Micah Beckwith Doubling Down On Foolishness
- Beckwith accused the high school band's performance as 'satanic' due to an opera, but Katz says this is 'ridiculous'.
- Katz challenges Beckwith's approach of quickly judging and condemning instead of understanding diverse perspectives.
- Katz agrees with Beckwith on some education issues but criticizes his 'doubling down' on this particular controversy.
Micah Beckwith Doubling Down On Foolishness
The Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, Micah Beckwith, has been making headlines with his recent comments about a Westfield High School band. Tony Katz is not holding back in her critique of the Lieutenant Governor’s actions. “I have stated on this show that his political career is over,” he says. “I double down on that. He’s doubling down on the idea that the Westfield High School band is somehow satanic because they’re participating in an event called the Red Line.” The Red Line is a drumming competition, and the band’s performance has been misinterpreted by the Lieutenant Governor as a sign of rebellion against Christian values.
Beckwith’s critique of “The Red Line” is its inclusion of the opera “Carmen,” which depicts adultery. The opera “Carmen” was once considered scandalous for its depictions of cigarette smoking and sex. “No rational person in today’s world thinks Carmen is satanic,” he argues. “The Lieutenant Governor is ridiculous for saying so, and for accusing the Westfield High School band of being satanic.” Tony emphasizes that the band’s performance was simply a fun and creative expression of their musical talents.
But what’s really at stake here is the Lieutenant Governor’s approach to public discourse. Katz: “You’re not standing up for anything,” he says. “You’re attacking kids who want to play the clarinet or the drums or the tuba. Lord only knows they did nothing wrong.” He challenges the idea that we should be quick to judge and condemn, instead of taking the time to understand and appreciate the diversity of perspectives and experiences.
Tony also touches on the broader issues of education and the role of teachers’ unions. While he agrees with the Lieutenant Governor on some of these issues, he emphasizes that we need to approach them in a more thoughtful and nuanced way. “We might agree on a bunch of these things,” he says. “But this is where you double down? He started with the original post based on the video of these students dressed in the red and black. According to Beckwith it seemed like Westfield High School “was giving the middle finger to Christian conservatives.”
Listen to the “Micah Beckwith Doubling Down On Foolishness” discussion in full here:
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