By Mark Antony Rossi
I remember the first time feeling the gravity of being a writer when the military dictatorship of Nigeria hung a playwright (Ken Saro-Wiwa) for writing a radio play about the poverty of his region. It terrorized my being more than the murders of anti-apartheid activists. At the time, I didn’t make the connection that Art can also stand up to abusive power. Before this realization I associated such behavior with street protests or political action. I assumed only a hunger strike or blockading an entrance was the sure-fire method to effect social change.
Artists need to be reminded of the tribulations of creative souls gone before them. Lest we forget Da Vinci was nearly murdered for his anatomical drawings. Caravaggio lived on the run and died while still under a death warrant issued by the Pope. Ali Weiwei, a Chinese photographer, is considered so subversive by Chinese officials he is routinely beaten and perennially under house arrest. However; as much as I understand the power of Art, I cannot accept the death of a human for merely writing a play. Maybe I’m bias but this course of action goes beyond the pale of tyrannical behavior.
Any violence leveled against the artistic community should be considered a prophetic warning of wicked things to come. Like the death of frogs in an ecosystem the artist detects the intruder in advance of the local population. And its frontline sacrifice is noble and cannot be ignored without dire ramifications to the remaining residents. And still a terrible irony slaps our face: the enemies of liberty view have a greater appreciation of Art than artists and have the means to silence an opposing viewpoint. Dictators feed on obedience but fear passion. Our due diligence is a daily requirement if we are to harness the gravity of artistic expression and help define a confused world drifting towards insanity. It drifts not because it has lost its mind but precisely because it has lost its way. The artist has the potential to be a beacon of bright light illuminating the long winding road back home.
About the Author: Mark Antony Rossi is a poet, playwright and author of the bioethics volume “Dark Tech” now available from Amazon. His most recent plays have been produced in Liverpool and New York.
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