know what I like.” And I know what I don’t like as well. And I don’t like the President unilaterally deciding what I or anyone else should be able to enjoy.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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