A Critical Choice: The Arts and Humanities in the Dark Age of Terrorism and Globalism‪.‬

This is the dark age of terrorism. Humanity will not survive a dark age where terrorism is the only sustainable solution left to those with sympathy or membership in the second or third world. A nation-state's power and strength is based disproportionally on its scientific and technological capital; yet the arts and humanities are the common heritage of mankind and the foundation of their civilization. Every nation-state must now come to the critical choice to represent itself not only through its power and strength but also through its arts and artists (JFK #1). The first world dominates globalism with the might and force of this scientific and technological perspective to the exclusion of the second and third world. To the hopeless and the disadvantaged of the second and third world, this exclusion and its lack of empowerment leaves terrorism as the only alternative. The second and third world is too limited, too remote, and too weak to engage globalism so the last resort for relieve and remedy is terrorism. Every society and civilization needs to elevate the arts as a resolution against terrorism in the clear and the full recognition of its artists. The arts can save mankind and civilization from the dark age of terrorism. The world can change from terrorism to an existence of tranquility; from terror to the peace among brothers; and from terrorist to community of neighbors. It falls most heavily on this global generation to prove what we mean by living in peace and tranquility with our neighbors and brothers, but humanity must appreciate that "our times are difficult and perplexing ... and so they are challenging and filled with opportunity (RFK #1)." Terrorism must stop and end as a human act. Come now; let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18). The arts are a group of subjects and disciplines united in expressing the human condition under shifting and varying qualitative approaches. The arts include the classics, languages, music, philosophy, performing arts, religion, fine arts, visual arts, dance, painting, sculpturing, theatre, literature, history, poetry, drama, comedy, opera, music, film, speech and plays; plus any other areas or fields of performance or presentation articulating the form, context, order and character of human expression (Humanities #1). The arts are not a spectator endeavor. The arts are action. The arts are the means and the media upon which the artist performs his presentation of the human condition. The artist is the performer, singer, dancer, musician, player, recitalist, sculptor, comedian, historian, director, writer, entertainer, philosopher and actor of the arts (Cunningham #1). The artist is an active member, participant and contributor of the arts. The arts demand action and command vocation. The nature of the artist is involvement, and by his art, the artist nurtures our society and culture. The artist is a worker with a product and a service that makes us gentle, stronger and better (Fiero #1).