Censoring great art: Foolish and fascistic

Hysteria over symbols of the Confederacy and the South has now reached the level of insanity. Apple banned images of the Dixie flag in Civil War computer games, for instance.

Meanwhile, many books, games and videos about World War II still use the swastika. Does this mean the Confederacy is now deemed worse than the genocidal Nazis? Worst of all, film critic Lou Lumenick has suggested that GONE WITH THE WIND be placed “on the shelf” and shown only at museums. Yes, it’s dubious and misleading as a work of history but it remains a spectacular artistic achievement and the top grossing movie of all time, adjusted for inflation.

Anyone who cares about film must see it. Or should we also shun masterpieces like OLIVER TWIST and MERCHANT OF VENICE because of their anti-Semitic elements? To try to censor great and lasting art because it raises questions or causes discomfort counts as both foolish and fascistic.